DRY That first demo review, I only just remember it, I always lie, "like British Rail, chugs along quite pleasantly but gets nowhere". You bastard, I was only 17 and it took me all afternoon to write those songs. Summer inside a drummers baking hot, cell like garage -

perfecting those Teenage Fanclub guitar intros, hoping there would be biscuits with the coffee afterwards. The first gig was quite dreadful, although people say the nicest things, Husker DU, Sugar, I could never hear it. The microphone didn't work so the mullet haired sound guy steps over the monitor, accidentally switches on my stage tuner, thus muting my guitar. I do believe that was the very beginning of the Bristol Drum and Bass revolution.

Down time at Moles, Bath, stories of all the greats and even one involving Julian Cope, a knife and a roof. Things got scary, things got sour. Neil decides to hang in there, we recruit Martin a new but familiar member.

The Baker Dolphin coach to Park Lane, the bus with all our gear to Covent Garden. I knew I shouldn't have eaten that last sausage. Stars in the eyes of our friends, on a Sunday night in central London, kind of makes it simply worth it after all. Neil stayed in some posh hotel with Kerrie and bird mad girl, Martin and I crash with Si in Islington, we bump into Michael Foot outside Bar Oz on a frosty Monday morning. "Gun the fuckers down" I remember hiding Kerrang under a pile of work. I didn't understand at the time, Neil explained. Truly the finest words written about any British band ever. Sarah and I were so proud of that first single, and still are. I knew that dodgy VU interview disc would come in handy one day. The only good thing to come out of playing Aston University was half an hour before we went on stage, filling our faces with the most heavenly Balti this side of Birmingham. That beer glass didn't really mean anything, probably because it was made of plastic. The murky waters of the capital again, this time from the back of one of those vans you'd only ever see around Stone Henge. 60 mph all the way, but we got there, eventually. What a blinder, what a crap video though. 'Inside' was getting closer, I think Martin preferred 'New World', but 'Inside' has got that get out of bed motivation that makes you glad you've chosen this sometimes pointless pastime as a pastime.

Things could have easily become sort of final when Neil left, things are never quite the same, but you disappear down an unknown quiet lane, until you feel comfortable. It's weird with Andy, he came aboard with the type of ease that gets impossibly more difficult as you get older, the type of ease that should be watered twice daily.
'Wide Open Blue', is the closest yet, 'Kitty Talking', I don't know what all the fuss is about. TRACKS... 1  KITTY TALKING 2  WIDE OPEN BLUE 3  JESUS MADE IT PLAIN 4  BEE SONG 5  INSIDE 6  ALL THIS WAY SUGAR SHACK RECORDS UK ACDR 007  CD  MINI LP