Named after the debut single by Teenage Fanclub.
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This blog is all about being a music lover in Glasgow; reviews, interviews, memories, old faves, new discoveries (past & present) and more. Thanks for visiting - I hope you discover something amazing you've never heard before, or that you rediscover an old favourite.
Regular features/playlists; Never Ending Mixtape / Cover Version of the Month/ Trust Me.
Twitter - @murrayeaston
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I first stumbled across Hot Chip at the Benicassim Festival in 2005. My girlfriend (now wife) and I camped out for a week in the sun, spending days on the beach in the cool breeze by the sea, then partying long into the night. Taking in the likes of Oasis, Mylo, Underworld, The Lemonheads, Nick Cave, Basement Jaxx, The Cure and LCD Soundsystem. I think LCD Soundsystem came on stage at 2am! Hot Chip might have been in a tent after that!
Despite the excess of Benicassim I managed to remember their name and track them down. They had released their debut album Coming On Strong on the excellent Moshi Moshi label in 2004 and I didn't have to wait long for their follow up, the exceptional The Warning.
Singles Over and Over, A Boy From School and Colours were incredible. I bought the singles on vinyl and played A Boy From School at a night my sister put on at Edinburgh School of Art and a number of people came up to ask who it was - always a good sign!
I went to see them at King Tuts around this time and they blew me away. Visually captivating, Hot Chip are co-fronted by the diminutive Alexis Taylor in huge glasses and Joe Goddard. Both are incredibly playful with lyrics and melodies, Taylor with a high voice, Goddard with the low, both beautifully melancholic. Joined by Al Doyle, Felix Martin and Owen Clarke, the 5 bopped, danced and smiled behind synths, guitars and bass and looked like they were having the time of their lives on the King Tuts stage and this easily transferred to the audience.
Hot Chip continued to release an album every 2-years, all with excellent singles (and videos) to promote them; Made In The Dark (2008), One Life Stand (2010), In Our Heads (2012) and then a little longer in between to Why Make Sense (2015) and A Bath Full Of Ecstasy (2019), with solo albums and side projects in between, also notably Al and Felix playing and recording with great friends LCD Soundsystem.
I love how the band all have different personalities and styles that somehow just gel when they come together. And their genuine love of music pours out of everything they do. They have an incredible ability to mix melancholy with euphoria.
Hot Chip are kind of the perfect size and set up for a band. Big enough to tour all over, cool enough & respected enough to be in with the likes of DFA and Optimo, solid enough to allow side projects and playing with other bands and known enough to pull good crowds at festivals.
Here are 10 of my favourite songs by Hot Chip.
Working my way back through Hot Chip's considerable back catalogue over the last month or so has been a real pleasure. They are fun, playful and unique. You can tell they love music and are great friends.
I'm conscious that there are 4 songs from The Warning, but the 3 singles + No Fit State are without question among my top 10 favourites. That was the album where I really discovered and fell for the band. I also have 3 songs from the One Life Stand album! Unintentional, but on reflection they are my favourite albums.
Bubbling under are Baby Said, How Do You Do and the outstanding Hungry Child - which is really unfortunate not to make my 10. Special mention for their cover version of Springsteen's Dancing In The Dark which morphs slightly into All My Friends by LCD Soundsystem. I try to avoid including covers in my 10 from ... series. I've blogged on this before and you can check that HERE.
1. A Boy From School
Exceptionally cool synths, beats, melodies and lyrics. I played the 7-inch of this at Edinburgh Art School when I DJ'd a night my sister put on while studying and people were blown away. Fresh and vital sounding. Effortlessly cool. The bit where Joe comes in gets me every time.
Tucked away in the middle of 2010's One Life Stand album is this warm melodic gem of a song. Flowing effortlessly, sung with care, I fell for it on first listen and it's charms continue to warm my heart every single time I listen. Alexis and Joe's voices dovetail and sound particularly dreamy on this song.
From the bands 2004 debut album Coming On Strong, You Ride, We Ride, In My Ride is a stunning early example of hot Chip weaving vocal melodies with electronic layers and beats. After discovering the band and downloading this album I just thought there is nothing else like this out there. Certainly nothing I had heard. One of Hot Chip's many strengths - beautifully different, soulful, playful and with nods to influences but 100% their own band. Just after 2-minutes this song goes off on a tangent, beats, synths, melodies ... brilliant.
Simply sublime and the only song I have heard to mention stickle bricks! Synths bubble and Alexis croons softly and beautifully. At 50-seconds the disjointed beats are cut and it's just Taylor and synths before the real beats kick in and the song takes off. As we approach 2.5 minutes Alexis sings beautifully as his band mates continue to sing Colours and colours and colours of colours. There are some cool mixes to check out with the Fred Falke one being my favourite.
Hot Chip at their best laid back, laid back, laid back we'll give you play back sings Alexis Taylor over beats and playful synths. The chorus kicks in at 1-minute 20, mixing dirty synth sounds with Taylor's pure vocals. The video highlights the bands playful and energetic nature as they play in a green room, complete with helpers in green suits ensuring the band do all the right things. Taylor in over-sized red shades and hoodie is hyperactive in all the right ways. The instrumental section is glorious and then Goddard's vocals come in at just the right time.
The penultimate track of The Warning, No Fit State teases and eases in with Joe Goddard on super cool laid back vocals. Alexis Taylor takes the bridge, repeated a few times to lead to the chorus/mantra which is joined by euphoric synths
I'm in no fit state, I'm in no fit shape
Then Alexis comes in over the top and it is utterly divine.
From 2010's brilliantly titled One Life Stand album, Brothers is as soulful an electronic song as you might ever hear. Goddard takes lead for the first verse and chorus, joined by Taylor for the second verse, their voices beautifully entwined. I just find this song utterly beautiful, it cuts me deep. Taylor takes lead on the third verse as the beats kick in further, the synths are more playful. Joyful and soulful.
