Anders Hanson

Last night I saw the final night of the Delays’ tour at the Leadmill in Sheffield. For someone who listens to a lot of music it’s amazing that it’s the first time, if you exclude pub bands, that I’ve been to see a band play live. It was also significant I was going to see them a couple of years ago in Southampton when I lived down there, but unfortunately job pressures stopped me from being able to go.

It was a brilliant night and included the best songs from their current album “You See Colours” and their first one “Faded Seaside Glamour”, which included my personal favourite tracks You and Me, This Town’s Religion, Waste of Space, Long Time Coming and Wanderlust.

I fell in love with Delays when I heard their single Nearer Than Heaven on the radio, and after listening to the other tracks on the single I went out and got their album. The Delays manage to combine what to me is the best of both indy and pop, and they stand out with Greg Gilbert’s unusual voice. I would probably now consider them my favourite band. On a different level, the images used on Faded Seaside Glamour and the background to the band witht them being inspired by living under the flight path to Southampton Airport which grabbed me as I was living in that area when I discovered them. What amazes me is how they haven’t been more commercially successful despite having two songs used as backing music on TV and Aaron Gilbert made a competent appearance on Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Delays

The Leadmill