binkicka

“Ha ha ha . He's probably watching Quatermass on UK Gold or constructing cardboard and hessian performance-wear.”

“Yup, it was that gig. Man City had won the league that day and the staff from Piccadilly Records were pissed up heckling Jim O Rourke to play Smiths songs. Then that guy was crawling around the stage (fucking well weird). He was removed by a guy with big lamb chop sideburns.

Jim looked totally bemused.

Loren mazzacane Connors was the kind of emperors new clothes act the Wire loves.

Alfie were pretty good.

O Rourke was top though I think everyone was expecting a full band and songs from Eureka but he sat and quietly strummed his way through an acoustic set.”

“This was really the first gig I ever went to (I don't count Toss the Feather's at Poynton Folk centre cos I was throwing a full on whitey at the time and missed it all). I was just 16 and was desperate to see Dinosaur Jr having immersed myself in them over the course of a year after hearing The Wagon played a few times on the Craig Cash and Jon Ronson shows.

At this time I think I had one JAMC record. Blur were in their also-ran phase having released popscene which no one really cared for and a lot of people weren't too happy that they were on the bill. I hadn't heard any My Bloody Valentine (in hindsight I wish I had).

Blur Played first and they had this video running in the background - I distinctly remember a guy taking a shit in reverse. Shit rising up into his arse. I remember the bass drum being so loud it was hitting me in the gut - I liked it.

I saw my first indie-girls and fell in love with them. Girls at high school were not cool like this, they listened to Vanilla Ice.

Dinosaur were second and I sang along to every song - it was totally amazing, memorable, but they didn't play long enough (all the bands apart from JAMC got 45 mins sets). The seating problem became evident for me at this point. I wanted to mosh even though I hadn't ever done it before.

MBV were powerful. I had in my head that they were like the Cocteau Twins or something (how wrong can someone be). The legendary 15 minute wall of sound of 'You Made Me Realise' was phenomenal. We were sat (stood) about mid-way back in the venue and that shit was loud. There were rumours of people puking at the front cos of the rock. I remember stepping out of the main auditorium to attempt to get served at the bar (bottled it) and seeing dishevelled looking indie kids it was akin to a war zone in my young eyes.

JAMC were kind of boring, I just wanted Dinosaur Jr to come back on.

We got picked up by my friend Rick's dad afterwards amazed at what we'd witnessed.

A week later my dad was stumping up the remainder of the funds for my first electric guitar.”