Brothers, I would give my life for my brothers
When we're driving and it's late with my brother, sat next to me
It's a wild love I have, it's a wild love that I have
It's a wild love I have, it's a wild love that I have
Humour and romance, total Hot Chip! The play on words for the title and chorus is genius, the Chic style guitar, bass-y synths leading to the chorus with Joe Goddard singing the beautiful keep on feeling backing vocals as Alexis pleads I only wanna be your one life stand, tell me stand by your man?
Utter brilliance from Hot Chip. A single and the opening song on their 2019 album A Bath Full Of Ecstasy, Melody Of Love finds the band mixing melancholy reflection with just the right dash of euphoria, complete with a sample of a gospel sermon. It's like Hot Chip have grown up, like we all have!
When I was standing next to you, I overheard the saddest news
What was just there was out of view, running out of love
I always seem to hesitate, too little always comes to late
Nominated for a Grammy, Ready For The Floor is insanely catchy from the off, the repetitive do it ... now, say it ... now opening is classic playful Hot Chip. The verses lead to a chorus where Goddard plays off Taylor who ends up singing the refrain you're my number one guy. The song was allegedly written for Kylie, a rumour sadly scotched by Taylor who confirmed they would love to wrote for her, but this song wasn't created with her in mind.
I love the performance from Glastonbury in 2008 (below) which highlights Hot Chip's infectious charm and their offbeat nerdy cool that wins hearts all over.
During this crazy year, where there have been no gigs since March, music fans have had way more time than usual to go back through their record collection and to add to it by discovering new music.
Tim Burgess has helped shine a light on the art of the album, with over 500 listening parties to date! And over the last few nights he has held parties for all of the shortlisted albums for the 2020 Scottish Album of the Year Award, with the winner set to be announced tonight (Thursday 29/10).
With everything going on in the world, I think the SAY Award 2020 is the most important year for the award yet. It really does give us all a night to reflect on our creative and talented nation and appreciate the music, the art, the nights out and the friendships that often come through a shared love of music.
It's worth taking a moment to think of the artists, bands and labels across Scotland who are still getting music out into the world during current restrictions. Those that are still creating - thank you.
And my thoughts go out to venues, staff, promoters, sound engineers and all the crews that help to put on incredible events throughout Scotland; from stadium shows and festivals, through to modern venues like the Hydro and all the incredible small venues across the land. Your work alongside bands and artists brings so much joy to so many people and I can't wait to get out to gigs again. Imagine the atmosphere at those first shows where we can go wild!
I can't begin to imagine how difficult things are for you, take care.
So the SAY Award 2020!
Over 300 albums were nominated for the award and the 10 remaining have a chance to win an incredible £20,000!
That kind of money can make a huge difference to bands and artists; established or new. And speaking of new, I should highlight that eight debut albums make up the shortlist this year!
The 10 shortlisted albums in the running are;
Blanck Mass - Animated Violence Mild
Bossy Love - Me + U
Callum Easter - Here Or Nowhere
Cloth - Cloth
Comfort - Not Passing
Declan Welsh & The Decadent West - Cheaply Bought, Expensively Sold
Erland Cooper - Sule Skerry
The Ninth Wave - Infancy
NOVA - RE-UP
SHHE - SHHE
Personally, I've really fallen for the Erland Cooper album and bought it on vinyl at the weekend. It's a truly beautiful and emotive album. And I'm also very fond of the Callum Easter album and wish I had followed up on recommendations from people to check it out much earlier than I did. It's got a real charm and warm feel to it and I love the variety throughout.
The eponymous debut album by Cloth has won many fans and their #timstwitterlisteningparty last night was very enjoyable and insightful. I think it might be the favourite to win.
I've enjoyed attending a number of SAY Award ceremonies over the years. This time people from all over the world can attend! Simply subscribe to The SAY Award YouTube channel.
The ceremony will begin at 7pm tomorrow night - Thursday 29th October.
Previous winner include; Auntie Flo w/ Radio Highlife, Young Fathers w/ Cocoa Sugar, Sacred Paws w/ Strike A Match, Anna Meredith w/ Varmints, Kathryn Joseph w/ Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I've Spilled, Young Fathers w/ Tape Two, RM Hubbert w/ Thirteen Lost & Found and the inaugural winner back in 2012 was Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat w/ Everything's Getting Older.
Read on for a little bit about the shortlisted albums for 2020.
Good luck to all and well done for making the shortlist.
ABOUT THE SHORTLIST Blanck Mass - ‘Animated Violence Mild’ Animated Violence Mild was written throughout 2018/2019 at Blanck Mass’ studio outside of Edinburgh. These eight tracks are the diary of a year of work steeped in honing craft, self-discovery, and grief - the latter of which reared its head at the final hurdle of producing this record and created a whole separate narrative: grief, both for what I have lost personally, but also in a global sense, for what we as a species have lost and handed over to our blood-sucking counterpart, consumerism, only to be ravaged by it.
Bossy Love - ‘Me + U’ Glasgow-based, enigmatic, alt-pop duo Bossy Love - comprising Scottish producer, songwriter and drummer John Baillie Jnr (Dananananakroyd / BABE), and Indonesian/Australian vocalist and songwriter Amandah Wilkinson (Operator Please), released their highly-anticipated, debut, 12-track album, ME + U in November, amidst a storm of critical acclaim. Further developing their style for emotionally candid and confessional, yet anthemic, IDGAF lyrics, atop propulsive, rich, pop production, ME + U was selected by The Guardian in their list of Best Albums 2019, before highlighting Bossy Love a second time; in their list of Amazing Musicians To Watch Out For In 2020: “Me + U is the stuff fantasies are made of… best Scottish pop act since Chvrches.”
