Lessons from 1000 Trees
Why Failure to Follow Up Will Always Result in You Wondering: ‘What Could Have Been’?
It was a cold, wet and wintry Monday night at the New Cross Inn, London. It may not be the most glamorous of venues or the choicest of nights. The venue was still living off its significance as a key venue during the ska & punk movements of the late 1970s. But by the mid-1990s its reputation faded a bit and the scene had changed. That night, my band was headlining, and for us, it was another chance to play in front of people which, (when you are in your 20s and the last thing you want to do is get a ‘real’ job), is something to do. Even if the cost of getting there is greater than the money you get from the playing itself! And by the time you are home, in bed, it is practically time to get up for work again :)
That night, there were 3 bands on the bill including us. The soundcheck is always a chance to check out the competition and feel content that if you are headlining, you are safely better, so there is no need to worry in terms of looking bad, following on from the next big thing, and therefore feeling nervous or intimidated.
Band number 1 was nothing to worry about. As expected, the standard was not so high at all. But band number 2 was completely different. A three-piece from South Wales, they ambled up onto the stage for their sound check, without fuss and belted out their now signature ‘1000 Trees’. It was a chastening moment.
The song hit you square between the eyes, there was no question that this tune was going to be a hit, and as a band, they had something, presence, look, vocals, and sound. At the time, they were called Tragic Love Company. Not a bad name, but not as good as Stereophonics, which they became shortly after.
So, Stereophonics supported my band on a cold, gloomy Monday night in New Cross. A scant audience turned out as expected, but it gave us time to get talking with the band. They were nice guys - not arrogant or dismissive. They were fresh from supporting INXS and were playing this gig, just so they could showcase some songs to a couple of record company execs - to help finalise their record deal before being shaped into the band they became.
So they offered to tour with us. It could have been a useful opportunity.
I am embarrassed to admit that we failed to follow up.
I guess it is possible that should we have followed up, then perhaps nothing would have happened.
But who knows? The lesson we learned was simple yet powerful.
If you want things to happen, and gain results from actions, being a passive passenger is not a strategy. It leaves too much to chance, and you are not in charge of your destiny. We (the band) had more to gain from this scenario than they did. It was time to park the ego and try something out which could have led somewhere. At least somewhere that might move us beyond a drab Monday night in New Cross!
We did nothing, and then unsurprisingly, we missed out. Then 1000 Trees was all of a sudden on the radio and TV.
It proves the point of this piece. Always follow up! You never know where it may lead…