大象传媒

Andrew, It's A Trap (by Jenny O'Neill)

It's a simple philosophy but perhaps one that not all bands buy into.

But for Andrew Major, singer/guitarist/bassist with Ipswich three piece It's A Trap, music is all about entertaining.

"I've been to lots of gigs when the crowd just stand there because the band look really good and tight but they aren't giving off anything that the crowd can respond to. We're trying to make it as interesting to watch as possible."

The band formed in 2007 and consist of former members of the defunct Lucky You and King Cobras. Even though they're still in their teens, Andrew says lessons have been learnt from their previous endeavours - all of which are being put into action with It's A Trap.

This includes being proactive and not being afraid to make a nuisance of themselves.

"We've been constantly gigging and getting our name out there," Andrew said. "The way we've done it is constant pestering of people.

"It's pretty annoying but you can't be light-footed about it when it comes to labels or agents. You have to be professional.

"I've seen loads of bands who are really good but it doesn't look like they try. You have to gig and then follow it up with emails and stuff - you've got to brown nose your way in!"

Playing the game

Andrew admits it can be slightly disheartening knowing there are certain rules to follow if you're looking to break into the close-knit music industry, but he remains confident things are going to plan.

"We're trying to get a proper manager at the moment and are going to meet with a booking agent. They've got lots of agents who look after different stages of bands, so hopefully it will be a good all-round thing rather than them trying to steal our money!"

It's A Trap reflect a nationwide trend in music. The days of bands formed as a tribute to The Libertines are dying out and new acts are taking inspiration from the likes of Foals and Bloc Party.

"We love The Libertines but we're trying our best to do something that hasn't been out there before. Not in history, but at least in the local music scene.

"Saying it's alternative indie is a bit vague, because it could be alternative to anything. We've got a lot of influences and it's everything mixed into one.

"Everyone's said we're quite individual in our sound - we're only a three piece but can make a lot of noise."

Speaking to Andrew it's clear that It's A Trap are determined to do all they can to make an impact on the national music scene. Yet, like many other bands we've spoken to there's slight resentment at the lack of opportunities at a local level.

"I think there is a music scene in Ipswich - I just don't think there's anywhere good to play the music that people are making. The Corn Exchange is too big, you're not going to sell out a 2000 capacity venue unless you get an established band in there, so the Steamboat is my favourite.

"We need something like the Twist in Colchester. There's the St Nicholas Centre in Ipswich but even that's pretty big. We need a dedicated music venue in the centre of town."

It's the week that University Campus Suffolk opened its new Waterfront building in Ipswich and there's renewed talk that a dedicated music venue could be part of its next stage of development.

Ironically enough Andrew is still pining for an old venue just a stone's throw away from the 拢64 million Ipswich landmark.

"I remember when I was 15 or 16 we'd go to the Pool Club all the time and nobody cared what bands were playing, it was just a community thing.

"Sometimes the bands would be good - Enter Shikari played there a couple of times I think - but there needs to be somewhere like that again.

"If there was somewhere with a good sound deck people would recoup their money pretty fast as Ipswich isn't dead - it's pretty thriving at nighttime."