Callum Easter - ‘Here or Nowhere’ Callum Easter’s dark poetic vision find its most compelling form yet on Here Or Nowhere – a sparse, stark, deeply personal and by turns hopeful, menacing and despairing clutch of intuitively retro-futuristic songs united, as he explains, by “a feeling that the world is fucked up and a belief that people can fix it together.” It’s entirely written, performed, recorded and even mastered by the artist himself between his flat and his studio, save for backing vocals from Sisters Jacqui and Pauline Cuff (Soho/Leith Congregational Choir), as captured by Tim London.
Cloth - ‘Cloth’ Recorded at Scottish indie mainstay Chem 19 with engineer Derek O’Neill (King Creosote, The Phantom Band), Cloth is the self-titled debut album by the acclaimed Glasgow-based three-piece. At once hauntingly sparse and sonically grandiose, Cloth weaves a gentle spell over its 10 carefully crafted tracks. Minimal, chiming guitars, punctuated by deep electronic grooves, set a lush backdrop for Rachael Swinton’s soaring voice, as she recounts tales of lost friendships (‘Curiosity Door’) and melancholic reverie (‘Brooklyn’). The album artwork for Cloth was designed by Glasgow-based artist Jamie Johnson.
Comfort - ‘Not Passing’ NOT PASSING All standards are falsehoods I am no less a woman than a cis-gendered runway model Prejudices are not opinions There is no debate Let them think i look like a man Let them think I am mentally deluded I am cultivating in the cracks of their disgust I have nothing to live for but myself My womanhood needs no permission This record is for the people who don't make it Who don't feel safe enough to live it Who will be Who are We deserve our beauty And the world will catch up to us
Declan Welsh & The Decadent West - ‘Cheaply Bought, Expensively Sold’ Recorded at 7west and produced by Glasgow staple Chris Marshall, the album affirms the message that politics are always personal. They’re tethered to our every day and whether it’s through music, social media or conversations with friends, this need for collective comfort and camaraderie is more important than ever. As opener and single ‘No Fun’ cheekily asks in a London accent, who even listens to guitar music anymore? For Welsh and The Decadent West, it’s a need to create messages of solidarity to those that feel lost and unheard, providing an insatiable, refreshing contrast to the squawking suppressors.
Erland Cooper - ‘Sule Skerry’ ‘Sule Skerry’ is the second album in a triptych by the contemporary composer and multi-instrumentalist Erland Cooper. Described by MOJO as “Sonic postcards from Cooper’s native Orkney”, the series examines the air, sea and land, as celebrated by Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown. Sule Skerry is bookmarked by Cooper’s solo debut, Solan Goose (an album of the year at 6Music, The Quietus, Music OMH and more) and by 2020’s Hether Blether. On Sule Skerry Erland Cooper takes inspiration from the sea, describing the album as “a nautical map, something to refer back to when you get lost at sea”.
The Ninth Wave - ‘Infancy’ From explorations of self-torment and paranoia (“This Broken Design”) to not being accepted by society (“Flower Into Wounds”) and the overwhelming fatigue of living in a superficial culture(“Half Pure”), “Infancy” is, at its core, a mirror of the darkest facets of living in modern society. The Ninth Wave’s uncompromising message is delivered in a gargantuan, electrifying sonic style that can’t fully be likened to anyone who’s come before them.
NOVA - ‘RE-UP’ «Re-Up» exists to replenish the underground and remind them what Nova is really about. DIY written all over the album’s DNA, Nova offers her unfiltered truth on crime, clubs, afters and getting money and self-growth. Bassy trap sits side by side with lo-fi hip hop and heavy grime features beats by $1000 Wallet, Inkke and Kami-O, AJM, T.Morgan & Evil M, all local producers based in Scotland, complemented with imagery of drunken street fights, a twisted game of Monopoly and sniper staring down the viewfinder.
SHHE - ‘SHHE’ SHHE’s self-titled debut album is a sparse, evocative and atmospheric journey of introspection and exploration of identity that demonstrates her ability to capture movement, change and the light and darkness that haunt the human condition. It was impacted by her time in Iceland, where she began work on a project that explores the connection between sound, landscape and sleep. The album is an encapsulation of Shaw’s breath-taking gift for wrapping carefully constructed electronic soundscapes around delicate yet self-assured vocals and lilting melodies. SHHE has found herself on the precipice of unlimited creativity and she’s ready to dive in head first.
The Charlatans are one of my all-time favourite bands. I've been following them since the age of 15 back in 1991 when songs like White Shirt, Then and The Only One I Know would regularly get included on school common room mixtapes.
The band were prolific; releasing debut LP Some Friendly in 1990 and Between 10th and 11th in 1992. During this period there were also non-album singles like debut Indian Rope while in 1991 they released both Over Rising and Me. In Time.
Since then the band have matched quality with quantity, releasing 13 albums and 22 top 40 singles, many with fantastic b-sides like Title Fight, Your Skies Are Mine and Happen To Die.
Lets not forget some of the brilliant remixes from the likes of The Chemical Brothers/Dust Brothers, Brian Jonestown Massacre and the superbly named Luvdup and Van Basten take on Feel Flows.
The BJM remix of So Oh is like a lysergic lullaby, absolutely gorgeous. Check it out below.
I have easily seen the band more than 30-times. The Barrowland is like a home from home for them. Their shows through the 1990's in the legendary ballroom were like Cup Finals, Tim Burgess was the midfield playmaker, patrolling the stage in complete command, looking super cool and conducting his band and the crowd. I still remember people crowd surfing to tunes the warm up DJ played before one particular show, such was the atmosphere and sense of occasion.
