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The story of Big Linda is the story of rock ‘n’ roll itself. It involves circumstance and intrigue. It involves an extraordinary trip to Antigua and a very real person called Big Linda. And it also involves four ever-more real characters who met under a cloud of coincidence and just knew they had to be together.
Big Linda is Rob Alder (voice), Patrick Murdoch (guitars), Vezio Bacci (bass) and Geoff Holroyde (drums). Holroyde (born in Peterborough, grew up in Birmingham, hair by Rock Manes Inc.) bumped into Murdoch (born on the Wirral, grew up occasionally in Hong Kong) at Metropolis Studios where they decided to jam together. Producer Andy Wright subsequently introduced the pair to a mystery man who offered to fly them both to Antigua to record some songs at the island’s palatial Pelican Lodge Studios. Blithely, brilliantly they agreed, thereby necessitating a course of events that would see them bump into Bacci (born in Rome, you’re getting the picture by now) at Antigua’s main airport terminal. They recorded nine songs in the hills, came up with an amazing name (after hearing that their mysterious benefactor occasionally, ahem, corresponded with a Madame with just such a name) and then came home.
The first song they recorded eventually became Golden Girl but this band are no Shadows and they knew something was missing from the off: Alder. But where were they going to find him? They must have tried and tested a dozen singers and just about given up before Holroyde noticed the quiet, unassuming 22 year old locked in his own thoughts in a corner of Townhouse Studios. He looked like a young Jim Morrison and something about him made Holroyde wonder whether he sounded like him too. And when Holroyde heard him sing, Big Linda knew they had their man.
Naturally, Alder was already in another band but this was soon rectified when he promptly left a week later. Alder (born in Bishop Stortford - I am sure even Rob’s yawning at the incumbent rhetoric therein) turned up to an official rehearsal armed with melodies, lyrics and a voice that blew the room apart. This was now something entirely different: A Rock Band with tunes and choruses (remember them?) that were set to mark a generation. Naturally, there’s no such thing as generation anymore but you know what I mean. And there’s something very Un-Generation about Big Linda.
The nine songs recorded in Antigua were torn asunder and quickly became ten, then fifteen and now an album called I Loved You that (no doubt) you are gonna love. Let me tell you – the feeling is almost mutual. The record has been produced by Paul Stacey (Oasis) and includes the edgy Ramones-esque Golden Girl, I Don’t Even Like You (inspired by an incident when the wrong girl proposes on Feb 29th unleashing the answer; “Marry you? I don’t even like you!”), an incredible, (did I say incredible?) version of Thomas Dolby’s Windpower and a song called Another Way that’s got some serious business (or no business at all) existing in this day and age (ie it’s seriously Non Year Zero). You haven’t heard it yet? Well then you haven’t heard anything.
You’re bored, I’m bored, don’t be. Big Linda might just be what the world’s been waiting for.
And I think they might be sticking with the name.
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