Sheffield show for veterans Teenage Fanclub

Six years used to be a lifetime in rock'n'roll '“ form, perform, secure a record deal, acclaim, exhaustion and out.
Teenage Fanclub have announced a show in Sheffield.Teenage Fanclub have announced a show in Sheffield.
Teenage Fanclub have announced a show in Sheffield.

And the early years of cult Scottish indie-rockers Teenage Fanclub were propelled by that frantic energy as they released five albums in their first six years together, after forming in 1989, albeit thankfully without the out at the end.

Now, it is an all-together slower pace and their tenth long-player, Here, arrives six years after 2010’s acclaimed Shadows.

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Singer and lead guitarist Raymond McGinley, one of three song-writers in Teenage Fanclub – who have enjoyed a string of success over the years, including 1997’s top-20 hit Ain’t That Enough and number-three album Songs from Northern Britain – says: “It does actually feel like ages between records.

“Once you’re a certain way in, the way it works in my experience is once you’re taking a long time making it, you’re going to take a long time to get back out again.”

And singer, bassist and fellow song-writer Gerard Love says: “I find that as you get older, everything expands.

“When you start out, the nucleus of the band is so tightly bound, you’re living in each other’s pockets.

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“Later on, you move away from each other and then everything around you – distance and time – just expands. Life gets in the way.”

Fellow singer, song-writer and guitarist Norman Blake says: “Getting back together to work, even after all these years, does feel a lot like coming home.

“Thinking about it now, we really should get together a bit more often.”

And the band have announced they are hitting the road to mark the release of Here, including a show at Sheffield’s famous The Leadmill venue, on Thursday, November 17 – for tickets, priced from £17.50, see www.leadmill.co.ukNorman says: “Possibly the album seems like it’s all about life, because we’re all surprised that we’re still here. Gerry is not quite 50, but 
both myself and Raymond are now.

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“You do start to focus on mortality a bit more as you get older.”

And Gerard philosophises: “I think in your twenties and thirties, you fear middle age; you fear becoming older.

“Maybe you can fight it and try to stay as an eternal teenager.

“I like to think that we play to our strengths, to our understanding of life.

“A lot of music I find myself drawn to is made by people aged over 40.

“It might not be on the cover of NME but it can still deliver a truth.”