At a scorching hot T in the Park in 1995 they whipped up a dust storm from the dry ground as they blasted the Main Stage. I caught them a number of times at the festival through to 2004/5 and the Up At The Lake album when Tim then joined The Chemical Brothers at the Slam Tent the next day, still wearing the same clothes after partying hard.
I was down at Knebworth to see Oasis in 1996 and The Charlatans played an absolute stormer of a support slot, emotions and adrenaline were running high as the band played only weeks after losing Rob Collins in a tragic car crash. I was so proud of the band that day.
Tim arriving at Knebworth
The raw emotionally charged performance was exceptional
Their appearance on The White Room from this time is my favourite Charlatans TV performance. Look at Jon Brookes on the drums during Crashin' In and Tim looking on in complete admiration at Jon and the rest of his band as they really go for it. Outstanding!
I fell big time for the band, queueing to get records signed at Tower Records in 1994, tracking down vinyl, buying all their released and going to see them whenever they played in Glasgow. 4 albums from 1990-1995! So many great singles and b-sides.
Burgess was (and is) my favourite front man. His infectious cheeky smile, glint in his eye, up for a good time vibe, his t-shirts, his jackets, super cool hair and on stage groove made me and others gaze up at stages across the world wanting to be him for a night. His belief and energy lift his band and audience.
Backed by Mark Collin on guitar (who I think is personally very under-rated as a guitarist), Martin Blunt on funky bass, the sensational Jon Brookes on drums and the wizards Rob Collins and then Tony Rogers on hammond and keys, The Charlatans could lock into grooves and take their fans on a trip.
They have rarely paused for breath. And if the band have, Burgess has busied himself with solo albums, books, running a record label and his #TimsTwitterListeningParty that is bringing music fans together during these unprecedented times when we can't go to gigs.
Looking back over their discography, the run of albums and singles from 1994-97 in particular was sensational, they all kind of blurred and merged together. 3 albums and 10 singles! Up To Our Hips, The Charlatans and Tellin' Stories; rammed with singles and other gems.
I was 18-21 during this period and it was never long between a Charlatans release or a gig. I always had something to look forward to with the band, they were with me, I was with them.
And that is true to this day with the band and through Tim ... there is always something going on with them ... a book, a street takeover, listening parties, solo albums, shows ....
In the summer of 1997 I played Tellin' Stories constantly. I'd have it on my personal CD player for the train to work and then walk through Glasgow city centre fantasising that I was Tim walking about like he did in the video for North Country Boy, a song I played non-stop. I'd arrive in work and urge people to buy the album. How good is the new Charlatans album? became a catchphrase.
Us And Us Only (1999) is one of my favourite Charlatans albums, I really love the playing, the feel and the space on this particular album. Sunshine vibes and Tim's falsetto on Wonderland (2001) mixed things up again, Right On from that album is a real favourite of mine.
Up At The Lake (2004) was pretty loose, Try Again Today is a beauty of a song while my wife quoted Loving You Is Easy in our wedding vows. I have fond memories of watching the band at T in the Park around this time and my brother turning to me and my sister as the band launched into As I Watch You In Disbelief and shouting I f**king love this song! So I always think of him when I hear it.
The Simpatico album in 2006 is my least visited album from the band, although it does contain the outstanding Blackened Blue Eyes.
You Cross My Path in 2008 was (for me) a resounding return to form. A sober and straight Burgess seemed re-energised as the band initially released the album as a free download via XFM before bringing it out in physical format a few months afterwards. The stomping Oh! Vanity through to the glorious BIRD fading into This Is The End is the sound of The Charlatans on fire.
The swift follow up of Who We Touch (2010) highlighted that the band were in a rich vein of form, armed with lots of ideas and materials. Revisiting the album for this blog caused me to remember what an excellent song Trust In Desire is.
Modern Nature (2015) was released following the death of Jon Brookes after he bravely fought a brain tumour. It was a triumph of an album with strong singles and excellent album tracks like Emilie which is a real gem. Again the band were rich with material and the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition are excellent, for me We Sleep On Borrowed Time and Walk With Me should have been on the album
Different Days (2017) came out with the band bursting with ideas. They had a very different day to promote it, taking over Manchester's Oldham Street for a day and continuing to do things differently by holding their own small festival in Northwich. Plastic Machinery is classic Charlatans, the title track is beautiful, as is Hey Sunrise and the closing Spinning Out. There is a calmness to them, mellow reflection.
What a journey! What a band! What an exceptional back catalogue! How on earth do I only choose 10 favourites when I have so many?
Well I've mentioned quite a few in this blog already and I'd also like to add in Happen To Die (long version), Get On It, Tellin' Stories, Weirdo, Can't Even Be Bothered, Feel Flows ... in fact there is too many ...
Here are 10 of my favourite Charlatans songs.
Come Home Baby
I was so happy when The Charlatans backed up the excellent So Oh single with this. What a tune! The way the song lifts to lead into the chorus always brings a smile to my face. This became a bit of a tune for me and my eldest daughter Zoe who was 3 when it was released and her sister was just a baby. I have so many happy memories of playing this song in our house and car and me and Zoe singing along.
I can't wait, don't hesitate
Let's be together
Crashin' In
I've already mentioned this song and please watch the White Room performance video from earlier in the blog. The energy leaps out immediately from Mark Collins guitar, there is an urgency to Tim's voice and the rest of the band drive things along. The band are on fire. I love the change in pace after 90-seconds with Tim just shouting oh yeah, and the band just get lost in a jam. They do it again later in the song and I love the looseness and the energetic vibe to the song.
