photo: Matthew Alexander Patton
words: Steven Rainey
So farewell then, The Good Fight.
The world turns, and the seasons change, and only the good die young. Such it is with the Good Fight (who are not literally dead, I should stress…only metaphorically) who have decided to draw their brief, but stellar career to a close on Thursday 27th January.
The Coleraine four piece have always been well regarded in the local scene, and have made small, but significant inroads outside of Northern Ireland, but – as Dr Eldon Tyrell once said, “The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long. And you have burned so very brightly!”
For many of us (ie. Me), we first became aware of the band when the won the 2008 Across the Line Rock School television programme, singing their way into the hearts of the nation. Things went a little bit quiet after that, but when the band finally exploded back onto the scene, they did it in style, with the fabulous ‘Kick Start’ single (a split release with A Plastic Rose on the Di Di Mau label).
Accompanied by a fabulous video courtesy of the folks here at Bandwidth, the song was a real calling card for what the band were capable of. An anthemic chorus, but with just enough genuine emotion to prevent it from becoming stadium rock fayre, ‘Kick Start’ was that rare beast; an indie ballad that didn’t make you want to stick your fingers down your throat and vomit all over yourself.
A few more releases followed, with more and more people falling under the Good Fight’s spell, and it seemed like everything was moving onwards and upwards. But, alas! it was not to be. Life stepped in the way, and the promise of future greatness has been cruelly snatched away. Perhaps everyone involved will go on to some kind of greatness, so we shouldn’t fret too much. Indeed, maybe this won’t be a permanent goodbye, and rather it’s just a farwell?
Either way, au revoir, The Good Fight. It’s been fun.
See The Good Fight perform for the last time ever tonight, 27th January at the Mandela Hall Belfast.
