There is a time and place for everything in life but sometimes the brutal truth of health is something that no matter what time of day it is, no matter the mood you have arrived at your chosen venue in which to talk to someone about their life and their plans, catches you unawares and knocked sideways, especially when delivered by someone so intelligent, full of life and as candid as Vince Killen of Crowded Scouse.
On Friday 31st October, Crowded Scouse will be joined by the incredible Robert Vincent and his band and The Groove Dimension in a night dedicated to the Regional Mersey Head & Neck Cancer Centre by way of the Head-On Music supported fully by Vince Killen and his band mates in Crowded Scouse.
Any talk of health is a subject that many steer clear of; it is a taboo that seems ridiculously to have hung around from the Victorian era. To talk of health issues is to invite ridicule in some parts and from some people but surely as a species, humanity must care about those who we rub shoulders with every day, compassion is not something that is rare, to listen is a right that few actually take part in. Listening to Vince Killen as he talks about the Everyman Theatre, the night of music in aid of Regional Mersey Head & Neck Cancer Centre and his own health is to feel privileged, it is to feel fortunate that there are those in life willing to take on the sensitive nature of cancer and other illnesses and talk about them, therefore finally dissolving a taboo that doesn’t fit in with the proper meaning of society.
Sitting in the café at the Catholic Cathedral, with the imposing view of the hope out of the corner of one eye and the cathedral of modern theatre in Liverpool just a few short yards away I ask Vince Killen:
What is the reason for establishing the Head-On music events?
Vince: “About eight years ago, I had tongue cancer that spread to the lymph glands. I went through two years’ of treatment –surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, across in Clatterbridge. Although the treatment was fairly brutal, it worked fabulously and I really appreciated the help of everyone involved. Although it took me about two years to recover, I thought I’d like to do something to thank everyone who supported me. Because of my background, I thought the easiest thing to do would be organise a music event, which we decided to call Head-On. We did the first Head-On event in 2010 and I probably expected that to be that. However, due to the success of the event and the fact that lots of people asked me to do it again, we’ve kept it going. Head-On 2014 will be the sixth event and so far we’ve raised about £40,000 for the Regional Mersey Head & Neck Cancer Centre, based at Aintree Hospital at Fazakerley. This is the leading head and neck cancer centre in Europe and in terms of clinical outcomes, it’s the second best in the world. It’s a real Liverpool success story that very few people are aware of.
Head and neck cancer is really prevalent in the Merseyside area, largely due to high levels of smoking and the legacy of its industrial past. Head and neck cancer was traditionally thought to be a disease for older people, for people who drank or smoked heavily. But a really startling trend that has emerged over the past ten years of head & neck cancer in young people and for those people who were thought to be low-risk, i.e people who don’t drink or smoke heavily. Some people are becoming more aware of the HPV virus. The HPV virus is one that’s increasingly associated with cervical cancer, so young teenage girls are now being vaccinated to protect them from this disease. Over recent years, researchers have also found that there’s also a high correlation between the HPV virus and head & neck cancer, particularly within this younger group of people. So there was a bit of a kerfuffle about a year ago, when Michael Douglas said oral sex gave him cancer and some people thought that Michael’s gone a bit mad, but that’s the reality of it. Head & neck cancer is directly related to the HPV virus and because of this, more effective treatments need to be found to treat it.
So the main purpose of the Head-On events is to raise funds to support head &neck cancer research and patient care. But in addition, we want to raise awareness of the disease. If you have a lump in your neck or if you have persistent sores in your mouth, you really need to get them properly checked out by a doctor, because if symptoms are caught early, the disease is very treatable.”
Is it mainly in Merseyside?
Vince: “This virus in an international trend. Girls are vaccinated against the virus and there is now a big campaign going on to get boys vaccinated as well, but that’s going to be a political decision.”
Going back to your treatment, any problems now?
Vince: “There are two real side effects. One of the problems is that my saliva gland got blasted so I don’t produce any saliva so my mouth is always dry so I find it difficult to eat bread or chocolate, and, I always have to wash food down with water. The other side effect is that I’ve lost the ability to open my mouth so I can only get so far. I couldn’t eat a banana for example, without cutting it up into little bits. Oh, hot curries are best avoided as well.”
How does that affect you as a musician?
Vince: “In truth, it doesn’t at all; the only thing I have to do is to go on stage with a lot of water. It’s been eight years so after a while you just forget about it. It’s just a shame that I find it difficult to eat a bacon and sausage sandwich.”
What can we expect from the Head-On event itself?