See me, I can feel it coming around
Complete Control
I remember Tim posting a demo of this song on the old Charlatans forum. I fell for it instantly and a full version appeared as a b-side to Oh! Vanity. Complete Control is kind of like Tim fronting his beloved New Order. There is a very strong melody as Tim talks of being tired of used, tired of being told what to do, by idiots like you
Could perfectly tie in with The Charlatans taking complete control through the self release of their You Cross My Path album. I love this song, sounds like it came together really easily.
The Blind Stagger
The Charlatans played the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow on 22nd October 1999, the night before my brothers 21st birthday. We spent the night in McChuills bar and then at the show before getting back to our local pub just in time for midnight to celebrate.
Coming on stage the band played the long intro of Forever, with Tim coming on after a few minutes to rapturous applause and they delivered one of my all-time favourite Charlatans shows. I really love the Us and Us Only album. Tim's love of Dylan comes through and we see a different side to the band.
The Blind Stagger is such a beautiful song. Guitars are to the fore, Burgess is in full flow. There is a brilliant instrumental, things break down before lifting euphorically
Oh let the light shine
Could you for once be strong
I bleed a little too
Sproston Green
The closing song from debut album Some Friendly and the traditional set closer, Sproston Green is a monster of a song. The band often stretch it out to 10-minutes when they play live, jamming a slow groove into the song, teasing the crowd, building up, creating tension before finally exploding into life.
This one knows, she comes and goes
And when she goes, she goes
This live version from 1995 at the London Astoria perfectly captures the heady atmosphere of Charlatans shows from this time (I describe them as cup finals earlier in the blog). Audiences were up for it, this was a night out to dance and sing.
Burgess is on one here, looking and sounding super cool and his band whip up a storm.
The Only One I Know
A monster of a tune that I have seen many a gig and dancefloor explode to. The bass, drums, wah wah guitar and stabbing hammond chords immediately create a funky and welcoming vibe and then Burgess comes in talking about the only one I see, has found an aching in me
The chorus is pretty remarkable for such a young band to write;
Everyone has been burned before
Everybody knows the pain
The breakdown instrumental at 2-minutes 46 seconds is glorious. This is 4-minutes of The Charlatans at their best, locked in a groove, reaching euphoric heights and taking the listener with them.
North Country Boy
This song totally reminds me of walking to work in the 90's in glorious sunshine. This is perfect pop,
What are you sad about?
Every day you make the sun come out
North Country Boy lifts me and puts a smile on my face every single time I hear it. There is a groove, a swagger, sunshine and warmth seem to burst out of it.
I can't remember
I don't know how to tell you
But I love you just the same
Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over
I love the looseness to this song, it's got a Stones Exile On Main Street kind of vibe to it, a groove. Burgess is in full flow and the you look good when your heart is on fire lyric is one of my favourites.
Check the band ripping through it at an early sun soaked T in the Park that I fondly remember. The ground was so dry and people were dancing so much during the bands set that a dust storm was whipped up.
Oh Vanity!
A stomping Motown/Northern Soul beat drives this song from start to finish. The chorus is a keyboard solo that you can't help sing-a-long with and it is an absolute belter of a song.
It came out while I was traveling around the world and I played it relentlessly whenever I was in internet cafes checking out the band on MySpace!
So I have many happy memories of traveling around South America and checking into The Charlatans forum that I visited regularly for news and chat with other Charlatans devotees.
I love this Later With Jools performance. Martin Blunt is grooving on the bass and Jon Brookes is flying at his drum kit. Also check this T in the Park performance to a packed tent.
Oh promise me, oh promise me
You'll save me one last dance for me
One To Another
My favourite Charlatans song. No question. The power of this song still astonishes me all these years down the line. The first single following the death of Rob Collins, this was a big statement.
In fact The Charlatans put out a short statement. It ended with something along the lines of We Are Rock. It meant something, The Charlatans mean something, this song means something.
The intro, with a loop from Tom Rowlands from Chemical Brothers, exploded into life with a heavy riff from piano, guitar, drums and bass leading to Tim coming in;
One to another
A sister and a brother
Changing the way that you feel
And one of my all-time favourite lyrics is be my spider woman, I'll be your spider man so much that a poster with those words is at the top of our stairs.
Justice for believers and love can keep the faith
There is a brief pause for breath before the band go at it harder than ever, the riff is ferocious and Burgess is in full flight - love is hard to leave and it's hard to never have and on and on they go.
I always enjoy lists of bands, songs and albums. So welcome to a new feature where I'll choose a favourite band or artist of mine and then list and discuss 10 of my favourite songs from their career.
I remember going into Missing Records on Oswald Street in Glasgow to buy The Way Of The Vaselines, a compilation of all previous releases by the band. It came out in 1992 when interest in the band was reignited thanks to Nirvana, one of the biggest bands in the world, covering Son Of A Gun and Molly's Lips on their Incesticide album. I was a mere 16-years old and the cool girl that served me seemed pretty impressed that I even knew who The Vaselines were, never mind that I was asking after their album. If Kurt Cobain and this cool girl in Missing were into the band then they must be good! The Vaselines had a new fan.
The Vaselines had already broken up by the time I got into them. Eugene went on to form and lead Captain America/Eugenius and release a brilliant solo album, Man Alive (definitely need to do a blog on that at some point) before getting The Vaselines back together with Frances in 2006. Since then they have released two new albums and played shows all around the world.
A number of years after buying the album I went looking for it in my then alphabetised CD collection and it was missing! I hated my brother or sister taking stuff without my permission but I was pretty impressed to find that the CD was in my sisters room along with some other great albums she had 'borrowed'.
Somewhere along the line, a few years later, my sister Carla emailed Eugene out of the blue to ask if would contribute to a dissertation she was doing at Art School on pop music and pop art. She was amazed that he replied and since then they have become really good friends, playing numerous shows together and recently Carla JOINED THE VASELINES as their keyboard/synth player.
