Boys sprout on scene

Photo: Debbie Ellis

CABBAGE

CABBAGE are getting ready to take over the world!

That's a very bold statement but given the buzz swirling around the increasingly popular five-piece 'discordant neo post-punk' outfit from Mossley, it is a scenario that could very well come to pass.

As reported on this page fairly recently, Joe, Lee, Eoghan, Stephen and Asa only formed Cabbage approximately eight months ago, but already there has been plenty of hype and talk.

Gig bookings up and down the country are flooding in, while during the summer the lads will also grace the Blackthorn Festival, Kendal Calling, Party in the Pines, and most notably, the Isle of Wight Festival, where they will play on two separate nights!

Cabbage's cutting edge tuneage and spot-on observational lyrics are special, but following the success and plaudits showered on opening EP 'Le Chou', it seems it is almost time for a new track (or tracks) to be released, which will surely propel the band even deeper into the nation's consciousness.

Speaking to me in what was an at-times chaotic interview, guitarist Joe (Martin) acknowledges that expectations are already extremely high, but Cabbage can cope.

Martin said: "We've actually written another record now, so now the plan is to get the record out and take over the world.

"We'll announce another Manchester show for around September time, then it's just about getting bigger.

"Hopefully we'll still all be friends by the end of the year. We've just got to keep loving each other.

"Seriously, though, the only pressure on us is within our own relationships.

"We need to keep getting on with this, writing good music, so that's the pressure really.

"The only thing that worries us is a lack of music, but that's certainly not happened at all yet."

The subject of a lively debate on BBC Radio 4 last week, the Cabbage lads are making waves so far, and they do appear determined to make their mark.

Front-man Lee (Broadbent) added: "The Seventies was clearly a boom period, but now we've had so much rubbish, I think it's come to a point where a lot of musicians are turning round and saying 'hang on, we ain't' doing this any more'.

"It's a sign of the times when people like Andy Burnham are saying Manchester has been resting on its laurels. That's kind of true I suppose, but there is a Cabbage-shape uprising on the way.

"It's irrelevant whether we're from Manchester or not, in fact Terry Christian thinks we're from near Leeds.

"We just want to get on."

Cabbage actually spoke to me minutes after what was their first-ever acoustic gig, when they guested at the first of the latest run of 'Mrs Boon's Tea Parties' at the Black Dog Ballroom in Manchester's Northern Quarter.

Inspiral Carpets legend Clint Boon spun some great tunes at his wife Charlie's special family-orientated afternoon event, which is now set to run each Saturday again.

Asked about the stripped-back mini-set, Eoghan (Clifford) said: "It was a first for us and we enjoyed it, but that's Cabbage for you - fun for all the family.

"We're doing something similar at an arts show-type exhibition in Leeds."