The rising Hull-based Indie Band Crabapple is no more. Singer Kurt Kneale, Bassist Andrew Lever, ukulele Bill Welsh, and sticksman “Natty” Clark, all from the Cottingham area, played their last gig at Fruit in Hull four nights ago and have not been seen since.
Stalwart Crabapple fan Michael Potter told this website
The gig was going well. They kicked things off with ‘Preston Facepalm’ which got the crowd going and followed it up with ‘If You’re My Nightmare (I Ain’t Sleepin’)’ and ‘Magnetic Woman’. But you could see something was wrong. Kurt wasn’t talking to Welshy and they usually have such rapport onstage you know? I could tell they’d had a falling out because I know the lads a bit. And then things started to get worse. Kurt’s microphone lead was playing up and he kept cutting in and out. He seemed to think Welshy was to blame for that and after ‘Damn, Straight & Narrow’ they were having words. Andy tried to intervene but he got hit. I think Kurt had been drinking. Anyway, the crowd got a bit restless cos this went on for quite a while. A few people started heckling and a slow handclap started up. Kurt got back on the mic and announced a new song ‘Written in the River’ (which I’ve heard a demo of and, IMHO, is excellent), but the crowd only seemed to want stuff they know and the heckling carried on. Kurt started jeering at the crowd and calling them ‘stuck in the past’ and ‘losers’. I think that was the point that Andy threw his bass down and left the stage. Kurt tried to start singing, but “Natty” wasn’t up for it either so it was just Kurt and Welshy and it needed the rhythm to keep it going. Then Kurt’s mic cut out and he threw that down. This left Welshy alone on the stage and he tried to carry on but you could just tell he was very embarrassed so he sort of finished the song finger-picking style (Welshy’s finger-picking is much-underrated in my view) and then walked off to what I think were probably ironic cheers. They didn’t come back on for an encore. Guys, I rescued your equipment. It’s all at my mum’s house, so just give me a ring yeah?
This is a rising band with a promising future. They need to be found. If you spot Crabapple, contact the website.