AMAZING!
The Vaselines are such a fun band. There early material is pure punk pop. Some songs sound like they were almost made up on the spot and that has helped their songs sound fresh decades later. Their post reformation songs and albums definitely keep the fun and innuendo at the heart of everything, but there is a more mature sound to songs like the gorgeous Single Spies. Live, the bands warm guitars and onstage banter between Eugene and Frances can't help but bring a smile to my face.
So The Vaselines are one of my favourite bands and here are 10 of my favourite songs that they have released to date;
Teenage Superstars
All 4 songs from The Vaselines 1988 Dying For It EP released on Stephen Pastels 53rd and 3rd Records feature on this blog. They are raw, pure and in many cases, including this one, they are electrifying. The beat is primal, Eugene lets rip on his guitar and sings lyrics mixing sex, religion and youth rebellion leading to an incredible closing 80 seconds of Frances and Eugene yelling I'm a teenage Jesus superstar with the energy leaping out and grabbing you. This is brilliant punk pop that sounds raw and dangerous.
Molly's Lips
The great thing about early Vaselines material is that they really sound like they were in their own world not giving one f**k about anything else going on in the world. Molly's Lips is well under 2-minutes yet there is time to pack in 3 verses, 3 or 4 choruses, a horn and a great break to a guitar solo.
High Tide Low Tide
The lead single from 2014's V for Vaselines album. This is so catchy. I love Eugene singing about playing hard to get, there are bah bah bah bah bah's, warm noisy guitars, a video with Eugene and Francis in leathers, on scooters, hoola hopping and playing crazy golf. Pretty much everything I love about the band in song and on film!
Single Spies
With Single Spies The Vaselines capture something quite beautifully in a way I don't think they ever have before. Absolutely sublime. Almost mature - in a Vaselines way of course! Eugene and Frances voices combine and entwine so naturally.
Stop denying
That it meant nothing
You're lying
Sex With An X
The Vaselines 2010 comeback single and album. Frances dressed as a nun and Eugene as a vicar in the video! This is a delicious romp of a song with The Vaselines innuendo and sense of pop pushed to the fore. It's like it is just one big long chorus with a glorious guitar solo and handclaps. Brilliant. Their comeback show at the ABC in Glasgow around this time was a joy.
I Hate The 80's
From the aforementioned 2010 comeback album, Eugene and Francis display their knack for catchy punk pop by filling it full of brilliant observations with pure cheek. You put a bullet in a Beatle, started beating on the people is an incredible lyric! The where did that girl go, what did that boy know hook is infectious, as is the it wasn't all Duran Duran Duran Duran line.
Check this great live version - live on KEXP.
Dying For It
I kind of like to think of Dying For It as a garage nuggets pop punk tribute to Motown....by way of Glasgow. I'm not sure if anyone else thinks of it like that but the way Eugene and Francis sing the hook I'm hanging out, baby I'm hanging out really does make me think of the kind of hooks Motown would produce. A glorious racket with pop melodies. The sound of a band having fun.
The Day I Was A Horse
Possibly my favourite live Vaselines song. They fizz through it and the kiss off line on the chorus I think I'm on a f**king trip is sheer brilliance. This is 90-seconds of catchy punk pop brilliance that sounds fresh, energetic, fun and vital.
Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam
For me this is one of the most beautiful songs ever by a Scottish band. The handful of chords, stunning vocal, the imagery in the lyrics, the cello and the whole feel to the song - just perfect. Listening back to some of the early Vaselines material, they really captured something on the recordings - there is a rawness and purity to them, beautiful.
Son Of A Gun
Eugene and Frances at their very, very best. The way this song flows is perfect, so perfect that I think I could listen to the chorus on repeat all day long. The whole song is super catchy, the verse is like a nursery rhyme, but that chorus ... with Frances singing;
Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye is one of a few select albums that I own on both vinyl and CD format. It is one of many classics made by a truly incredible artist. Gaye was in a particularly rich vein of form in the early 70's, beginning with the epic What's Goin' On released in 1971, leading into the sexually charged Let's Get It On, then the frank I Want You, before the incredible Here, My Dear an album recorded, in part, to pay for a divorce settlement with Anna Gordy, sister of Motown head honcho Berry.
Yesterday I was playing some music through my phone (on speakers) on Spotify in the kitchen and decided I wanted to revisit the album. I found that the online version was essentially a super deluxe edition with many unreleased songs, instrumentals, demos and alternate versions
The first bonus song is simply titled Song #3 - Instrumental. It is simply sublime, I must have listened to it over a dozen times since I first heard it. Credited as a co-write to Gaye and the conductor David Van De Pitte it has flowing strings, funk wah wah guitar, piano, cool grooves, a simple beat and horns that become more prominent as the song progresses. It's Gaye with the Funk Brothers and more.
The strings become more playful at times, including a beautiful 10-seconds at 2 minutes and 18 seconds in, it really is stunning. The pace and the horns pick up at 3 minutes 30 seconds and the closing 2-minutes is just breathtaking in terms of quality and beauty.
It sounds like it may have been recorded live, certainly going by the brilliant reaction from a few musicians at the end with one heard to say 'that is a bitch, that is a bitch'.
I'm still making my way through all the bonus tracks, but this one moved me so much that I felt I had to share it. Check it out below and you'll get the deluxe edition with all the bonus tracks on Spotify/YouTube etc. More info about the album HERE.
Phew, I'm just in from the Barrowland Ballroom following a peerless performance by Teenage Fanclub who flew though their Grand Prix and Songs from Northern Britain albums.
