Man and the Echo.
Where did that come from? Well its actually a poem by WB Yeats.
But where did they come from?
Well its a long story but here we go.
The band are Gaz, Fush, Joe and Chris from Warrington, formed in 2014.
But that's only part of the story.
My first encounter with them was around 2003. I went to see a band in Manchester called Red Badge of Courage.
Lead singer Gaz, Guitarist Fush. Only saw them the once.
It so happened that my wife worked with Joe Forshaws (Fush) mum.
She mentioned Joe had joined a new band and was doing either their first or second gig in a pup in Chorlton Manchester.
This new outfit were called Cheap Cuts. Gaz Vocals and guitar, Fush vocals and bass. Joe Backing vocals and Drums.
They had a good repertoire of songs they had written and for a new band were pretty tight. This would have been 2004 ish.
Over the next few months they became our go to band, we followed them to many pub gigs and a couple of small festivals. They added more material to their set and were getting regular gigs at a few pubs around Greater Manchester.
They played a few decent venues in Manchester and one evening they had a new edition guesting on keyboard, Chris.
In the early days Chris wasn't always a constant in the band but as time went on he became a regular feature and was a fully fledged member of the band.
They were working hard doing lots of gigs and had a hardcore of loyal fans but they couldn't seem to break through to the next level.
The break came when they played the 100 Club in London on New Years Eve 2014.
They were watched by James Endeacott. he liked the band but not the name!
He contacted them and basically said if you change your name and write some new material I will sign you.
After a little thought that's what they did and that was the birth of Man and the Echo signed to 1965 records.
Their first single "All Right" was released in 2015
The single was picked up by BBC 6 Music and had a good amount of air play.
We had seen the band a couple of times during the early days of Man and the Echo in small venues with small crowds and the familiar faces of friends and family members coming along to support them.
We bought tickets to see them at Manchesters Deaf Institute. A great little venue just off Oxford Road in Manchester. This was the gig where I saw a change in the audience. The venue was packed, These weren't family and friends, these were gig goers who had come to listen to the music. People who had heard the single on the radio. They finished the set with an amazing cover of " Money,Money,Money by Abba.
The crowd went home very happy.
Over the next few months came the first album, self titled Man and the Echo.
They had a couple of years touring, doing sets at Glastonbury and many other summer festivals as well as supporting the Strypes, which exposed them to a wider audience.
The momentum slowed a little as there was a little turbulence within 1965 records.
The band kept doing what the do writing great tunes and lyrics and after a lot of hard work received Arts Council backing to produce their second album A Capable Man.
This album saw them back in the limelight with regular radio exposure, a slot on 6 Musics record of the week and a whole new audience to entertain.
Most recently they supported The divine Comedy on the European tour playing many of Europes major cities.
The feed back from the audiences who were mostly new to the band was fantastic.
If you have never listened to them give them a go, you won't be disappointed.
I can't wait for the next songs to be written and performed.
Sometimes I still go back and listen to some of that early Cheap Cuts material that we listened to in pubs with a dozen other people. The journey has been great so far. Long may it continue.