Legendary, Mancunian rock group Puressence are performing a huge hometown show at the Albert Hall on Saturday 29th June 2024, their first live date in over 11 years!
I cannot remember exactly when or how I discovered this band, it is a distant memory, so I know I have been a fan for a long time. It could have been an algorithm on Spotify that led me there when a playlist finishes, and the streaming service goes rogue in a good way. It was most likely an indie or Manchester created playlist that’s I clicked on as a random choice that caught my attention and mood at the time. I just remember hearing that opening guitar effect on Near Distance and being instantly hooked.
So why didn’t I / We hear about them down South? I’ve asked friends who share a love of music as much as I do and gets shrugged shoulders? The band is from Failsworth in Greater Manchester. The bands active years were 1992 – 2013 with some success. They were about in the Britpop era 1993 – 1997, which was massive but in the scheme of things short lived. Their first chart position in the Britpop era for ‘I Suppose’ from the Puressesnce album was 190.
The most successful bands linked with Britpop were Oasis, Blur, Suede and Pulp, so getting some recognition at that time alongside those names and the large list of other not on that level somewhat mediocre bands that achieved often one-hit chart success was difficult. Also being another guitar band from Manchester? I doubt that helped. Their highest chart position being No.33 with the song ‘This Feeling’ from the album ‘Only Forever’ in 1998. By that time, Britpop was over, Oasis was a year on from ‘Be Here Now’ (also known as the album that killed britpop), that star wasn’t dwindling but also wasn’t championing the heady days of Madchester music and guitars. What came next from memory was the likes of Radiohead, Coldplay, Snow Patrol along with bands like Linkin Park were emerging.
The strangest thing I read about Puressence was from the Manchester Evening News in 2004 when asked how the split from Island Records came about?
“It all came to a head really when we had a meeting with the MD. He said he finally got what we were all about and that Planet Helpless (released 2002) was taking us in a similar direction as Savage Garden! – Manchester Evening News from 2004
For reference, Savage Garden 1993 – 2001 had split the year before this statement was made but were around the same time, both used guitars and a driving drumtrack at times, both had falsetto moments, doesn’t make them the same and not saying I know more than the MD of island records, but there is a lot more to bands than that, marketed correctly, this is an irrelevant comment.
This was a unique band with a unique sound, yes from Manchester, for me their sound stood sonically separate from their peers and had vocals that didn’t avoid the falsetto. Sadly, the band split in 2013 but had not had any real presence on the charts since 2002.
But they are back with a SOLD OUT concert at the Albert Hall, Manchester.
The text on the website:
Legendary, Mancunian rock group Puressence are performing a huge hometown show at the Albert Hall on Saturday 29th June 2024, their first live date in over 11 years!
James Mudriczki, Kevin Matthews, Lowell Killen, and Anthony Szuminski all hail from Failsworth, and it’s been nearly 35 years since they formed Puressence in North Manchester and they’re still refining, still expanding…
Pardon the pun but this is music to my ears, the above write up saying ‘Legendary Mancunian Rock Group’ is right, possibly moreso in Manchester but I can only hope this love spreads and the appreciation goes nationwide, this in turn will lead to a bigger tour, a tour that I can make it to as this is one live act I want to see.
If you have just read this and don’t know Puressence, this might sound obvious but I recommend starting at the beginning. If you have any like of that indie sound, put Britpop to one side in your mind, in fact put indie to one side as well and listen to Puressence just for them.
