Computer Blues – Gigslutz Focus On TRAMPOLENE

With precious little social media engagement, how do we know who the hell Trampolene are? And why is it so bloody hard to ascertain if discovering them is worth the investigation? Are they named after Julian Cope’s song, Tinie Tempah’s (less likely) or neither? What we do know is that the band is comprised of Jack Jones (guitar, vocals), Wayne Thomas (bass, vocals) and the enigmatically-named Mr. Williams (drums, vocals) who decamped from Swansea into small digs in North London.

Up until recently the band had created an air of intrigue and people were blissfully unaware of what was to come from them. In an age where everything is so accessible, it’s nice that there’s still some mystique left in rock ‘n’ roll.

There’s very little evidence to show that the deliberate lack of digital presence is a gimmick rather than a band’s technophobia or general distrust of social media. Their PR reps quote Jones as saying “Everyone is so busy. You might only get one chance to grab their attention and if you’re not good enough, that’s your lot.” Aha! So they want their music to speak for itself and the experience of seeing them live to generate word of mouth. I get it. Its old school but you have to admire their strategy. Whilst declining the option to be glued to their Smart phones, the band has been honing their set which has started to pay off. So far they’ve had compliments and a request for their CD from Paul Weller (which they neglected to give him), performed a live session on Xfm and received the thumbs-up from renowned rock critic Pete Paphides.

Thanks to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, MySpace, and Spotify (I could go on), the public no longer has to use their vivid imagination to determine what’s going on in the lives of rock stars. Social media obliterates the artifice and makes artists less like untouchable rock stars and more like you and I. Does this now mean that as artists have increased their reach globally and so instantaneously that the concept of rock stardom is the stuff of legend? I guess time will tell.

Trampolene finally succumbed to social media and introduced themselves to Twitter at the end of September. (Find them at @trampolene_band.) This coincided with their Xfm session and their forthcoming appearance at the SWN Festival in Cardiff. They’ve already posted tweets including links to their YouTube channel so now you too can solve the mystery that is Trampolene.

Musically their sound is nothing new but it’s executed with a boundless raucous energy. Their music has been likened to Manic Street Preachers, Placebo, Sex Pistols and Oasis and there’s definitely a CBGB punk element bursting through as well. Jones’ vocals on the debut single ‘You Do Nothing For Me” are so very Liam Gallagher and ‘Adrenaline’ reminds me of early Green Day but with more anger and obvious biting aggression.

Let’s hope the guys pull the veil back even further and we get to see more from this hotly tipped group!

http://youtu.be/2xPKLRVQ0Gk