Working Men's Club set for Piece Hall gig as support act for Primal Scream

Todmorden's Syd Minsky-Sargeant says it will be nice to be back when his band Working Men's Club play Halifax's Piece Hall next week.
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The four-piece band will be supporting Primal Scream on Friday, July 8.

Syd, 20, is a former Tod High School and is the only original member, with the other three joining at separate points.

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"It'll be good," he said, "I've played there before a few years ago, so it'll be nice to be back and it'll be a good way to start the promotion for our new record, because that comes out the week after.

Woking Men's ClubWoking Men's Club
Woking Men's Club

"We've played bigger gigs but it'll definitely be one of the big ones this summer."

Syd still lives in Todmorden and says his hometown has been a big influence in his songwriting.

"Wherever you are at the point of making art is definitely some influence, whether or not it's conscious or intentional," he said.

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"I think Tod's definitely had an influence on me, being surrounded by it, whether I've noticed it or not.

"Surroundings play a massive in what you do and the way in which you create, definitely.

"I think there's a lot more going on here then there was a few years ago and I feel fortunate to have had access to a few places like The Golden Lion as I was first starting to play gigs.

"I've always been supported by the local venues here and in the rest of Calderdale, I've felt fortunate to have that."

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Syd says Calderdale is home to a thriving music scene that provides fertile ground for up and coming artists.

"I think there's definitely a community that give a foundation for up and coming musicians, but Calderdale's always had a god basis for artists, as well as musicians," he said.

"I think that's been there underground for a long time and there's been a lot of musicians in Calderdale who haven't been particularly talked about until the last few years.

"I think it goes without saying we've got a good community of creative people here."

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And Calderdale's exciting music scene is headed up by The Piece Hall, which is attracting world famous acts to perform there.

"I think it's good that it's bringing culture into the communities as long as local people have access to that, it's a good thing," Syd said.

Working Men's Club release their new album ‘Fear Fear’ on July 15, the follow-up to their eponymous debut album, which was released in 2020.

"I guess it's the second body of work within hopefully a much longer process of time," Syd said.

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"I think it definitely marks a shift in the sound of Working Men's Club.

"I think it's definitely a more mature record, much more intense."

Syd says that feeling of progression and advancement is important to him as his career develops.

"I just want to keep making records and releasing stuff as quickly as possible," he said.

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"Keep improving on the last thing, not stagnating or getting stuck in the same cycle of things in terms of sound and where we go, it's nice to spread it out and make the next thing different to the last thing.

"It's down to the art at the end of the day and putting effort into creating the best work possible.

"It's never about success for me at all, it's more about just writing tunes and I think I'd still be doing that regardless of all of this. I'd always wanted to make music and always would be.

"I feel very fortunate that this has come as a consequence of that, it's nice."