Broken are mended

Photo: Mickmacpix

Ok Broken . . . From left, Gaz Wright, Phil McArdle and Alex Whitehead

ONE of Oldham's most popular young indie bands, Ok Broken, are right back on their game after a winter of upheaval.

Drummer Adam Heap and lead guitarist Dave Furnival left the band recently, but new sticks man Alex Whitehead has been drafted in after recently quitting a metal band, and it's apparent he has slotted in seamlessly.

Whitehead played his first Ok Broken gig last weekend, while on Saturday the talented threesome will support ace tribute act Definitely Oasis at what will be a packed Factory venue in Manchester.

Whitehead explained the seamless transfer from metal to a much more indie sound: "I used to do session drumming years ago, so I used to have to adapt and get used to that.

"But playing with these guys has been made a bit easier because I knew them anyway.

"It made the change more fun in rehearsals - we had a good laugh, and that just makes me more comfortable.

"I have changed a few bits of my style, maybe putting my own spin on it, but all in all it's not really been a problem at all. It's been fine."

Original bassist Phil McArdle and frontman/guitarist Gaz Wright admitted it was a shock to lose Heap and Furnival, but there were no hard feelings.

Wright said: "If I'm honest, it wasn't really expected, but I'd never hold anything against Adam and Dave.

"They're still our best mates, it was all amicable and they both did it the right way.

"We just all sat down with some nachos having a chill-out, and Adam just said 'look, I can't do it any more'.

"Phil and I just said 'fair enough'. We're mates before we're a band.

"There is lots that goes with being in a band - people don't always realise.

"When you've got other commitments and busy work lives, it can be difficult to fit in. It's not for everyone.

"You can't turn round to someone and say 'you're not leaving'.

"Their minds were obviously made up, so Phil and I just had to accept it."

McArdle said: "We didn't have to think hard about whether or not to carry on. We'd worked hard to get where we were at, so we just didn't want to bin all that.

"We knew we were still good enough, so let's do it.

"Now it feels like it's going to be even bigger and better.

"After every rehearsal we've had with Alex, we've been like 'Jeez'."

Wright is clearly relishing the prospect of Saturday's show with Definitely Oasis, a band they supported last year.

He said: "It's massive, and it's nearly sold out.

"Last year we supported them and they were great. I've seen a few Oasis tribute bands, but these lads blew me away.

"And they're Scottish, which is something I didn't expect last time. I just expected them all to be Mancs and to know the roots and stuff, but we were taken aback when we first spoke to them backstage.

"They rocked up with a crate of Tennents Super and they said 'make your way through that, boys'.

"We did watch them, though, and the atmosphere was great - it was packed, and everyone inside there was loving it.

"We're just expecting the same thing this weekend."

More gigs and recordings will follow in the summer and autumn, but for now Ok Broken are still open to the idea of further expansion.

Wright said: "As well as another guitarist, we would like to recruit a keyboard player just to add that depth really.

"It would certainly with the melodies on new songs, the old songs, and everything. We've had some replies to ads we put out and had one or two conversations, but it is hard.

"We can work as a three, but it would be nice for me to free up a little bit.

"I'm not Brian May - I'd just like to concentrate more on writing and singing, and maybe just playing the rhythm stuff.

"We're not rushing it though, it's got to be the right person or persons."


* Gig news and up-to-date ticket links are always posted on Ok Broken's Facebook page, so keep in touch.