MacD on Music: The end of an era
This week, we bid farewell to Parker, who have decided to call it a day
Picture it: a cold Tuesday night in December in Derry. There’s a gig on in Sandino’s. General Fiasco, a band most of us saw playing in the Nerve Centre growing up. Before they took the stage, two up-and-coming local bands were on. I was still fairly new to this job then, and that night I got to talk to the two support acts before their respective slots. Those bands: Parker and TRAMP.
It’s been three and a half years, twelve singles, one album, one EP and countless interviews since that fateful night, and now we come full circle. This week, we bid farewell to Parker, who have decided to call it a day, their last gig coming on the 21st June when they open for TRAMP at the launch of their EP ‘BIMBOFICATION’ in Sandino’s, in a gig that also features Mucksavage in their Derry debut.
I caught up with Dylan Bradley and Siânna Lafferty, front people of Parker and TRAMP, respectively, to talk a bit about the gig, the EP and the end of Parker.
Dylan: “I think it’s [Parker] just something that’s run its course. Being in a band is not easy. It has sort of felt like it was repeating itself a wee bit and not really going exactly where we would’ve liked it to go, and it’s not easy when that’s the case, in my opinion. And it is still fun, so I wanted to call it a day when it’s still fun and not run it into the ground. There’s no falling out whatsoever. We’re all still mates. I just think it would be nice to end it and be sad that it’s over, rather than to be f***ed off doing it.”
Speaking about playing with TRAMP again: “It feels good. I don’t know when our first gig was, but I feel like we’ve been playing together for ages.”
Siânna: “I mean, Lost Avenue and The Skanks would’ve played together years ago.”
Dylan: “I’m pretty sure we played in Bennigan’s together when Parker were pretty new, so it’s fun to have friends at the last gig, especially to be supporting TRAMP, because I’ve watched them become amazing. I feel like it’s a perfect last gig, because TRAMP are one of my favourites bands in the country and have been for ages, and Mucksavage are my favourite new band in the country, so that’s why I picked the line-up to be that.”
Next, I asked Siânna how it felt to have TRAMP’s much-anticipated EP launch to be Parker’s funeral. Siânna: “It’s lovely. The rest of TRAMP were like ‘You have to headline! It’s your last show!’. It’s really cool because, [Dylan’s] the reason we have the EP on vinyl in the first place. The label [Dylan’s own Three Mile Records] made that happen. It’s fitting. It’s like the end of one era for Parker but also Three Mile Records is this beautiful new thing. And obviously Mucksavage too, unbelievable band. So good. I’m sure it’ll be a whole wave, but I don’t think anyone will be too upset. It’s gonna be like one door closes and another one opens.”
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Speaking more about the EP, Siânna says: “It’s been out, but I think now it feels like we can be at peace with it being out. The music video for ‘Junkie’ is coming out next week [This interview was a few weeks ago. The video’s out now], and that will make the EP cover and the artwork inside it and on the back of it, and the themes of all the songs, it just finally feels like this was all meant to happen now. It might’ve taken a wee while, but, also, it’s a bit more fitting now it’s coming back into the summer again. It was around this time last year that it was filmed, so even though it’s longer than we planned, it feels good that it’s released now, seasonally.”
Back to Dylan, I asked if there’ll be any posthumous releases from Parker: “I thought about it but, no, this is it. Come to the gig on the 21st if you want to see or hear us again.”
Siânna: “History made.”
Dylan: “Who knows what will happen years down the line? But there’s no final release or anything.”
And that’s it for Parker and TRAMP. Tickets for the gig on 21st June in Sandino’s are available now on Eventbrite. TRAMP’s EP ‘BIMBOFICATION’ is available now digitally and the vinyl can be pre-ordered via Three Mile Records on Bandcamp.
Now, time for the socials. Three Mile Records can be found on Instagram @threemilerecordz, Mucksavage @mucksavagetheband, TRAMP @thisistramp and, for the last time, Parker @bandcalledparker.