This year marks the 10-year anniversary since the formation of one of the North East’s greatest exports, Head Of Light Entertainment. The now four-piece produce what they call sweet and sour pop and catchy sing-alongs and to vast success, releasing three studio albums in the form of ‘I Am Liberated’, ‘The English Don’t Care’ and their matured 2017 release ‘Drool’ which showcased how far the band have developed since their humble beginnings with no percussion.
Frontman, Carl Green, stated: “Originally, the “band” was just me, solo, with an electric guitar; between 2008 and 2011 I must have done over 200 solo shows and supports in and around the North East. During this time (2009), I released the debut HOLE album, ‘I Am Liberated’. Bob Fischer at BBC Tees picked up on it almost immediately, and then Tom Robinson at BBC6 Music started playing songs on his show.
“Simone (keyboards and vocals) and John (bass) joined the band in 2011 – I wanted to expand the range of sounds and textures and move on from the minimal feel of the first three years.
“In 2012, our second album ‘The English Don’t Care’ was released, and the relative success of that saw us getting bigger and better gigs. In the same year, ex-Mercedes drummer Graeme completed the line-up, and inevitably, we began to go down more rhythmical paths with the music”.
The universal appeal of their unique sound has seen the band branch out from their North East roots to play across the country which Carl went on to add has: “Been both inspiring and an education, certainly in London; audiences seem to latch onto our off-beat thing with genuine enthusiasm.
“We’re not easy to pigeonhole so we do encounter a certain amount of confusion from parts of the North East scene but that’s not a problem or even a criticism; we’ve always been an acquired taste. However, as rockier, heavier sounds tend to dominate the regional musical landscape, bands like us with a penchant for sweet and sour pop will always be viewed as outsiders”.
With a 10-year history, vocalist and founding member Carl Green has played to hundreds of crowds across both the region and nation. When asking what moment stood out to him he reminisces: “One of our first gigs as a four-piece, supporting Beth Jeans Houghton in Hartlepool; we’re all big fans of hers and it was a brilliant night of alternative pop and shared vision, with both bands on a similar wavelength.
“We gig regularly in London, so another highlight for us is playing Camden’s Dublin Castle – the audience’s reaction to us there has always been amazing, and you can’t help thinking of all the legendary artists who have graced the actual stage you yourself are standing on such as Amy Winehouse, Blur, Madness, The Libertines.”
Head Of Light Entertainment has been one of the large success stories from a somewhat niche pop genre and their growth has been a testament to their drive and determination to succeed in the dense North East music scene.
Fans are excited to see what the following years hold and Carl added: “After releasing three albums, it’s time we started putting out some singles. Our first ever bona fide single comes out on April 20th to coincide with our tenth-anniversary gig. It’s called ‘Machinery’, and it moves the music along a little from last year’s album, ‘Drool’. We’re also looking at doing more videos, something we’ve not really bothered with too much in the past.
As part of their tenth-anniversary celebrations, Head of Light Entertainment will also play at The Green Room in Stockton on Saturday 28th April with support coming from Talk Like Tigers and Heather Story. Tickets, priced at £5.00 in advance, are available from georgiantheatre.co.uk.
