Creeper

As I recover from the news of David Bowie’s passing, and now like all must find the strength to go on living in a somewhat dimmer Bowie-less world, I am left wondering who do we have left to carry the torch for the underdogs, for the misfits and the freaks, for weirdoes, the introverts and the loners. Bowie elevated the outsider into a position of power and empowered all who ever felt alone and slightly odd to embrace their oddity as he redefined the definition of rock and roll and gave birth to a gender bending theatricality that served as a precursor to the punk movement and the phosphorescent glare of the new romantics pop of the 1980s. However I’m not sure if he has left in his wake anybody to succeed him, to inspire the same sense of elation and fulfilment in future generation’s young minds. It is no secret that rock and roll is in bad shape, it is dying infact, slowly but surely being anaesthetised into decay. The bands that pose as rock bands are imposters chasing paper and the promise of fame and fortune, nobody is trying to say anything, nobody has their own artistic voice, their own theatricality and unique position to inspire the flippant young into leaving their bedrooms to embrace a new hypnotic hedonism to be found worshipping at the altar of showmanship, craft and endless creative ambition. Until now.

Finally the world has that band and that band is Creeper. Hailing from Southampton UK, Creeper are quickly becoming something of a blossoming phenomenon. Having only been in existence for two years they have already released two critically acclaimed EP’s and signed to Roadrunner Records and are beginning to amass a fervent cult following. The reason for all their success and adulation is quite simply because they deserve it, they are undeniably incredible. A band like Creeper shouldn’t on paper be getting the attention they are receiving, just like Gallows before them who took the UK and then the world by storm, Creeper play punk rock, fast, hooky, snotty, Goth tinged punk rock. They should realistically blend into the ocean of other local punk bands rehashing all the queues that have been done before by far more legendary alumni. However that is not the case, on the brink of releasing their third EP ‘The Stranger’ the media attention and word of mouth hype that is currently swelling around this band is reaching fever pitch, something truly special is happening or about to happen.

Just like My Chemical Romance before them the reason for this is showmanship. In a cynical and sanitised 2016 rock landscape we have come to expect mediocrity from the biggest acts in the industry. Nobody says anything interesting or controversial, nobody has the guts to voice their own unpopular opinions in fear of losing out to lucrative opportunities that will come their way if they just toe the line and nod their heads.  It’s a truly depressing time to be a fan of rock music. However Creeper defy all of that, they are led by their impassioned iconoclastic lead singer Will Ghould, who possesses a spirit that has not reared its head since Gerard Way. Ghould displays a vulnerability and a fragility that utterly rejects gender stereotypes and the laddish machoism that currently occupies the rock chart. He is an enigmatic front man cutting an image that is one part Joey Ramone, one part Davey Havok. He has all the flamboyance of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie, with the snarling voice of more visceral punk rock heroes such as Matt Skiba. Will Ghould is potentially the greatest front man of his generation. He looks like a rock star in the true definition of the word, yet under the chaotic energy displayed onstage is a shy, quiet introvert that only fuels the enigma of Creeper and their mass cult appeal.

Aside from the bands visual aesthetic and Ghould’s iconic silhouette is a growing arsenal of songs that are soaring, anthemic bursts of perfectly crafted punk rock. For a band that only have ten songs to their name, soon to be fifteen, there is not a second spared on filler. They have songs of such incredible emotional power, with beautifully written witty lyrics, that are complex and intricate yet beautifully simplistic at the same time. The songs are so catchy, the chorus’ so huge, it is impossible to deny them as legitimate contenders for being the biggest band in the world within five years. This is what it felt like when My Chemical Romance were about to release ‘Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge’, the anticipation for what was to come next could never have been anticipated but there was something in the air that suggested greatness. And the same ambition that drove that band to become so gigantic and culturally important can be seen in Creeper as they plot world domination and continue to release incredible records.

So as we lose another legend and David Bowie becomes a ‘was’, who then will take his place, who will we look back on in fifty years from this generation, for new bands to become legendary they need to begin crafting their own identity, their own voice and their own artistic ambition with its own insatiable hunger for satisfaction. Bands need to have the vision to exist outside of the time they belong, to not simply represent the values and demands of a contemporary audience but give birth to something new that has the ability to change the world and the way we see it, the way we dress and the way we think. The only band on planet earth right now that ticks all those boxes is Creeper, UK’s finest Goth punks believe it or not, and if they play their cards right and keep writing songs as good as ‘Gloom’, ‘Novena’, ‘Henley’s Ghost’ and ‘Black Mass’, truly the world is their oyster and it is only a matter of time until South Coast misery envelopes the world as the Creeper cult continues to grow.

Love in decline.