Soundscape: Back in the Van

Written by Joff Alexander-Frye of Life Guitars Co.

One of my standout musical discoveries of the last few years is Boston-based band The Night Game (the brain-child of Martin Johnson, previously of Boys Like Girls).

As the story goes, legendary Sob-Rock Lothario John Mayer was attending a meeting at Spotify HQ (where they have all of the music on their entire platform on one huge shuffle playlist) and a song came on called ‘The Outfield’ by The Night Game. At the time it was their only song on Spotify.

He loved it so much that he asked his management to get in touch with them and, on the strength of that one song alone, book them to support him on his ‘The Search for Everything World Tour’. And the rest, as they say, is history. 

The final track on their self-titled debut album is called ‘Back In The Van’; an Eighties-inspired, synth-laden nostalgia-fest, harking back to the early days of chucking gear into the back of the band van and heading off into the sunset towards your next gig.

Those of you that have done it will know it well… The wind in your hair, a sophisticated diet of Pot Noodles, Angel Cake and Red Bull and learning the fine art of pissing into a bottle in order to avoid wasting time by stopping at a service station. 

To all of those who are jumping back in the van to venture out into the crazy world of live performance once again, we salute you and thank you for your commitment to the cause. 

You are the memory-makers, the joy-bringers, the pioneers, the dream-followers. 

You are a gift to the world. A world that is more in need of art (and all that it brings) than ever before.

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