Guest blog: Andrew Manson (Other People)

Andrew Manson of Glasgow band Other People, who we featured last month, argues that the real meaning of Christmas can't be found on Amazon.co.uk...


Christmas is a funny beast. I always let out a shudder when those picket fence voices first float out of my TV singing 'holidays are coming', but by the end of the 25th I'm usually fairly in swing with at least part of the 'spirit'.

Not yo-ho-ho-ing down the local community centre or anything, but I will have at least pulled a cracker and donned a party hat or two. Handed out a few gifts, that sort of thing.

Only a few gifts mind. I never buy a lot of presents. I don't think I should waste my time and money on folk I never see or barely know. On children that don't even know or care who I am. The doughy elbowed ones will be using their chocolatey hands to squeeze as much out of mum and dad as possible without me needing to contribute, I think. Maybe I'm just tight but to me this is where the meaning of the festive season has been lost.

The fact more and more people are Xmas shopping online shows just how impersonal gift giving has become. It doesn't seem to be about giving, or receiving. It's more like trading. Hearing chat of which places are doing the best DVD offers, as DVD presents are being handed back and forth next to the Christmas tree. That's odd.

The economic slowdown could be the thing that pulls Santa out of this retail snowdrift. If no-one has the cash to buy the gifts to ease the guilt for never seeing any of their relations then perhaps they might just go and spend some time with them instead. Play Lego with their nieces and nephews. Take a bottle of whisky round the houses, get drunk, trip on the dog. Play charades with your parents. Yes dad, of course its f***ing Jaws. Remind these people why they send you a card every year.

The festive season should be about close family and friends, not crippling your credit card on people you don't really know. That would be my Christmas message. Well that, and also that my first draft of 'Gordon Brown Saves Christmas' is almost complete. Any takers?

Favourite Christmas Song: 'Stay Another Day' by East 17

Other People: Whooplash


Other People play Captain's Rest, Glasgow on 29 Dec

On the radar: Other People

Play: Whooplash


Play: Halloween


Other People are in no hurry.

Their music may have a certain chaotic urgency, but they're quite content to take things at their own pace.

"When we started the band we faffed about a bit. Then we faffed about some more," jokes singer and guitarist Andrew Manson. "We played our first gig in April this year and have managed to cram five more in between then and now, a work rate described as 'sports casual'. It's all been pretty relaxed so far, enjoyable even."

Scrambling together Other People by poaching from other (people's) bands, Manson explains their beginnings:

"When we first got together we sat down and talked about what we wanted the music to sound like, I think we ended up with half-drunk concepts like 'a cross between In Utero and Oracular Spectacular' or 'Pixies crossed with The Beach Boys'. Squint pop songs with loud guitars really. So far it's ended up more a mix of David Bowie and L7. And Bruce, our drummer, is a whizz in the studio, so he can really capture that Paramore sound!"

There are glints of Johnny Foreigner and Dananananaykroyd in the punchy vocals and pitched guitars, but Other People are actually more controlled than both bands. Fight-pop with a restraining order if you want to label it.

Suffering from intense memory weakness, recording is a welcomed necessity for Other People: "We are recording at the moment, not to release, just so we don't forget the songs." laughs Manson.

"We have ten now, and a lot of new stuff that seems to be progressing really quickly all of a sudden. If we don't commit the ones we already know to some sort of recording then we will forget them. The band has a ten song memory, no more, no less. Which is just as well, because a lot of great records are ten songs long."

Live is where Other People are best heard, with Andrew's vocal range and tone a driving force behind the songs; in 'Whooplash' he sounds like a weekend drunk reeling off his shopping list. If you're not sure what to drink at the pub, have a wee listen above for inspiration. You might even see Other People at the table beside you, with Manson explaining their future plans:

"We'd like to to meet more often socially. To play to more people, maybe more than once a month, in different cities. To get on tour and come back smelling more competent. To think about what we have done, and do it better. And, to find a nice girl for our bassist Dave."

We'll leave most of that to them. And ladies, the last point is over to you.

Words: Aimi Gold

Other People play Define Pop 2 at the Flying Duck (Kitchen Stage), Glasgow at around 7.30pm on Saturday. See preview below.