After what was a fairly busy year for gigs, 1989 was disappointingly slower. I’m not entirely sure why. It’s possible it was down to working shifts which aren’t conducive to having a great social life. For whatever reason, I only went to four gigs, all of which were important for different reasons. First up was […]
1988 The gigs Part 4
Most of my news about the ‘indie-scene’ came from listening to the radio and reading the music press. The other important source was still Smiths Indeed pen pals. On one of the many cassettes we used to swop through the post was an album titled ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ by a Bristol band, The […]
1988 – The gigs Part 3
The second half of the year continued in much the same way as the first. For the third time that year, I visited the Town & Country Club to see Voice of the Beehive. This one was a bit different as it was being filmed for a TV broadcast. It was part of a Thames […]
1988 – The gigs Part 2
By 1988 I, like many Smiths fans, had fallen for The Primitives. My interest in the group first came about after receiving a mixtape from one of my Smiths Indeed pen pals. In amongst a variety of C-86 style indie bands, there were a few songs that I adored the moment I heard them. ‘Thru […]
1988 – The gigs Part 1
When 1988 arrived, I was still selling chocolates in Selfridges & still avidly reading the music press. The first gig I spotted that caught my attention, was unsurprisingly, That Petrol Emotion. The gig was a benefit for the Nicaraguan Solidarity Campaign at the Town & Country Club. I’d be the first to admit that my […]
1987 – The Gigs
What 1987 lacked in quantity it certainly made up for in quality. I had to wait until May for the first gig, That Petrol Emotion at the Town and Country Club in Kentish Town.
I’d been aware of the venue for years as it seemed like anyone who was anyone had played there at some point. I wasn’t disappointed, for me it’s the still the best venue I’ve been to. Perfect size with a large standing area, good sight lines from wherever you stand and some large bars down both sides. And being just up the road from Camden Town for pre-gig drinks it ticks all the boxes.
That Petrol Emotion had released their second album, ‘Babble’, in May and the rather excellent single ‘Big Decision’ in April. The album continued where Manic Pop Thrill left off, intertwining guitar lines, political socially aware lyrics and great tunes. Listening to it now it hasn’t aged at all.
The gig itself was another storming energetic performance with a very lively crowd. The songs off the new album sounded even better live.
If you haven’t heard much of them give them a go, you won’t regret it.
Continue reading “1987 – The Gigs”
Morrissey, chocolates and me.
With my new found love of indie music it would have been reasonable to expect that 1987 would be a good year for gigs. It definitely wasn’t. In all, I managed to get to three gigs. Yes three. And two of then were the same group. Pathetic. I’m putting this poor performance down to entering […]
Radio Smiths
Last month I was honoured to be invited to record a couple of hours of Smiths related chat on The Smiths Radio Show (@RadioSmiths). We covered a fair bit of ground, discussing the early days and the groups I discovered having had my eyes opened to the world of indie music. The links are below, […]
Smiths Indeed.
Being a teenage Smiths fan continued to be a fairly lonely existence. I knew a couple of people who showed an interest but not to the near obsessive level that I did. I continued to purchase every copy of the NME, Melody Maker, Sounds and Smash Hits that contained any reference to The Smiths. There […]
Manic Pop Thrills at The Boston Arms.
During the summer of 1986 a friend of mine, Pat, gave me a cassette of a band he’d discovered. I’m not sure how he’d stumbled across them but he thought I’d appreciate them, especially as some of the band had been in The Undertones. The album was ‘Manic Pop Thrill’ and the band, That Petrol […]
The Indie Gig List 