By Dean Gate
Haven were the so-very-nearly men of British indie rock. Discovered by former Smiths’ manager Joe Moss, they were championed by Johnny Marr who produced their two albums. They also played support slots for Marr’s band The Healers, as well as Badly Drawn Boy.
But their star sadly faded before it was allowed to fully shine.
Now Manchester author Mary O’Meara has written a book about the cult band, possibly one of the most overlooked of the last decade.
Mary said: “I worked at the Blue Cat Cafe in Stockport for several years and got to know the guys then.
“I wrote the book because time and again I was struck by the impact of their music.
“Lead singer Gary Briggs is one of the best vocalists of his generation, Nat Wason’s guitar washes over you like dazzling sunshine on water and Jack Mitchell is an incredible drummer, powerful when needed, subtle when needed. Their hefty conrtibution to the Manchester music scene deserves more attention.”
Originally from Cornwall, Haven landed in Manchester at the tail end of the Nineties. They quickly found their feet and voices, as well as a devoted fan base, and signed to Virgin. The summer of 2000 found the band recording at Clear Studios, watched over and encouraged by the inspirational Marr.
Their 2002 album, Between the Senses, was met with critical acclaim, wild applause and their fair share of rock ‘n’ roll misadventure. Their single, Say Something, reached number 24 in the charts in 2002 but their success was to be short-lived.
Author: Mary O'Meara
Mary has weaved her own autobiographical sub-plot around their story, giving the book a particularly intimate perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted with all the band members and the whole story is set against the backdrop of Manchester’s early Noughties music scene.
It also takes a long hard look at the machinations of the music industry, which initially promoted the band, then suddenly dropped them.
Mary, from Heaton Moor, Stockport, edited the Terrible Beauty fanzine for seven years and has worked in a variety of bookshops and libraries, alongside doing promotional work in the music industry.
She told The Natter that she wanted to write the book because she thought Haven, who split around 2005, were just too good a band to be forgotten.
“The book took me five years and is a real labour of love,” she said.
Haven outside the Blue Cat Cafe with owner Danny Donnelly
She added: “That photo of the band outside the Blue Cat Cafe also features owner Danny Donnelley, and small venues like this are the lifeblood of new music, for bands to find an audience.
“It gave Haven a chance to perfect their set before taking on bigger and more demanding audiences.”
Since they split, the individual members of Haven have carried on working in the music industry but whether they will get back together remains to be seen.
“I suppose there’s a possiblity that they’ll get back together again but that’s not for me to say,” Mary added.
The book launch will take place at The Blue Cat Cafe in Shaw Road, Stockport SK4 on February 24 from 7.15pm.
Between The Lines: A History of Haven, priced £9.99, is now available in Waterstones on Deansgate or online through Amazon, Waterstones or Blackwells.
More details: www.troubador.co.uk/book
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