It’s Immaterial – one of those bands which became an integral part of the burgeoning Indie/Techno scene in the early 1980s. It’s Immaterial got started in 1980; had a string of singles until their debut album finally came out in 1986. They scored their biggest hit in 1985 with Driving Away From Home, which not only got considerable airplay, it wound up being featured prominently in numerous TV commercials since then.
Two more albums followed, but the band dropped off the radar around 1990. Many thought they had broken up. But in 2013, via their Facebook page, they announced they had never really split up, but instead retreated from the Music business rat race and spent time working on other projects. It was then announced a new album is slated for release in 2017. So as much as you thought It’s Immaterial had broken up, you’re wrong.
This concert, recorded by BBC Radio 1 for their In Concert series, was done at The Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool on March 15, 1983 and comes around the time of their fifth single and benefitted greatly from boosts via sessions for John Peel.
Although the band got a lot of audience and Peel support, as well as enthusiastic reactions from the Press, their commercial success was relegated to their 1985 hit single. Their follow up album in 1990 was considered a commercial flop, despite positive reviews.
And most likely because of that, founders John Campbell and Jarvis Whitehead retreated from the scene, resurfacing some 23 years later. You could say it was a very long interval between albums, but as their Facebook Statement indicated, they hadn’t split up or gone in different directions – they just kept doing what they were doing, only under the radar.
Now that the music business has changed considerably, it will be interesting to see how their fortunes fare in this new climate. As has been so often proved in recent history, artists are taking the shots back and guiding their own destinies – the business model bears little resemblance to how it was even in 1990. They may be on to something now.
In any event, if you’ve forgotten or wondered what they sounded like in the 80s, here’s a good place to find out.
Crank it up and enjoy.
