Manchester musicianaries the WORLD WIDE MESSAGE TRIBE have been sweeping all before them recently with live gigs, TV and radio spots. Here's a review of how they've been fairing.

Live - The Manchester Apollo - 25th November 1995
Fourteen years ago I was waiting; heart pounding and toes curled tight in my boots, to see my first ever concert - Toyah in Belfast. Here I was again - same excitement, in Manchester to see an evangelistic Christian band with a straightforward gospel message that would make any suit-and-tie-clad fundamentalist preacher proud, but with a cultural relevancy that could attract 3,000 teenagers with a streetwise trendiness oozing credibility. Had someone presented me with this 14 years ago I might have taken more notice of the man Jesus and not spiralled into rebellion and selfishness as Toyah sang "I wanna be free! I wanna be meee!"

The World Wide Message Tribe have an incredible following among fashionable school kids in Manchester. There may well be many there just following the name and having a good night out, but the band's totally simple message of salvation was belted out repeatedly in so many decibels throughout the evening - you had to go home with it ringing in your ears. I just wish we could have got front row seats for the faction within the church that state that "all rave is depraved" - but no point babbling on to you, the converted. On with the facts.

WWMT played along with three other bands, HOG, Bliss and Shine, who did an excellent warm up to the main act. WWMT would probably object to being called that but it's good "gig talk". Saturday night was labelled as "the gig", an example of what they perform in Manchester schools, and Sunday was "the worship", again an example of the church event they're setting up to provide a bridge between rave culture and church. Both events were really quite similar although Sunday saw a bit more "preaching" and a reveal-all interview with the intrepid Blind Date vicar Simon. The stage set was loud and brassy -two large video screens and lots of TVs with a good supply of flickering imagery. The dancers were unbelievably impressive and demand a review of their own really, or at least an interview. There was a very exciting quality of youthful high-energy free from insidious sexuality which was so refreshing and such a good witness of "abundant life". I'm sure the heart of the performer is communicated to the audience and you can feel when someone is sold out to God rather than the performance. I believe that in itself commands an authority lacking in much dry preaching.

Finally, everything that was said and sung on stage was translated into a language that was relevant to any 14 year old in a multi-racial un-Christian environment without being patronising. Music to my ears.

As you've probably gathered, I was very impressed. We are in such need of groups like this in every town in the country so my kids can grow up with a healthy pride about their Jesus. Most adults wouldn't last five minutes as a Christian in secondary school and we give our children such a helping hand when we endorse relevant Christian schools work such as this. Well done WWMT. Almost enough to make us move to Manchester.

PS Some guy came all the way from America for this one gig after reading about it in Cross Rhythms - that's REAL commitment.
Karen Pilkington

Radio - World Wide Message Tribe's Midnight Massacre (Radio 1) - 24th December 1995
Probably the most incredible (and unforeseen) phenomenon in Christian music over the last year has been the sudden rise in secular interest across the country due, in part, to the over-hyping of the Chris Brain scandal, but also stemming from the growing fascination at the no-nonsense approach of Christian musicians prepared to be both culturally relevant and take the moral lead that (even in the public's perception) has been so lacking from the Church in recent years. Take the World Wide Message Tribe's Midnight Massacre for example. Who would've thought that Radio 1 (of all places) would be interested in broadcasting the full-on message of a group of Christians trying to evangelise Manchester schools? But they were and it wasn't a wasted opportunity. Zarc Porter et al managed to cram the whole thing full of excerpts and extended mixes of new and recent WWMT songs, interspersed with samples on the subject of Christmas from sources as diverse as the Queen, Julie Andrews and The Shamen (!). The message of Christmas without Jesus as being empty and really sad was portrayed well. Some of it was a little grating, although that's probably due to the Radio 1 engineers, and there weren't enough songs to fill the hour long slot, so a few got played twice, which didn't really help sustain interest. But unquestionably the programme was a brave and effective insight into real Christianity.
Dave Drodge

TV - God In The House (Channel 4) -25th December 1995
Those who thought national radio was an unobtainable goal for Christian music must have spluttered over their turkey when they reached for their TV Times to plan their Christmas day viewing. For here, on the Yuletide Box, was a programme taking a totally positive look at Britain's dance worship. Taking three very different dance events from around the country, presenter Adam Buxton introduced the World Wide Message Tribe, Bliss from Bournemouth and the Late Late Service from Glasgow. Thankfully, commentary was kept to a minimum (even the Nine O'clock Service only rated a passing comment) and the events were allowed to speak for themselves. The Tribe's Planet Life service in Manchester gave a great evangelistic message alongside the prayers and pumping dance music, all added to by the ambience of the beautiful Church Of England building. Bournemouth's Bliss featured in a more normal, claustrophobic club setting. There own particular brand of live funky music, record-scratching and dancefloor packed with grooving worshippers was contrasted with poems, readings and thought provoking Christmas comment from pastor and founder Johnny Sertin. More gothic was the presentation from the Late Late Service. Here, the Church had been transformed into a dark room with only candles and a bank of TV screens lighting the formal worship service with its unusual mix of harsh dance music, chants and orthodox imagery. Totally different, but awe-inspiring nonetheless. The hour long experience gave a stimulating insight into some of the many ways we can worship God, each event coming from a very different angle and perspective, without ever losing sight of which God it was they were meant to be worshipping. A landmark programme. Let's hope that many more Christian musicians with something to say manage to knock hard enough and get the opportunity to influence the mainstream media in the future in similarly powerful ways.
Dave Drodge