A Period Of Music Absence

This was a bit of a mad period in music for me. The Manc scene was exploding and loads of bands were about which were causing me interest. However there were big upheavals in my life at the time and I couldn't focus as much as I could. I never saw The Roses live or went to Spike Island. I made up for this by going to see bands like above. Cud were not a Manc band, they were from Leeds but were signed to a Middleton record label Imaginary Records who were based in a small office above a shop at the bottom of Rochdale Rd. This was run by Alan Duffy who also had connections with The Chameleons, The Reegs, The Mock Turtles and also released tribute cover albums with some quite famous names. Cud were a breath of fresh air. I saw them live a few times and they were definitely the predecessors to Pulp by a mile! Funky tunes, cheeky sexual innuendo and outrageous clothing made them hilarious. Check out the album Elvis Belt or the funny as fuck single Purple Love Balloon!

Another great Manc band from Middleton were The Mock Turtles. A great indie band who were clouded over by The Roses at the time. Martin Coogan (brother of Steve) was the head man and wrote some corking anthems, Can You Dig It being the famous one that everyone will have heard. Turtle Soup should be owned by any Manc music fan today so dig it out!

Best band for me in this period though has to be The Wedding Present. David Gedge with his distinctive vocals and lyrics about failing relationships to the sound of Peter Solowka's hundred mile an hour guitar riffs. George Best, the debut album was a fucking corker but Bizzaro just blew me away!

Anyone who graced an indie disco in the town centre lost their shit to Kennedy! Brassneck, Granadaland and Take Me! were also stunners! I am still a fan and always will be. Steve Albini produced the great Seamonsters (which will remain my fave WP album). Dave Gedge actually went to school at Hollins High in Middleton and was friends with Dave Fielding from The Chameleons. I met Gedge at A Reegs gig in a room above The Assheton Arms in Midd and he bought me a pint!!

These are not a Manc band but had a profound effect on me before I decided to get a band together. I was 21 when this album was released and although it got mixed reviews I thought it was fuckin awesome. I bought it on the day it was released on vinyl and played it to death! My flatmate hated it (but then again she was listening to Key 103 a lot!) Pixies are up there in my major influences and I am buzzing they are still on the scene. Check out their latest album Head Carrier.

This is the point where music became a part of my life forever, the start of 1994 which was probably the best year in music for me. Read on!!