The Rain (1982)

Not to be confused with another Liverpool band of the same name (active in 1987-93), The Rain are the four members of Europe after the Rain - Kate Tate (vocals), Andy Sage (guitars), Mark Tinka (keyboards) and Mike Doran (drums, later Surface Tension, Electric Morning) – plus Tadzio Jodlowski (guitar, later Pink Industry).

This is how Breakout Magazine #10 (June 1982) described the band:

‘The Rain (formerly Europe after the Rain) are a comparatively new band on the Merseyside music scene, having been formed in November of the last year by Andy and sing Kate Tate. To date they have played only three gigs and received airplay from John Peel.

‘I asked Andy about the content of their music. “There’s quite a lot of funk in the set and some psychedelia. Both are city music, we feel like we’re city music – psychedelia covers the mass of influences that you get from the city, the funk is the jungle rhythm of the city. This music wouldn’t come from the countryside. It’s also got a romantic edge to it because Liverpool’s a very romantic place. For example, in Manchester the recent fashions have been severe and industrial, like A Certain Ratio with those high shaven heads. Here, it’s very decadent and romantic, back-combed hair and so on, like Katie.

‘The songs are mainly about love and the things that go on in your personal life, it’s very moody stuff. I’ll come along with some words or a vision of some music, a basic plan and we will draw an arrangement out of it. Writing a song is like creating a seed and the best arrangement for that song lies within it. It’s not like you add things on to it, they come from within. Something will happen to me and I’ll magnify it, get melodramatic. Often you feel things more intensely than is real,a nd you should express such feelings.”

‘Music and fashion have never been far apart from each other. Music has both crated the fashions of the day and been created by them. For many musicians fashion takes a back seat, for some it is what draws attention to their music, but there are few bands that regard music and fashion as having equal importance.

‘The Rain fit comfortably in the latter category, a group of people for whom music and fashion are motivated by the same thing. Guitarist and songwriter Andy Sage explains:
“Fashion’s really important and the same attitude that goes into music goes into fashion. Music is as much of an expression as clothes are. If you see anyone around Liverpool who looks really good or different, odds-on they’re in a band – often it’s not because of the band that they’re dressed up but because it’s the best outlet. A lot of people think that fashion is frivolous or dismiss it as vanity but it’s an attitude, you’re taking care of yourself – if you are looking good it shows that you are alert, active, wanting to do something. It’s like adrenalin, like rock’n’roll is.”

‘The band’s keyboard player, Mark Tinka (who since this interview was done has returned to his hometown of London) has a slightly different view of things – “It’s entertainment that is central to why I like playing and the same is true of getting dressed up and walking down the street. You are then entertaining people by the way you are. That’s what the café is about, for me, the café’s about entertainment as well. Those are the things that I feel I an do best in order to entertain other people and myself.”

‘The Café is the Open Mouth Café in Whitechapel, the band’s base and where they rehearse in the evenings. Andy and Mike, The Rain’s drummer both work there, so it’s important as a social base as well.”’

No recording by this band.