Time for action as busy Dermo calls new tunes...

Photo: Paul Husband

TIME FOR ACTION

I HAVE to admit I'm struggling to think of anyone who will be busier on the local music scene right now than Warren Dermody.

Locally-based Northside frontman Dermo does still, somehow, hold down a day job, but as far as his music is concerned, he's mad busy with new band Time for Action, an exciting solo project and DJing assignments, while 'Madchester' legends Northside are still bubbling under and are set to feature on a brilliant newly-released box set of tunes from Cherry Red Records.

Time for Action appear to be Dermo's main priority at present, though.

Having got together with Simon Burton, Neil Pleasant, Mike Carty and Andy Callaghan at the start of the year, the chiefly punk-influenced band have played packed gigs recently at the Ruby Lounge and Aatma venues in Manchester, while the forthcoming gig diary is busy. Over the next few months, Time for Action are set to call in at the Rum 100 Festival, the Night and Day Café again, the RecRock Festival, Glasgow, the Shiiine On Festival in Somerset, and even Belgium.

Dermo said: "There's been a great reaction to the new band so far, the crowds just keep coming.

"These people seem to be into what we're doing and what we're talking about, and there's always a great atmosphere at the gigs.

"Of course we're all happy to play for people who love what we're doing, so that's what it's all about.

"Time for Action is a different kind of music to the Northside stuff, so it is a different kind of audience in that respect.

"I love Northside don't get me wrong - if that happens again it'll happen again - but at the moment I'm doing Time for Action and it's going great."

The band have been busy in the recording studio and an exciting four-track EP is due to be released on Strawberry Moon Records within weeks.

Post that offering, the plan then for Time for Action is to record an album and then maybe even tour in the new year.

"The four EP tracks are all great songs and I can't wait for people to hear them," added Dermo.

"It is all about recording mainly for us now.

"Of course we love gigging and there's plenty booked in, but we're actually turning gigs down at the moment because we don't want to get too bogged down with commitments.

Team

"We'd love to go on a tour, but we do need something to tour on the back of.

"We'd like to get an album done and then everyone can hear just what we're about.

"For now, though, I think the EP will open a lot of doors for us.

"Hopefully it will do a great job for us, but at the end of the day it gets put out and people can then make up their own minds.

"It has been a bit like going back to the beginning, though. I love what we're doing, we're a great band and we all get on.

"We've got a good little team behind us too. Everyone works together and we're all into it."

So, as well as all that band news, Dermo also has a solo single, 'Vultures', set for release by the Eromedia label this Friday.

In collaboration with top pianist and arranger Richard Thomas, 'Vultures' is said by Dermo to be a 'darker, slower' tune, but one of many he has banked in a huge back catalogue.

Dermo's DJ commitments are plenty. He played the Happy Festival recently and is off to the epic Kendal Calling festival this coming weekend, while the band in which he made his name, Northside, get another airing soon also.

Their seminal track 'Shall we take a trip' features on the 'Manchester North of England' seven-CD box set, which is being released by Cherry Red Records this Friday.

The box set celebrates Manchester's famous independent music scene over the years, and boasts an incredible 146 tracks from the likes of the Buzzcocks, the Fall, The Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, New Order and the Happy Mondays.

Keep up to date with Time for Action's gigs and releases by checking out the band's Facebook page.