Every startup needs a John McGeoch in their team
Ian Brookes FRSA
Enjoying the crafting of innovative tech startups as co-founder, investor & partner
Music is the sound of the soul. Profound emotions are set free by the intensity with which music affects and impacts our consciousness, and at the same time uncovers the hidden sounds by bringing silence to life. The music I listen to, with the isolation of being in my own head, is often the easiest way of losing myself in the moment or to memories of the past. More than reading, listening to music is my favourite use of my own time.?
When I first dropped a needle on Real Life, the LP by Magazine back in 1978, I was hooked on the band and the album for life.?Whenever I subsequently put it on the turntable, then the CD and now the digital file, I recall the words on the back cover of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: To be played at maximum volume. And I do.
From Manchester, Magazine are one of my favourite bands, the idiosyncratic vocals and lyrics from lead singer Howard Devoto and brilliant guitarist John McGeoch grabbed my ears. Earlier this month was the twentieth anniversary of McGeoch’s death, aged 48. He died of Sudep (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy) in his sleep. His CV encompasses some of the most innovative and influential bands of the post-punk era - Magazine, Visage, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Public Image Limited.
The late 1970s were a time of re-invention in British music, and McGeoch demonstrated a talent for expressive, textured chords and brooding rhythms. Born in Greenock, in 1955, McGeoch moved to Manchester in his teens and attended Manchester Polytechnic, where he completed a degree in fine art.
Manchester, 1976, in a flat above a fish shop McGeoch obsessively crafted away at his guitar. When the electricity meter ran out he would play for hours unamplified in complete darkness. John’s approach to playing helped define an entire genre of music that came after punk. The simplicity of his playing, combined with a technical ability that never veered into needless virtuosity, inspired many.
In April 1977, he answered an ad placed in a record shop by Howard Devoto who had just left the Buzzcocks after the Spiral Scratch EP and was looking for musicians to play slow music again which would transcend the limitations of three-chord punk. Devoto found what he was looking for in McGeoch.
They formed Magazine, along with Barry Adamson, Bob Dickinson, and Martin Jackson, making their live début at the Electric Circus in Manchester on 2 November 1977, playing three songs. Their eerie appearance and moody sound caught the attention of Virgin Records.
In January 1978, the urgent, menacing debut single Shot By Both Sides made the lower reaches of the Top Forty while Real Life, Magazine's seminal album début, made the charts. A great foil to Devoto and Dave Formula who joined on keyboards, McGeoch shone in that setting and Magazine released a string of classic tunes, all co-written by John.
Devoto created darkly literate songs of icy alienation, violence, and psychological nonconformity. McGeoch, using flangers, a chorus effect and a percussive arpeggio technique to achieve his influential new sounds, complimented him perfectly. Nothing, and I do mean nothing else sounded like Magazine did when their remarkable Real Life, was released.
For a young man, Devoto’s deeply cynical lyrics betrayed an intense and often-self-loathing inner life. As a poet he was particularly adept at portraying insanity, social alienation, and toxic anxiety. The music from McGeoch was simultaneously jagged and angular.
McGeoch played on Magazine's first three albums, Real Life (1978), Secondhand Daylight (1979) and The Correct Use of Soap (1980). Truly, Magazine were one of the most musically formidable bands of their day. But McGeoch quit in 1980, after the release of the third album, frustrated with their lack of commercial success despite being hugely popular in the live music scene in Manchester, and with music critics.
Devoto subsequently disbanded Magazine, finding no suitable guitarist to replace McGeoch. Across three Magazine albums, McGeoch’s playing was an electric presence. He was a versatile player, gliding between sparkling arpeggios, ripping riffs, or simply adding subtle colour, balancing deftness, and potency. It captivated a teenage Johnny Marr and Jonny Greenwood. John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers said that he taught himself to play learning all John McGeoch's stuff in Magazine.
Greenwood named McGeoch his biggest guitar influence. The Correct Use of Soap obsessed him such that he learned McGeoch’s guitar pieces on every track and said that Magazine's song writing informs so much of what we do in Radiohead. Radiohead performed a cover of Shot By Both Sides in 2000.
On leaving Magazine, McGeoch moonlighted as a session musician with Bauhaus before joining Siouxsie and The Banshees. It was with the arrival of McGeoch that Siouxsie's imagination took flight on a series of rich and innovative songs that confirmed the band as the progenitors of a genre of mournful, introspective music.
It was arguably Siouxsie’s most creative and successful spell. He was easily, without a shadow of a doubt, the most creative guitarist the Banshees ever had. McGeoch produced dense textures using chorus and phasing, and a distinctive combination of picking and using open-stringed drones. It was like getting George Best on guitar says Marr.
When The Cure’s Robert Smith was drafted into The Banshees to fill in for an ill McGeoch, he struggled to play the guitarist’s complex parts. However, McGeoch suffered a nervous breakdown due to the stresses of touring and collapsed on stage at a Madrid concert. This marked the end of his time with the band.
However, yet another iconic post-punk band wanted him: Public Image Ltd. McGeoch joined PiL in 1986 and remained with John Lydon until they disbanded in 1992, making him the longest-serving member apart from Lydon.
