Since My Baby Left Me

When I first heard of a band named 3 Colours Red, I immediately dismissed them because of Kieslowski’s sad film. You know, that’s one of those names which imply depressing stuff or too pop or emo sound. As usual, my prejudgment was wrong.

Back in my London days, this band was highly prominent, and they were appearing on Kerrang magazine on regular basis, but never paid them much attention. It took me more than 6-7 years to get acquainted with this band, and it had to be through a diehard fan of The Wildhearts. Why? Because former bassist Danny McCormack’s younger brother, Chris, was one of the members of the band.

Coincidences, coincidences and Toi living in her own universe… a week ago I discovered I had actually attended a 3 Colours Red show and to be honest, digging in my memories right after, apparently  kinda liked them.

And when did such event take place? June 1999, in one of those Big Day Out’s at Wembley Stadium. The lineup was pretty rad: 3 Colours Red, Stereophonics (boring to death), Lenny Kravitz, The Black Crowes (By your Side era), and Aerosmith. Of course it wasn’t the most suitable place for having the first encounter, but they really sounded powerful, and positive much better than Stereophonics.

Anyway, 13 years later, and approx 7 since I discovered and got acquainted with properly, now I feel a slight regret for ignoring them back in the day. Also, not surprised though, it’s a shame bands like this, or The Wildhearts, are simply ignored in this country and their scope is reduced to none.

It was two weeks ago, after the dj’n night @ Psycho, when I recovered their debut album. I had played Copper Girl that night, and since a friend asked me about this band, I felt like listening to it again.

First time I had listened to Pure and Revolt albums, the first ones, I had the same feeling as with The Wildhearts. Because of their melodic tunes, I thought of them as the typical band for teenagers. I’m not sure to be clear enough, but long time ago I used to relate punk rock combined with melodies bands to music for teens, at the same level as Greenday, The Offspring and others. I still think these bands have this childish scent, while my opinion has completely changed regarding the first two ones, being The Wildhearts one of my favorite bands.

Soooo, 3 Colours Red debut album definitely kicks ass. Songs are powerful and rhythm is merciless, there are changes which enhance their intensity, chorus are super catchy as in Nuclear Holiday, Copper Girl, This Is My Hollywood, and melodies led by Pete Vuckovic backed up by McCormack and Ben Harding match perfectly.

To be honest, I think of this band as the direct sons of The Wildhearts, many resemblances can be found, melodies, song structures, powerful riffs, and bass and drums also provide an incredibly compact rhythmic ground to build strong compositions over.

It’s a pity I haven’t consciously enjoyed on stage, and worse that, due to issues among the leaders of the band, McCormack and Vuckovic, this project didn’t work out any longer. At least I have their records, and I’m glad the energy spread is contagious because at strange days uppers are what I should be looking for.