PEACE DIVIDEND
Stephen Pennell ©
It’s been a quite a while since I became positively tumescent with excitement over some publicity photos from my favourite band in the world, Peace. The shots seemed to hint at the imminent arrival of their fourth album which, in a tribute to their heroes Led Zeppelin, would possibly be called Peace IV. For me their latest album Kindness Is The New Rock and Roll was their best yet. Songs like the title track, Don’t Walk Away From Love, From Under Liquid Glass, Magnificent, Angel, Choose Love and ESPECIALLY Silverlined meant more to me than is probably healthy. So I was waiting with baited breath for the next instalment. Good job I didn’t hold as weeks turned to months, and now years.
This only increased my anticipation, as such a gap could only mean one thing - time was being taken to filter out any filler and eventually unveil an album of tracks that slap harder than a Saturday night fight on Broad Street. Such a brilliantly creative and accomplished songwriter as Harri Koisser couldn’t be silent for much longer, surely? They took a similarly lengthy break after second album Happy People, and came back with the ‘breathtaking’ (NME) Kindness… This only augured well for Peace IV. And didn’t Harri once say something like ‘we can’t just give up because we mean too much to too many people?’ As one of those people I wholeheartedly agreed.
I first started to worry when their socials went quieter than Donald Trump’s twitter account and now, at long last, I think I understand why. I have it on good authority, from a trusted source who knows the band well, that the sabbatical might be longer than I first feared and maybe, God forbid, permanent. Are you sitting down Peace lovers? If not, then maybe you should be. Because I’ve been told that some time ago Harri hit the jackpot on the National Lottery and is allegedly not motivated to get back to doing what he does best. I’m happy for him but a little bit devastated for myself.
It’s my own damn fault. I shouldn’t have put my life in the hands of a rock and roll band who threw it all away. I did it before with Paul Weller, and thank God he didn’t knock it on the head after All Mod Cons. Selfish I know, but I can’t help hoping Harri blows his winnings on fake fur and patchouli oil and gets back in the saddle forthwith. Or even better, shares some of his new found wealth with Gavin Monaghan and cultivates some magic at the Magic Garden. Until then, let’s indulge ourselves in happy memories with this banger…