Postcode / John Mellor / Postcode (Radio Edit) / Postcode (Video)

CONCRETE RECORDINGS

A Manchester three piece who judging by latest single POSTCARD, have the odd Clash and Slits album in their collections, Orphan Boy are a band bringing back some much needed grubby punk authenticity to the music scene.

ORPHAN BOY is dirty sounding punk rock that substitutes factors like pristine production and slick radio friendliness for attitude laden snarling and a resolutely lo-fi feel.  Capturing the sounds and smells of an energised recording session, POSTCODE rumbles and shakes in all the right places; Rob Cross’s snarling vocals rubbing up aggressively against Paul Smith’s rattling guitar lines and Chris Day’s bone shaking drum patterns, the whole thing sounding like its been recording in some cold, dark basement onto a battered old 4-track.

An energised and rough around the edges blast of attitude laden punk rock, POSTCODE may not push any fresh new musical boundaries, but Orphan Boy do things with such conviction, energy and enthusiasm that it hardly matters.

Orphan Boy signed to Manchester’s Concrete Recordings in March 2006, a little over a year after the band had formed in their hometown of Grimsby – a place so devoid of glamour that it so far boasts not one single footnote in the entire history of rock'n'roll. The townie trio, raised on fish factories and shit nightclubs re-located to the great musical capital of Manchester and were quickly snapped up by the truly indie but fully distributed label best known for their Glastonbury Unsigned Bands compilations (The Subways, BlackBud, Ralfe Band, The Deadbeats, Scouting for Girls) and their new music ‘Late ‘N’ Live’ venue of the Glastonbury Festival 2005 and 2007. What they found when they spotted Orphan Boy was exactly what they’d been looking for, a band with such unassuming brilliance that they would not be contained for long. 

That same energy that saw the three-piece move from their coastal safety net of Eastern England is apparent in abundance throughout their live performance. Just when you’ve been charmed by boy-next-doorish frontman Rob Cross with his acutely observational rhetoric, along comes skinny Paul Smith (Smiffy) to the fore, guitar and bass are swapped and what complemented now leads with a dark, moodier edge provoking an angle of controversy amongst the new found fan base as to who is the favourite lead. At times disturbing and always imaginative their characters and scenarios unfold, both camps making lyrical reference to smalltown routine and limited aspirations. A thumping continuity is provided by the spectacular Chris Day on drums.  

Its early but exciting days for the band. Orphan Boy’s first release was on Scotland’s Grace Records and having been played on Mark Riley’s acclaimed ‘Mint’ Radio 6 show sold out by pre-order. The follow up single ‘Trophies of Love’ was released by Concrete on CD (enhanced with video), 7 ” vinyl and download in November, and received a huge amount of airplay on both Radio 1 and 6 Music by their number one fan Mr Steve Lamacq who claimed it was ‘possibly the most played song on my ipod at the moment’ weeks ahead of the original radio campaign.  The next single, ‘Postcode’ from their debut album will be released  at the end of April on Concrete.

Rob Cross

Paul Smith (Smiffy)

Chris Day

DISCOGRAPHY

POSTCODE (Concrete Recordings>2007)

Postcode

John Mellor

Postcode (Radio Edit)

Postcode (Video)

Orphan Boy>www.myspace.com/orphanboyuk

Concrete Recordings>www.concreterecordings.co.uk

The Clash

The Slits

Flippe