Inspiral Carpets may have been an integral part of the Madchester scene in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and, despite his departure from the band in 2011, the frontman of their most successful line up did form lasting musical relationships in the Hacienda night club. But asked whether Manchester has a nostalgia complex, Tom Hingley deadpans: “We don’t need any more buildings with pictures of Tony Wilson on them do we?”
He’ll find none of them in Blackpool. In fact, he’ll find a derivative spray painted mural of Marilyn Monroe instead. Tomorrow night (12th May) he plays Dirty Blondes – a set he says will be made up of a mix of Inspiral classics, covers like Wild is the Wind and original solo material.
“Think a combination of indie, punk, blues, soul and folk and you are half way there.”
Hingley tours small venues like this relentlessly. Compared to the huge gigs of Inspiral days past “they’re easier to load in but harder to avoid stalkers”. He loves them. Today he adds, the music industry is more “corporate and conservative” than a couple of decades ago, and in venues like Blondes he is able to bypass it.
He’s returned to his roots recently too. Teaming up with Gordon MacKay, lead guitarist of Too Much Taxas – another Madchester indie band which Hingley fronted before joining Inspiral Carpets.
“Gordon and I met at Larkmead School in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, and formed bands in 1981,” he says. “We went on to move to Manchester in 1984 and formed Too Much Texas , the band supported New Order at the Hacienda, House of Love, the Pastels and Beloved at the Boardwalk. We did a Peel session in 1987.”
A short 35 years later and the pair have released a six-track mini album called Decades – one for each of MacKay’s as it was written to mark his 60th birthday. The album closer is When Ali Came to Abingdon – a pub singalong folk song detailing various events that may or may not have happened when Muhammad Ali visited the pair’s hometown in 1972 and 1987.
But Hingley is arriving in Blackpool without his long-time friend and collaborator, and without a band.
“You only have yourself to let down on stage. Bands bring their own sublime wonderful experiences and low points,” he points out. “Often before band gigs you’ll go out for an Indian or Chinese meal. We’ll be having a good time I will stop everyone from talking and say, savour the moment, because this might be the best bit of the evening – if the gig , reaction or audience turn out to be awful. You can’t do that with a solo gig,” he adds wistfully.
But there’s a precedent for Hingley playing solo in Blackpool – having taken his one-man show to the stage at Rebellion festival four times. Anyone rocking up to Dirty Blondes better dress to impress if they want to match that experience for him.
“The punks and goths at Rebellion are by far the best dressed people I have ever seen.”
Tom Hingley plays Dirty Blondes on 12th May. Free entry.
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