Echo & The Bunnymen, Simple Minds, Big Country, The Waterboys and U2, all started out as punk bands and each came to the same conclusion, that the way forward was to explore the alternative route to stardom. Instead of playing in fast and steady, two minute spurts, the way forward was to slow it down (especially the guitars) to a majestic gait. In doing so, these bands and their acolytes (The Alarm and Silent Running) created a decidedly non American style that was Big, Cold, Calculating. It was Northern Glacial rock with epic pretensions, and deeply rooted in local traditions, the most notable being Celtic. this was New Era stadium rock, all swagger and spiritually uplifting. Trouble was that it could very easily be construed as patronising and escalate into a laying-on-of-hands proportions. (adapted from Vox).
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