Inspiral Carpets on 90s ‘Madchester’ Nostalgia and Upcoming Tour
Image courtesy of Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets came about during the golden age of indie; formed in 1983 in Manchester, they were part of the notorious ‘Madchester’ scene, along with Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses. This April, they are reuniting for a tour of the UK – their first live performances since 2015. Lead singer Stephen Holt spoke to Pi about what the future looks like both for the band, and the wider music scene.
They aren’t the only band performing again after so many years – 80s artists such as Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, and Guns ‘N Roses are all touring in the upcoming months. There is a huge demand to see these beloved artists live; Holt said, ‘it’s almost a little bit like a nostalgia trip…they know they’re gonna have a good night…They’ll know the songs and they can go back to how things used to be when they were twenty’. Another reason for the reunion was the passing of the band’s drummer Craig Gill in 2016; ‘we’re hoping the tour and everything we do is a bit of a celebration of Craig’.
The last few years have been particularly rough for live music, in part due to Covid, but also because of the rising rent costs which have priced out many small gig venues in cities such as London and Manchester. ‘I do feel sorry for younger bands at the moment because it must be pretty hard’, Holt said, ‘I do think it suffered a few years ago, we lost quite a lot of small venues’. And yet, despite the difficulties, the music scene remains alive, perhaps even with renewed vigour; ‘it’s definitely a hunger that people want to get out and watch live music again’. And Inspiral Carpets are doing their bit to help the next generation, ‘we’ve always supported young bands…When we go on tour, we always bring young bands that we like, to give them that leg up’.
Holt predicts the crowds for the tour will be a mix of ages; ‘you get that a lot with bands of our generation…there’s a lot of the dads and mums bringing their kids’. It’s definitely not a unique phenomenon; Gen-Z culture is steeped in nostalgia, and most of it for the pre-Internet era. It suggests a sense of discontent with the present, but also a second-hand nostalgia for our parents’ generation, and the ‘simpler’ times of the 80s and 90s. Though the comfort of the ‘good old days’ is undeniable, this constant reminiscing can result in a stagnating music scene. What does the future look like if everyone’s stuck in the past?
Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom. Manchester remains a global hotspot for music, and young, innovative artists are at the forefront. ‘I think Manchester’s always thriving, it’ll always have a good music scene’, Holt said, ‘the music is very eclectic, people are chucking lots of influences in…it makes for really great, creative, interesting music…When I was younger, you had people who were into indie music, or mods and rockers, it was defined genres, but now, people are picking up influences from all over. Maybe they dress a certain stye but listen to a different kind of music’.
Whilst the music industry faces difficulties, the enduring popularity of bands such as Inspiral Carpets is testament to the resilience of musicians and their fans. The ‘Madchester’ days may be over, but its legacy lives on – be it through nostalgic tours such as Inspiral Carpet’s, or through the inspiration it has provided for the next generation.