Vince: “The most important thing and the one that distinguishes Head-On from other charity events, it that it’s all about the music. We don’t have raffles or auctions, or anything like that. It’s simply about having a number of great acts playing in a live environment. For the first event, we had three tribute bands, but over the years we’ve also looked to get some contemporary acts involved, such as Xander & The Peace Pirates, The Mono LPs and The Vinos. So the events really offer a good mix of music.
For Head-On 2014, we’ve got Rob Vincent, who’s an extraordinary talent and he’s going to be doing a full set with his band. We’ve got a new band called the Groove Dimension who are a soul-funk band, so they’ll get everyone dancing at the end of the night and Crowded Scouse will kick things off with a few of the Crowdie’s classics and maybe a few well-known songs from other Australian bands to get the party started. Then there’s a possibility of one or two special guest, so we’ll see about that.”
It must be quite a thrill to have the show at the new Everyman Theatre?
Vince: “Absolutely and we’re really looking forward to putting on the event at the Ev. Winning the Stirling Prize last week was a dazzling achievement, that the whole City should be proud of. I was there on award night, which turned out to be a very late finish. We all partied hard and I’m only just recovering!
We’re going to do the event it in the Street Café and the Theatre Bar. So we’ll be operating on two levels and guests will be able to look down on the bands from the theatre bar. It will be interesting to see how it all works but as it’s such a fabulous space and a fabulous venue, I’m sure everyone will have a great time. I’m also hoping that we’re going to be bringing in quite a few people who might not have been there before, so it should be a really exciting atmosphere.”
The building is tremendous, there’s such a vibe as soon as you walk in. I’m not a musician, I’m not an actor but I’m interested in the arts but as someone who is a musician and is involved in the arts what do you think about the place?
Vince: “I have a strong personal attachment to the Everyman as I’m one of the Trustees of the theatre and I’ve been involved with the Capital Project from the beginning. The Project was first mooted in 2001, but it didn’t gain any momentum until Gemma and Deborah arrived as Artistic and Executive Directors in 2003. They were really the catalyst to getting things moving and to putting a real artistic vision behind the process. It was an incredibly bold decision to knock that building down and there are still some people who are unhappy about it. For anyone who has spent 50 years of their life going to a particular venue, there is going to be an emotional attachment. However, the Everyman was never just simply about a building, it was always much more about having a spirit of adventure, a rebellious attitude and a connection with its Hope Street location. I’d like to think the new Everyman captures all these emotions, but that it will also provide a lot more ammunition to take the theatre forward over the next 50 years.”
What do you think the acoustics will be like at the Everyman?
Vince: I’m hoping it’s going to be fabulous sound wise. We’re expecting a full house and everything sounds better with a full rather than an empty one. Working on two levels will provide a few challenges, but Mersey Sound have kindly agreed to manage the sound for the event, so I’m expecting it to be pretty awesome.”
What got you into music?
Vince: “I’ve always been interested in music and started playing guitar in the bedroom when I was about 14 or 15. As to playing in public, my dad used to say, I’d done it the wrong way round. Usually kids get playing the guitar and being in bands out of their system early-on, and then settle down to a proper career. I did it the other way round. I’ve always played guitar around the house, but I didn’t properly get going until my thirties, going to open mic sessions and acoustic nights. There also seemed to be a need for a bass player, so I just picked one up. I was a late developer really.”
Getting out and having a good time is the most important thing. For some people, going out on a Saturday afternoon and spending six hours on a golf course is their way to relax. But for me, going with some mates to a gig is brilliant. Last weekend, we were in Chester doing a gig for Oxjam – Oxfam’s music charity – and we headlined that on Friday night. There was a large crowd, who were really up for it and everyone had a great time, so that’s when playing really is fun.”
I’m not from Liverpool but I think Liverpool is the epitome of British music and Birmingham comes a close second but they both have intertwined feel to them. For example, Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Move. They are very similar; no one else in the country has those same sounds.
Vince: “We’ve played the West Midlands many times, at Robin at Bilston and in Dudley JB’s and always gone down well, but I’m probably not the best person to speak to get any useful insight about musical comparatives. You’d be better off speaking to some of the other guys in Crowded Scouse, as they are all veterans of the Liverpool/Eric’s music scene and have fabulous tales to tell. All I know is that, we are quite a tight little band and once we get going we are very difficult to stop.”
Ian D. Hall
Head-On takes places at the Everyman Theatre Cafe Bar on Hope Street on Friday 31st October. Doors open at 7.30, bands start at 8.15pm.
Tickets to this event are priced at £10 in advance. To book tickets please email at head-on@hotmail.co.uk or visit the Head-On 2014 Facebook page.