Living Colour emerged from the eclectic 1980s New York City music scene. Fusing the sounds that reverberated throughout the Big Apple at the time, the four-piece successfully took people on an experimental journey through the city’s downtown jazz movement and the socially conscious punk rock of Manhattan’s famous CBGB club.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the group’s debut album Vivid, one of the most popular records of 1988 that saw them win a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Living Colour are headed to the shores of Australia for Soundwave 2014, a trip that will see them visiting the west coast for the first time.
Corey Glover, the band’s lead vocalist, was an aspiring actor who was set to appear in Oliver Stone’s classic Vietnam war film Platoon when he was recruited into the group by guitarist Vernon Reid.
“We were both guests at this girl’s birthday party,” explains Glover. “I sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and then we struck up a conversation. We pretty much clicked straight away. We had our first jam at his house just down the block from me, and then we played our first gig at CBGB.”
“It was amazing. You could see all kinds of bands experimenting with their music. It was a beautiful place.”
“I like to see the world through someone else’s eyes”Performing on stage had been a big part of Glover’s life even before he joined Living Colour. His love for acting started as a young boy alongside his love for music.
“I like to see the world through someone else’s eyes. The thing about acting is it’s not about what you say, it’s about how you behave. It’s about what you hear and how you react to that. It’s very much like that with music as well.”
“You have to work at anything if you want to do it well,” Glover continues. “You need the ability to listen and hear what somebody is saying while comprehending the nuances of what is being said. Sometimes it’s the things that aren’t said and the things that you can’t hide that are important. Musically as well as dramatically.”
Glover is currently working on the group’s sixth studio album, which should be finished by the time they arrive in Australia for the Soundwave tour. Australian crowds can expect to hear a celebration of their quarter century in the music industry, with classic tracks such as ‘Cult Of Personality’ set to be sewn between songs from the forthcoming record.
“I get a chance to see other perspectives, meet different people, and see the world,” says Glover about his love of travel and the perks of touring with Living Colour.
“I hope I have a chance to see the scenery. There’s a lot of bands I want to see and there’s a lot of places I haven’t been to in Australia before that I’d like to see.”
Growing up within the big city skyline of New York placed Glover in a space that was heavily saturated with all styles of music.
“I treat each word like it’s personal and really get into that on stage”“I’m a record collector and it was all about trading music back then,” the singer says with his gentle yet confident Brooklyn tone. “Someone would say ‘you really need to hear this’, and they’d recommend things they thought I needed to hear. I mean, the first time I heard Bad Brains was when I was 17. Someone gave me a tape and that next week they were playing with another hardcore band down at CBGB.”
Witnessing Bad Brains, a legendary hardcore punk band, first hand at such a young age inspired Glover to listen to as much music as he could get his hands on. Then, after his chance meeting with Reid, he found himself holding the microphone and delving into the world of lyrical expression.
“I try to feel my emotions and try to make them make sense to me,” Glover says. “They’re with you with everything you do. I treat each word like it’s personal and really get into that on stage.”
Lyrically, Glover is very open with how he feels. Over the years he has given audiences a perspective of being a man in a vividly colourful world, singing of love, sexuality, racism within America, and the Eurocentrism of mainstream media. His voice has now influenced four different decades of music lovers, and the Brooklyn musician doesn’t look like he’ll be leaving the stage for a long time to come.
“You have to look for where each word connects to you. You need to realise where it says how you feel. How does something impact you? How does it affect you? Sometimes it can be difficult if you’re not really in touch with your emotions at any given point in time. I try and be as in touch with my emotions as I possibly can. You really can not escape your emotions, even if you try.”
Soundwave 2014 Dates & Tickets
Tickets on sale via: soundwavefestival.com, oztix.com.au & other outlets
Saturday 22nd February – Brisbane, RNA Showgrounds
Sunday 23rd February – Sydney, Olympic Park
Friday 28th February – Melbourne, Flemington Racecourse
Saturday 1st March – Adelaide, Bonython Park
Monday 3rd March – Perth, Claremont Showgrounds
