Dinners With Dan #11 - Where Did You Go?

Daniel Balcombe
Jan 7, 2018
3 min read

Happy new year from your resident shit talker.

Last year was a big year for many reasons, so many reasons that I’m not going to go into every single one. I don’t want to bore you more than I usually do. But from writing reviews, articles, music and watching my daughter grow it was a pretty solid year. Some bad things of course though. Who doesn’t experience bad things in life? If you don’t, you are one of the very few in the world or just flat out in denial. In saying that though last year was mostly good and I don’t have too many complaints – which is surprising because I do love a good whinge.

So what do I expect from the New Year? I don’t know, I’m not really a big fan of the ‘New Year New Me’ bullshit that you would see from ‘Instagram’ models but I guess losing my beer gut is one thing I’m looking to achieve but beer is just so inviting so I don’t know how that’ll work out. Writing more is something else I want to do (cue the tears of anyone reading) and just generally being less stressed about pointless things that really don’t matter.

But what’s the point of this? Why aren’t I talking about music. Well I will now so CHILL. I’ve decided to put together a few bands that I WISH were still a thing. Just like 2017 these bands are done and dusted. These bands were bands I grew up with and impacted my life and I’m sad to say I won’t hear anything new from them again - maybe.

The Receiving End Of Sirens - Between The Heart And The Synapse [26th April 2005]

For those that don’t know these guys, they were HUGE back in the day when I first heard them. They had 3 guitarists and 3 vocalists which was crazy to me as a teenager. They were my first venture into more experimental sounding stuff and I dug them hard. It’s crazy how good they actually were but didn’t get half the attention they deserved.

Funeral For A Friend - Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation [13th October 2003]

Funeral were a defining band musically for me when I first actually joined a band. Their influence was obvious, they were the template for the band we wanted to be back then. It’s sad that they are no longer a band, but in saying that their latest releases lacked what made me love them back in the day, but their influence will never be forgotten.

No Use For A Name - Hard Rock Bottom [18th June 2002]

TONY SLY WAS A GOD. [FULLSTOP]

Sugarcult - Palm Trees and Power Lines [18th June 2002]

They had some great pop punk tracks. I wonder what even happened to them but they are a true blast from my teenager years.

Yellowcard - One for the Kids [17th April 2001]

Man I loved Yellowcard when I was younger. They were a fun band that really got me into writing my own lyrics. They weren’t ground breaking or anything like that, although the violin was a nice touch but I enjoyed them. I haven’t listened to their later stuff, and don’t want to either cause I know it may leave me bitter.

There is probably a tonne of bands I’ve missed off, some bands who I thought were gone and were going to mention like Underoath, Taking Back Sunday, New Found Glory and Jimmy Eat World are still together, I’ve actually just been listening to some new Taking Back Sunday and it’s ok, not what they used to be but a lot changes over the course of 10 – 15 years, this I know.

Obviously I could have went for the more well known bands like The Bealtes, Queen or Zepplin but who doesn’t miss them right? As much as I love them, they didn’t define me in my younger years like the above mentioned bands did.

What bands do you miss the most?

-Dan's Nostalgic Track Of The Week-

Taking Back Sunday // Cute With The E (Cut From The Team)