How to relive the rock 'n' roll dream
Eleven years ago Ray Chan was handed the rock 'n' roll dream.
His band Witness, which he started with college mate Gerard Starkie, was given a six-album deal by Island Records, the label which thrust U2 to fame. Their first album, the alt-country Before the Calm, received stellar reviews from Britain's top music magazines, NME and Q. And they played to tens of thousands of revellers at the Glastonbury and T in the Park music festivals.
Then came the calm. Having released a widely acclaimed second album, Under a Sun, in 2001 the Wigan five-piece split from Island, citing artistic differences. After failing to land another contract, the group disbanded in 2004. It's a familiarly depressing story in the cynical, churning world of the recording industry, but Chan isn't crying.
'I don't have any regrets,' he says, sipping a pint in a Central bar. 'We wanted to sell records, but we didn't want to play pop songs to do it.'
Three years ago he moved with his girlfriend to Hong Kong, where his parents were born, to teach English. The thirtysomething guitarist is also back doing what he loves best, making music on his own terms. Besides still collaborating with Starkie, with whom he teams up again on Saturday for a one-off Witness reunion in Hong Kong, he's also working with local musicians such as Paul MacLean of sonic power duo DP and Justin Chau of the now disbanded Academy.
Chan smiles as he recalls the madness of his years in the spotlight.
He met Starkie, the group's guitarist and singer, at Wigan & Leigh College and after playing in various bands they decided to hone their own sound, writing and recording four-track demos. They proceeded to sign bassist Dylan Keeton, drummer John Langley and guitarist Julian Pransky-Poole.
Chan's friend Nick McCabe was guitarist with the Verve, the soulful band with a big sound who hailed from the same part of northern England. It was at one of their gigs supporting Oasis at London's Earl's Court that he passed on a Witness demo to the Verve's press officer, Tim Vignon, who passed it onto Island's artist development people. Within a week they'd signed a deal.
'We joked about buying limos,' says Chan, recalling their initial euphoria. 'But the reality's not like that.'
Still, Chan admits he dived head first into the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll cliche. So thick was the haze at times that the guitarist can't remember all the festivals they played. 'I think we played Reading, but I'm not sure. It was a blur sometimes,' he says. After two singles, Scars and Audition, Witness' debut album didn't achieve commercial success to match its critical acclaim. By the time they were making their sophomore effort, different management at the record company had different ideas, trying to push them towards an anthemic, stadium-filling sound in the mould of Travis and Coldplay.
'We didn't want to be too arrogant so they'd send back tracks with suggestions and we'd work to accommodate them,' says Chan. The resulting Under a Sun showed the breadth of their talent, earning more media plaudits. Uncut rated it five out of five and called it 'a glorious rush of big tunes, surging choruses, effervescent guitars and universal lyrics'.
Regardless, Chan and Starkie weren't happy. 'It just wasn't us. We had an indie sound,' he says. After the album failed to make a big impression in the charts, they parted company with Island.
'The record companies are so short-sighted and lazy,' he says. 'U2 and REM took several albums to make it. If they started out today, I doubt they'd get the chance.'
Starkie has since launched a solo career, but Chan still writes music for the singer's lyrics and invited him for the reunion in Hong Kong.
They will reprise songs from the two albums for the concert, which is the first of a series of live music events Chan and two local friends hope to stage in Hong Kong. 'Now's the time to bring quality music here,' says Chan.
Witness, supported by Hungry Ghosts, Sat, 9.30pm, B/F Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central, HK$190 (advance), HK$220 (door). Inquiries: 2521 2322
