Love for the commoners

Photo: Lewis Evans

PASSION . . . James Cummins of Proletariat

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IF ENERGETIC, passionate performances are what you're after when heading off to an unsigned showcase night, then Proletariat could well be worth checking out.

The gritty Mossley rockers - front-man James Cummins, guitarist Connor Dolan, bassist Aaron Hall and drummer Luke O'Reilly - list Iggy Pop, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Arctic Monkeys and the Strokes among strong influences, and it's clear that putting on a high visual experience for an audience is high up on the priority list.

Atmospheric

Front-man Cummins said: "I'd love to try and create that Iggy Pop-type atmospheric and energy one day.

"With a guitar it's a bit more difficult because you can't keep running around like a headless chicken, but there's energy and passion in there with us.

"Without sounding too harsh, a lot of people don't want to go a gig and see people stood still.

"The music could be great, but if the band use the same stance throughout their half-an-hour then it can get a bit boring.

"People like Noel Gallagher can kind of stand there, because he's Noel Gallagher and he's amazing, but with people like Jim Morrison, you can be watching him and you'd be in a different world almost.

"I think that's important to try and recreate that at gigs.

"Bands like Slaves produce that raw energy, and that adds so much to a gig."

Despite only playing their first gig - at Manchester's Aatma venue - last summer, Proletariat are making positive strides.

Their gig alongside Diggle aces Gardenback this Saturday, March 18, will see a fourth appearance already at the city's prestigious Night and Day Cafe venue.

"I'd never been aware of Gardenback to be honest, but ever since the Night and Day gig was announced, all we've heard is good things," added Cummins, clearly relishing the prospect.

"Somehow (promoters) This Feeling have managed to pull us two bands onto the same bill and it's great.

"We've managed to shift 60 tickets so far. We had to order extra because our initial 50 went really quickly.

"We always had a very supportive group of family friends at the start, and that gave us a huge boost."

After that, Proletariat release a four-track EP - recorded at Ashton's Hop Pole Studios - hopefully towards the end of April.

"We wanted to record in Ashton, that suited us," said Cummins. "We wanted to find somewhere local and convenient.

"The Hop Pole used to be a pub, but the guy there - Adam - was great. We had a really good good time during recording.

"The track that many people deem to be our stand-out - 'Mr Brown' - is on there, so hopefully it will take off.

"We're hoping to stage the launch night at Jimmy's in the northern quarter at the end of April.

"That's a great venue - it's run by two brothers who were in a band called One Night Only, so they know what it's all about and they're well tapped into the scene. It should be a top night."

Reflecting on Proletariat's future - which does indeed look bright and includes a date at iconic Manchester haunt the Band on the Wall on May 13 - Cummins added: "We just want to keep this momentum going really. We're picking up new faces at every gig we do, so that's what it's all about.

"Slow and steady wins the race don't they say?

"Healthy competition is good. I'd never disrespect any other band because we're all here for the same reason, and we do feed off each other, certainly from what I've experienced.

"Competition is positive, it gives us a good push."

Check out all the up-to-date news from Proletariat on the band's Facebook and Twitter pages.