{"id":329,"date":"2017-08-10T09:32:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-10T08:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/2017\/08\/10\/a-chat-with-kristian-hartridge-moom-sometime-during-1995-96\/"},"modified":"2017-08-10T09:32:00","modified_gmt":"2017-08-10T08:32:00","slug":"a-chat-with-kristian-hartridge-moom-sometime-during-1995-96","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/2017\/08\/10\/a-chat-with-kristian-hartridge-moom-sometime-during-1995-96\/","title":{"rendered":"A chat with Kristian Hartridge \u2013 Moom. Sometime during 1995\/96"},"content":{"rendered":"
\nA chat with Kristian
\nHartridge \u2013 Moom. Sometime during 1995\/96<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nby Pete Clemons<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.progarchives.com\/artist.asp?id=6706<\/a><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n
<\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
<\/b><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nHaving
\nseen the group \u2018From the Jam\u2019 several times over the last years I
\nhave often wondered if the guy who appears for them on keyboards,
\nAndy Fairclough, is the same Andy Fairclough who featured in a band
\ncalled Moom who I raved about many years ago.<\/span><\/div>\n
\nI
\nam still not sure. But each time I see \u2018From the Jam\u2019 it does set
\noff my curiosity \u2013 so if anyone can confirm or otherwise\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a>But
\nif it does happen to be the same Andy Fairclough, I have this
\nover-riding, never to be forgotten memory of him from when I first
\nsaw Moom play. It was when they supported Porcupine Tree at The
\nRoadmenders Club in Northampton during 1994\/5 ish (without checking
\nmy ticket stubs, Porcupine Tree as I remember, played the venue 3 or
\n4 times).<\/span><\/div>\n
\nApart
\nfrom Moom being very impressive, to me at least, the stage wasn\u2019t
\nbig enough to accommodate them. They were only a five piece but Andy
\nwas performing on this huge Hammond Organ which sounded magnificent.
\nTrouble was that it couldn\u2019t be fitted onto the stage alongside the
\nrest of the guys. Consequently Andy was set up on the dance area just
\nin front of the stage.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nMoom
\nwere a Northampton based and formed during 1992. Andy, along with
\nGreg Myles (drums) and Jim Patterson (bass) started a band called
\nMedicinal Compound. This trio were joined by Kristian Hartridge
\n(guitar, vocals) and Toby Kay (strange noises). And with that Moom
\nwas born.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nBy
\nlate 1993 Moom had saved enough money to finance some recordings
\nwhich they released on cassette. It had been recorded at the studio
\nof Robert John Godfrey (of Enid fame) who also did the mixing.
\n<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nRichard
\nAllen, head of the then wonderful Delerium label, read about Moom. He
\ngot hold of a copy of their cassette and soon offered them a contract
\nfor the album. \u2018Toot\u2019 is a collection of the best tracks from the
\noriginal cassette.
\n<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n\u2018Toot\u2019
\ngrabbed my attention immediately. It was an album that displayed
\nstunning skills of musicianship. It does not follow a single theme.
\nInstead it revolved around many elements and evoked memories of the
\n\u2018Canterbury Scene\u2019.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nThis
\nimpressive debut album was followed up by the equally splendid follow
\nup release \u2018Bone Idol\u2019. And, as far as I know, that was it. The
\nband simply faded away. But the legacy they left us with, I think
\n-even after all this time, is still quite absorbing and an exciting
\nlisten.<\/span><\/div>\n
\nApart
\nfrom knowing I really enjoyed hearing Moom, I really knew nothing
\nelse about them. It turned out that some of the band members were
\nalso turning out for the Grateful Dead covers band \u2018The Cosmic
\nCharlies\u2019 for example. Anyway, undeterred I was determined to get
\nthem mentioned in Coventry\u2019s long lamented Deliverance magazine and
\nset about an interview of sorts.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nAgain
\nthe questioning was a little na\u00efve but here is an account of what
\nfollowed\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nHow long have Moom
\nexisted?<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nSince
\n1992. Gregg, Andy and Jim were playing around Northampton with a
\nmainly instrumental band called Medicinal Compound. I returned after
\nliving in Birmingham for a year and began writing songs for my old
\nfriends. I joined the band and we changed our name to Moom.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nAre you pleased with
\nthe album and have you been surprised by the good reactions to it?<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n\u2018Toot\u2019
\nrepresents our first year hanging out and playing together. Although
\nin some parts it is musically undeveloped and limited in
\nperformances, it remains a warm and interesting album. It\u2019s also a
\nbeautiful recording. Since \u2018Toot\u2019 our skills both individually
\nand jointly have grown.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nDoes \u2018Toot\u2019
\ndiffer from it\u2019s original cassette only release in 1993?<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nThe
\nCrocadillian suite was left off the vinyl version for space, It was a
\ncase of lose one long song or two short ones. We went for musical
\ndiversity. The CD has the entire album on it.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nDo you mind being
\ncompared to bands such as Caravan and Hatfield and the North, and
\nhave any of these bands influenced you?<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nI
\nthink we are compared to Caravan because of similarity between the
\nsound of \u2018Toot\u2019 and the fact that my first attempt at vocals
\ncoincidentally sounds like Richard Sinclair or whoever in accent.
\nNone of us listen to Caravan or Hatfield and we certainly don\u2019t
\nsound like Caravan anymore.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nYou all appear to be
\nreally competent musicians. Have you had any formal training or are
\nyou self-taught?<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nWe
\nare all self-taught. We have invented our own musical language. This
\ngives us our sense of adventure. As we think of new places ot go we
\nmust push ourselves to learn how to get there. It is this which keeps
\nus travelling through music and prevents us from becoming predictable
\nand one tracked.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nDo you enjoy playing
\nlive?<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nWe
\nlove playing live. Every time we play we do a different set and
\nembellish old songs through improvising. We promise a unique
\nperformance at every gig.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nWill you be
\nventuring out of Northampton now?<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nWe
\nhave played all over the country at festivals, pubs and venues. We
\nhave played numerous private parties and freak-outs. We have
\nsupported bands like \u2018Here and Now\u2019 and \u2018Merle Saunders\u2019. We
\nhave probably played more in London than anywhere else.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nDo you have any new
\nmusic ready for future release?<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nWe
\nhave enough material for at least two albums. We should be recording
\none of these very soon. Perhaps a live album would be good.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A chat with Kristian Hartridge \u2013 Moom. Sometime during 1995\/96 by Pete Clemons http:\/\/www.progarchives.com\/artist.asp?id=6706 Having seen the group \u2018From the Jam\u2019 several times over the last years I have often wondered if the guy who appears for them on keyboards, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}