Paul Quinn replaced Brendan O'Hare on drums (as per the recordings) and it was a classic 4-piece line-up that took to the stage and burst through Raymond's About You to a huge cheer.
O'Hare was never far from the action, walking on to the stage draped in a red cloak at the start of Gerry's much loved Sparky's Dream, appearing with a little percussion instrument to kick off the song. At other times he checked up on the band with a clipboard, or stood beside Dave to play percussion. His humour and energy is infectious and at one point he joked that everyone should look at him cause that's what its all about :-)
Grand Prix has such a superb run of songs, we had Norman's beautiful Mellow Doubt, followed by the stunning Gerry Love penned Don't Look Back. We were being spoilt.
Neil Jung was simply stunning. There was soul, power and real feeling to Norman's guitar and voice. He then excelled in delivering a gorgeous version of Tears which tugged on the heart strings.
The way Norman and Gerry's songwriting developed on Grand Prix was exceptional. Love's energetic Discolite was sublime and Going Places caused hearts to melt, it was exquisite.
It wasn't only Brendan that supplied the humour as Norman regularly had to battle to tune his guitar (just like the old days) or check which fret he should place his capo on.
McGinley's songwriting was also developing, Verisimilitude received a fantastic response from the crowd, while with Say No was one of his own highlights from the night.
Hardcore Ballad was superb. The band riffing and ripping it up to leave Norman alone with his acoustic to sing from the bottom of his heart. It was a stunning end to the set, really beautiful and heartfelt.
And love is easy to define
What mine is yours, and yours is mine
Through the pain, through the pain
Last summer I blogged about Songs from Northern BritainHERE and stated that I had come to the conclusion that it was the best Teenage Fanclub album. I stand by that. My favourite album will probably always be Bandwagonesque cause I discovered that LP and the band when I was 15, a really special time. But song for song and the way all 3 songwriters have developed, SFNB is peerless.
The performance at the Barrowland was exceptional. The way Blake and Love combined their vocals was utterly joyful, the way Raymond shredded his guitar on Can't Feel My Soul was exhilarating, the sky scraping choruses of Ain't That Enough, I Don't Want Control Of You,Take The Long Way Round and Speed of Light made me feel like a teenager, completely lost in the music and the wonder of the sound that 4 friends can create with guitars, bass, drums and a little imagination, and the escapism sought in Planets, Winter and Mount Everest sounded ever more appealing. And then you have the gorgeous Your Love Is The Place I Come From with the usual cheers for Norman on xylophone.
I described the first night at the Barrowland as majestic, well tonight was peerless. Special mention to Dave McGowan and Francis MacDonald (Brendan gets his above) - two incredibly talented musicians who were phenomenal in helping the band sound superb.
Teenage Fanclub were magnificent tonight, they were majestic, funny, soulful and true to themselves. They laughed at each other, themselves and together. They had fun and it visibly showed.
The first night of the Creation Records years run of shows at the world famous Barrowland Ballroom was a triumph. The famous Barrowland roar that rose from the floor as the band walked on stage was repeated before they could even begin. The partisan crowd were here to greet band and classic albums Bandwagonesque and Thirteen like long lost friends ... and they did.
She wears denim where ever she goes
Says she's gonna get some records by the Status Quo
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Norman Blake's words from 1991 were bellowed back at him by the crowd, guitars chimed and Joe McAlinden joined in on violin. The sound was perfect, especially standing in front of Raymond McGinley as he bended notes and shredded his guitar. The band extended The Concept before using feedback to usher in the ferocious riff of Satan. We were off.
December was utterly beautiful as Brendan O'Hare on drums pointed out. The humour Brendan displayed between (and during) songs was often hilarious.
What You Do To Me was guitar pop perfection, the guitars on I Don't Know were glorious and Star Sign was utter joy. O'Hare was magnificent on drums, the rolls during the spaces were sublime, he was on fire. And very nearly passed out, dousing his head with water several times!
It will be really interesting to see the band progress through their catalogue over the 3-nights. The purity of songs like What You Do To Me, the humour in The Concept and Metal Baby are songs that could only have been written by men in their early 20's.
Likewise the simplicity of songs like Pet Rock and Sidewinder make them perfect pop - Love and O'Hare sing of smiles sending them wild, or loving the way their girl walks or talks, when she is ticking he is her tock. It is sublime and a treat to hear and see these songs performed live.
The band changed instruments and personnel throughout the night; Francis MacDonald, Dave McGowan, Joe McAlinden and briefly Paul Quinn were all on stage at one point or another, creating brilliant sounds.
The closing trio of songs were stunning. Alcoholiday probably got the best reception of the night, a Norman Blake masterpiece. Then there was a huge ovation for Gerry just before Guiding Star and he looked emotional and received just as big an ovation afterwards.
Then we had the incredible sound of 4 of TFC on electric guitar for the closing Is This Music? It was and it was tremendous.
After a short break where every guy in the Barrowland seemed to go to the loo, the band were back to play Thirteen. Norman joked by playing the start of The Concept again but then we were into the intro of Hang On with Gerry Love coming up with one of my favourite lines
Of all the stars I've ever seen
You're the sun
Thirteen is the sound of a band developing. You have Norman Blake falling head over heels in love with the girl he would later marry and the chorus of Norman 3 yeah I'm in love with you sounded sublime when the venue sung along with Norman. Commercial Alternative is also the sound of someone falling head first.
Radio was a romp and caused some to pogo. O'Hare was magical on drums on this bubblegum punk pop perfection. 120 Mins was a contender for the most beautiful song of the night with McGowan playing mandolin. They hey hey hey's during Fear of Flying were great fun on stage and off and it was a treat to hear McGinley's stunning Tears Are Cool, truly one of his best, it just flows superbly.
