As you may or may not know, Greg Gilbert from The Delays has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. Due to a genetic incompatibility, Greg no longer qualifies for free treatment on the NHS. His wife has set up a Go Fund Me page (link below), which, as a huge fan of the Delays, has been moving to watch the total grow from other fans.
Tomorrow, The Delays, along with Sam Duckworth, Mystery Jets, Eddy Temple Morris, Band of Skulls and many more will take to Greg’s hometown venue 1865 to raise more money for his treatment.
Please donate and buy tickets and continue to spread the word:
https://www.gofundme.com/give4greg
http://www.seetickets.com/event/cavalry-a-benefit-concert-for-greg-gilbert/the-1865/1060398
In the run up to this great fundraiser, we have revisited all of their singles (part one here):
Valentine
They may have emerged in the 2002/3 boom, but, by their return in 2006 there was a second wave in full swing. Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party were conquering the charts, so where did they fit? The answer, perfectly in the middle of the aforementioned.
They continued their venture towards dance music with this dancefloor banger and its killer bassline but never losing sight of their pop sensibilities.
Hideaway
‘Hideaway’ made a return to the roots of ‘Faded Seaside Glamour’ with its jingle-jangle guitar pop style. Their new found spirit of Ibiza was not lost though. Its feel-good factor has the ability to soundtrack a hedonistic trip to the Balearics.
Hooray
As so often is the case, once bands begin to dominate the charts, the vultures swoon and the industry plies it with shit merchants like Hoosiers and Scouting For Girls to masquerade as authentic alternative pop bands.
So, when Delays the returned with this spikey and spritely pop song, it was annoyingly overlooked. It has the feel of a Bluetones classic and is a must for anyone who missed it first time round.
Keep It Simple
To go all Jerry McGuire for a moment, “you had me at hello”, and by hello, we mean, Keith from The Office is in the video!!!
This is the first single which lacks that killer hook in this catalogue. Sonically though, it is not to be sniffed at. It’s by far and away their most mature single and thoughts of the Mercury Prize began to materialise rather than the top 10.
Unsung
Frankie Boyle questioned Radio 2 programmers that Jessica Hoop is not mainstream when she can sell out the Royal Albert Hall in an interview in 2015. The industry’s obsession with a soft and dull sound just never seems to go away.
By the release of ‘Unsung’, the same scenarios were emerging for the band. With this unfortunately apt song title, they were about to drift away. That said, they did so by encapsulating their sound in one song. There are jingle jangle guitars, euphoric synths and Greg’s distinct vocals carrying everything to another level.