Lippy young upstarts THE CRESCENT are one of the brightest prospects to have come from the council Estates of Merseyside for some time and have gained instant kudos from their connections with LA'S frontman LEE MAVERS. Oh, and they've already released one fine single in "On The Run." TIM PEACOCK talks to CRESCENT singer/ songwriter WAYNE WHITFIELD about Liverpool, fame and (not) gigging at Goodison Park as the band prepare to unleash their new single "Test Of Time".
Just after I speak to Wayne Whitfield on the telephone, the NME are running a piece about why Liverpool is "cool" again. Having spent many a year covering gigs in Liverpool, this reviewer has always believed that you can't write off a city as rich and strange as Liverpool, although certainly the city appears to be currently undergoing a resurgence.
Along with the likes of THE CORAL, THE ZUTONS and CLINIC, THE CRESCENT are presently basking in press coverage. However, all these respective groups proffer distinctive sounds of their own and the new "Liverpool sound" is fragmentary to say the least.
How good a place to be in is Liverpool these days, Wayne?
"It's alright," says the typically chirpy Wayne. "It comes and goes in, like, 10 year cycles. It's just startin' to boil over again at the moment."
"We don't have that much to do with the other bands around, though" he continues.
"We don't know THE CORAL personally. I hope they can deliver. There's a lot of pressure on them to do well, but I wouldn't like to be in their shoes. For once it's good to see that the press are looking here rather than Manchester for good music, innit?"
As you've probably already gathered, Wayne is full of the kind of irrepressible self-belief we should demand from our best rock'n'rollers. THE CRESCENT also feature his mates from the Bluebell Estate in Huyton, Liverpool in SEAN LONGWORTH (bass); KARL ROWLANDS (guitar) and drummer JOEY HARRISON and they've recently just played their biggest Liverpool show at the city's Stanley Theatre,, supporting THE SHINING...
"It was a weird one," says Wayne, recalling the night. "I didn't like the atmosphere much. The Stanley's alright, but I just can't get into THE SHINING at all. I can't watch 'em for more than three songs."
Why's that?
"They're a strange band," he sighs. "You know that band THE MUSIC? Well, THE SHINING are like an older version of them. Like an older version, doing all this dance-y, LED ZEP stuff. All the crowd wanted THE VERVE stuff and they wouldn't play it. No, didn't like it at all."
But then Wayne's not much time for anything other than THE CRESCENT. Rightly, he's far more interested in being the biggest and best band in the world. Certainly the band's two singles thus far won't harm their reputation much, falling somewhere between the classic Mersey Pop of THE LA'S and the vintage Britpop anthems of OASIS.
The new one,"Test Of Time" is just about to be released. Give us the lowdown about the lyrics, Wayne.
"It's about someone gettin' up and thinkin' they've gotta do more with their life," he shoots back.
"The message is all about pushin' y'self to the limit, t'know? I'm dead pleased with it, it's more guitar driven than the first one ("On The Run"). That was gentler. This new one's far more full-on."
Perhaps inevitably, the chat comes round to Liverpool's proud pop heritage, but in this case more specifically THE LA'S. One myth Wayne is keen to scotch is legendary LA'S leader LEE MAVERS' influence on THE CRESCENT.
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"The other 3 jammed with him for a while at THE FLYING PICKET (infamous Liverpool venue)...but all that was before I got together with them to start THE CRESCENT. I'm sure he gave 'em good advice an' all that, but it's not relevant to THE CRESCENT."
He still lives in Huyton, doesn't he?
"I haven't got a clue what he's doin',mate," Wayne responds. "It's a shame to think he'll probably not do more music, though. He's got loads of new songs written, but I doubt they'll ever see the light of day, y'know."
Meanwhile, the stories of THE CRESCENT'S shitty post-school day jobs are becoming legendary. Regardless of teaming up with Mr.Mavers, what was the worst it got for you, Wayne?
"I dunno, I laid cables for a little while, really crap stuff," remembers Wayne.
"I worked in a scaffy (Scaffolding - Scouse Ed) yard for 2and a half weeks...spent one night portering in an 'ospital. Fuckin' horrible, mate. I couldn't have stuck it more than another coupla days."
Is that when the band began, then?
"Yeah, Thank God. Good thing too...I couldn't have done with missing out on music and especially THE CRESCENT."
Thing is Wayne, THE CRESCENT may well be your ticket out of the Council Estate, but how big do you want to get and would you move away from Huyton permanently if you became superstars?
"Well there's no point in doin' this otherwise, is there?" he replies, almost indignant.
"We hardly get to go home now, anyway, not since January anyway. It's great goin' home, though. It's like an hotel now. It's good to see me dog as well. He mopes around with the weight of the world on his shoulders when I'm away. Terrible."
Wayne and the band have their sights very much set on the future, though. They've already got a debut album ready to go later this year, which was a surprise to this writer...
"Yeah, it'll be out in September," enthuses Wayne. "The first couple of singles are only snips. In my opinion it's just totally brilliant. Big, beaty and melodic. It'll be a big LP in every way. It's gonna be everything you've been waitin' for."
Big talk, for sure, but on the basis of their two singles so far, you wouldn't bet against THE CRESCENT making short work of most of this year's pop competitors. Unlike OASIS, I hear that if THE CRESCENT hit the big league you wanna play Goodison Park (Home of Everton FC) rather than Maine Road, or Anfield, of course....
"Oh mate, I don't care about Goodison Park," roars Wayne. "I just could not care less. I'm the only Liverpool supporter in this band and as far as I'm concerned I could not care at all about the other lot. Point me the other way!"
Sure thing, Wayne. How about towards continued success for THE CRESCENT? It looks odds on from where I'm standing.
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