In 1992, McGeoch was invited by Bj?rk's band, the Sugarcubes, to play guitar on their Stick Around for Joy album. After this, in 1995, he gave up performing and trained as a nurse, focused on family life, and lived in America for a decade, returning home just before his death.
领英推荐
He was a distinctive player, greatly admired for his use of textures rather than his solos, able to dream up dramatic riffs and chord changes and blistering fills. The Magazine track Because I'm Frightened and Spellbound by Siouxsie would have to be considered the ultimate performances for McGeoch, as he plays solos through both entire songs. A technical aspect of his style was creating the illusion that no part of his hands were ever moving, including his fingers.
After his death Siouxsie reflected on his talent and impact in the Banshees: John McGeoch was my favourite guitarist of all time, the most creative guitarist the Banshees ever had.
Every startup needs a John McGeoch, a subtle yet dominant presence in the team, driving constant innovation, fueling creativity, and pushing the ambition. Often the front man in the band – or the founder – gets all the attention, but don’t be fooled, no startup founder every created anything of substance without a strong team and a creative innovator driving them forwards.
So, what can we learn from John McGeoch’s thinking and attitude from an entrepreneurial perspective? Here are some of the best values of entrepreneurship and innovation that I see from him to spark your startup.
Passion - do it because you love it John McGeoch wasn’t thinking of anything else other than personal fulfilment when he started playing guitar. He did it simply because he loved it, he had talent and gave it a go. Musicians often say they play for themselves first and that it is a choice by which they can earn a living. This is a basic principle that is common to successful entrepreneurs everywhere.
Open mindedness McGeoch’s work is drawn from a diverse range of influences. Their uniqueness is the product of combining existing elements in new ways, producing something entirely their own, with a prowess for throwing stuff together to discover new combinations and possibilities. This ability to fuse something unique is a key trait of an entrepreneur.
Restlessness & reinvention McGeoch never succumbed to the stick-to-a-formula mantra, each period in a new band he emerged with something new and unexpected. Not all of his experiments worked, but this willingness to try out new ideas, knowing that not all will triumph, is a trait every entrepreneur needs.
A clear dividing line between important work and busywork McGeoch wasn’t productive, although his time with the Banshees saw him at his most creative. That to me says everything about ‘busy work’, and ‘important work’. McGeoch always sounded like someone in constant motion, each new release an agitation from the previous release, never resting on his laurels.
Stand for something McGeoch was strong minded and did whatever he wanted but had a clear sense of purpose. He was shaped by deeply held personal and passionate values and remained true to?them, quickly finding out that there are millions of people who shared those same values. Like a musician, put a tone of voice into your startup and stamp it with your founder personality.
Being different matters more than being better McGeoch became successful because he was different. He grabbed our attention. Rock stars have proven for years that being different is more important than being the best musician. Be different, stand out from the crowd. When opportunities don’t present themselves in a timely manner take calculated risks.
Don’t copy other people’s work Even if it’s just a chord sequence or a riff, take it and make something else. Just copying something is no good, unless you want to just be in a tribute band. It’s vital to keep playing around and pushing yourself in your startup, create your own product. Don’t be afraid to build a business that plays to your strengths, even if it’s unconventional.
Be your own image If you plan on getting noticed, establishing a brand promise, and creating an image is vital. John Pasche designed the ‘tongue and lips’ logo for The Rolling Stones in 1971, originally reproduced on the Sticky Fingers album. It is one of the first and most successful cases of rock brand marketing. McGeoch had his own style and image too - what’s yours?
Playing it safe gets you nowhere?If you don't take risks you'll never excel. Playing it safe becomes the most dangerous move of all. Deviate from routines. Rote activity doesn’t lead to the path of innovation or disruptive technology. McGeoch never played it safe.
Summary
McGeoch teaches us that you have to find what’s right for you, leading from your own place of uniqueness. You have to find what you do best and find what is best about you. The formula for his endurance is like a restless entrepreneur, never sitting on their laurels. John collaborated with a host of influential musicians, but ultimately he gently asserted himself as a wholly individual voice.
As French poet Paul Valery said Until you value yourself, you won't value your time and you will not do anything with it. The curious paradox is that once you've accepted yourself as wanting to do something different, you can then do something about it. It’s up to you as a founder to stand out from the crowd by being yourself.
You start to feel old when your heroes have been gone for twenty years, albeit there may be some contradiction involved in speaking of heroism, it's a term heavy with overtones of authority. But for me, McGeoch was an inspiration as any entrepreneur with his spirit of innovation and creativity, without doubt one of the greatest post-punk guitar players. I keep listening to him.
Writer/Editor/Proofreader/Transcriber
4 个月Hear, hear! I couldn't agree more, having seen McGeoch -- and that particular lineup -- twice, in '89, at Poplar Creek, as part of the Monsters of Alternative Rock mega-bill, and again in '92, at St. Andrews Hall, in Detroit. He definitely made his mark as a player, for all the reasons you enumerated -- even if he doesn't get as much love as his bigger name PiL predecessor (Keith Levene). Hopefully, the recent biography (The Light Pours Out Of Me) will end up redressing the balance -- though those "in the know," know, as they say.
Product && Sales
7 个月Absolutely brilliant and underrated guitar player.
Thank you for visiting Free Slots Online：
gsn free slots