Humanity In The Spotlight
Malcolm Galloway (left) and Mark Gatland don their metaphorical chapeaus once more.
“Heartfelt and honest. Possibly the most ‘Hats Off…’ album we’ve ever done.”
Mark Gatland
London-based duo Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate are back with their seventh album, The Light Of Ancient Mistakes, which explores such diverse topics as war, climate change and personal health battles. Mark Gatland and Malcolm Galloway reveal the story behind the record, their easygoing musical partnership and the unexpected role of a lamp-stand base.
Words: Gary Mackenzie Portraits: Kathryn Thomas
It’s been just over 10 years since Invisible provided first sight of the sometimes spiky, baleful, ambient, enraged, dystopian, yet always thoughtful world of Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate. Originally accompanied by guitarist and drummer guests, the duo of composer/lead guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/lead vocalist Malcolm Galloway and partner-in-prog Mark Gatland on bass, additional guitars and keyboards have settled into what is now a two-man operation (armed live with just their instruments and a laptop) joined occasionally by Galloway’s wife, Kathryn Thomas, on flute.
On the release of their seventh album, The Light Of Ancient Mistakes, the band talk to Prog via video-call on Gatland’s phone – Galloway’s is no longer operable since falling into a bowl of yoghurt. “It’s not a particularly rock’n’rock story,” he offers apologetically. Thematically, the album – “Heartfelt and honest. Possibly the most ‘Hats Off…’ album we’ve ever done,” according to an ebullient Gatland – covers ground familiar to existing fans, from sci-fi and historically inspired tales and the implications of technological progress, to our role both in the damage to and salvation of our planet, and topical socio-political observations. Opener Sold The Peace is a great funk-fuelled, insistent example of the latter.