Remembered gigs
When I was a student I started writing gig reviews for the college newspaper; as a result I wangled free tickets to dozens of gigs at The Junction and the Cambridge Corn Exchange. This was the days of Madchester, shoegazing and triphop. I can remember the atmosphere at some of those gigs to this day.
EMF, The Junction
A mad evening. EMF were very briefly huge, thanks to their hit single "Unbelieveable", which now sounds dated and frankly rubbish. But at the time it was very popular in the SU bar on a Friday night. A whole gang of us went to see them, and I've been to few sweatier and more frantic gigs. Everyone went mental when they played the hit. I can remember the whole room being a sea of bopping arms and heads.
Throwing Muses, The Junction
We stood near the front, and were mesmerised by Kristin Hersh. As she sang, her head moved from side to side but her eyes remained perfectly still, staring straight ahead over the heads of the crowd. The band were very professional and I left wondering if I would ever witness anything so amazing ever again.
Ride, Cambridge Corn Exchange
I was a huge Ride fan. I bought the album on the day of release so I could get the free T-shirt. I wore my T-shirt to the gig. I couldn't believe how loud a guitar band could be.
James, Cambridge Corn Exchange
It was my birthday, and a few of us went to town to see James. I'd been a fan since before "Gold Mother" and considered myself superior to all the teenies who'd picked up on them after the success of "Come home". But it was a super gig, we danced all night and I sang myself hoarse because I knew nearly all the words (and, if I'm honest, hero-worshipped Tim Booth somewhat). When they started playing "Sit Down", we all sat down and sang along. I bought a black "ja-m-es" T-shirt which I wore with pride for the rest of the term.
Cud, The Junction
My friend and regular gig companion Charlotte convinced me to go and see Cud. I'd heard "When in Rome, Kill Me" round at her house and hadn't really liked it much. But then "Leggy Mambo" came out and I was converted - it was a fantastic album (I still listen to it regularly). The gig was busier than I expected and dancier than I expected. We danced non-stop, the band were on top form and segued lots of songs into eachother like pro DJs. I loved it.
Happy Mondays, Cambridge Corn Exchange
Mayhem from the outset, but when the intro to "Step on" started, it was like someone had flicked the "go insane" switch. The floor bounced.
New Order, Reading Festival
I was so excited about seeing them play, I got cross with my friends for talking over the music. Then Bernard started singing and I was crestfallen; his voice was painfully, dreadfully out of tune and I couldn't bear to listen. I wandered off, disappointed.
Pop Will Eat Itself
We danced the dance of the mad bastards; we had a wonderful time.
The Fall
A shambolic mess. Mark E Smith looked bored beyond words. A terrible gig, but "The Frenz Experiment" remained one of my favourite albums for some time afterwards, regardless.