The short Ret Live Dead led into the jam Get Funky and I wish it had gone on longer, again the band looked like they were having real fun with three electric guitars gelling and it caused me to think what bands have fun jams on their albums these days? TFC have always played by their own rules.
Gerry Love's beautiful Gene Clark closed a very memorable night and it was fantastic to see so many friends I have met through a mutual love and appreciation of the band.
In April 1994, at the age of 18 years old (and 3-months) I saw Oasis for the first time. It was in the Tramway in Glasgow, supporting The Boo Radleys as part of Glasgow Sound City. It was the start of a love affair.
Like any love affair, there were highs, lows, wild nights, disappointments.... but from April 1994 through to Knebworth in August 1996, I went on the most incredible journey with a band that I have ever been on. It was a joyous romp with a band that just kept on giving, the only way was up - from the Tramway in Glasgow, in April 1994, to Knebworth in August 1996, it was like a dream.
Oasis were prolific, they just didn't let up, releasing 2 albums and 9 singles with b-sides that should have been on the albums. They played relentlessly, partied harder than anyone and generally lived it up. The press loved them - Liam's looks and attitude, Noel's talent, ambition and humour mixed with the rock n roll lifestyle, brotherly love and hate, meant that they were a media dream come true.
Everything culminated with two extraordinary nights at Knebworth in August 1996. Two huge nights, where Oasis blasted through their (already) formidable catalogue of songs.
A full list of singles, albums and key shows is listed at the end of this feature length blog. Lets have a look at the years 1994, 1995 and 1996 and my memories of them;
1994
The band released an incredible 5 singles - Supersonic, Shaker Maker, Live Forever, Cigarettes and Alcohol and Whatever. The b-sides got better as the band went on - Fade Away, Listen Up, It's Good To Be Free, Half the World Away....
And there was the glorious debut album Definitely Maybe that shot for the stars and smashed straight through them on course for the sun and beyond.
I was fortunate to see them on 5 occasions in 1994 - at the Tramway in April, at the Cathouse in June, in a packed tent at T in the Park in July and then twice at the Barrowland Ballroom in December. They were electrifying, Liam was charged, looking incredible, sounding even better and Noel knew everything was building, teasing the crowd by saying things like 'do you think we're any good?'
They were backed by a super tight band, Bonehead on rhythm guitar, Guigsy on bass and Tony McCarroll on drums. There were no lookers but in Bonehead and Guigsy they had complete loyalty and belief. Bonehead was told to only play barre chords, Guigsy may as well have only had 2 strings on his bass and McCarroll was the most basic of drummers, but this helped with the ferocious intensity that the band delivered when they arrived on the scene in 1994, creating a Burnage Wall of Sound.
That Wall of Sound was helped by finding the right producer at the right time. Oasis had been doing the rounds of producers but couldn't capture their ferocious live sound on tape. Owen Morris was the man to rectify that.
At the Tramway in Glasgow I could see Liam mucking about in the background before they took to the stage for a short set that was broadcast live on Radio 1. Live Forever already sounded like an anthem, Cigarettes and Alcohol was the Pistols meets T-Rex and Supersonic was like the Pistols meets the Mondays. I was hooked and bought a t-shirt and poster from the merch stall.
Two months later I queued up at the old Cathouse in Glasgow to see them again. I could hear them soundchecking as I waited outside. Some of us sang along, not only to the lyrics, but Noel's guitar lines as well. It felt like something special was happening.
Then I witnessed one of my all-time favourite gigs; Oasis playing a tent at T in the Park. It was absolutely rammed, they played football on stage, they were totally on the cusp. They were winning hearts and fans everywhere. This was just a week prior to the release of third single Live Forever. They were unstoppable.
Things were going crazy, all over the world. Noel left the band, rejoined and the band blitzed it.Oasis played over 100 gigs in 1994. They were everywhere. They wanted to break all over and they had the songs and attitude to do it.
I remember turning on the Evening Session on Radio 1 to hear them playing Sad Song and I was just blown away at it's dreamy beauty.
Where we're living in this town
The sun is coming up and it's going down
But we're all just the same at the end of the day
I bought all the singles on 7-inch and CD. For some reason I bought Definitely Maybe at Woolworths in Lanark and I remember chatting up the girl on the counter who was impressed I was buying it. I made mix-tapes of Noel's demos that came out on NME and Melody Maker cassettes along with live shows taped off the Evening Session.
It was exciting. I had been too young for the Roses. Now I had my band. This was their time, it was my time, it was our time.
Oasis returned to Glasgow in December to play the Barrowland Ballroom. Things didn't quite go to plan as Liam stormed off stage a few songs in after losing his voice. Noel played acoustic before the band joined him at the end.
I remember walking down the stairs to the cloakroom at the end and everyone was talking about how brilliant Noel was. His acoustic version of Slide Away was mesmerising. There was no doubt that Oasis was his band.
Noel urged everyone to keep their ticket stubs and they would be back. He was true to his word and shortly after Christmas Oasis returned with Liam in fine voice and full flow to play again. My brother had got a new pair of Adidas trainers and one came off when we were bouncing down the front. It was thrown on stage and Noel picked it up and said 'It had to be Adidas didn't it?'
What a year! In 8-months the band had released 5 singles that were effectively EP's due to the quantity and quality of music on them, culminating with the non-album stunner Whatever. Definitely Maybe flew off the shelves; Liam and Noel were icons. A nation was mad for it.
Memories of that year - finding my band, making new friends, attending 5 outstanding shows, singing anthems from the bottom of my heart and generally having an amazing time.
The Oasis juggernaut continued, picking up pace. 1995 began with a length tour of the USA before returning to the UK to play the Cliffs Pavillion in Southend, recorded for prosperity in the Live By The Sea film. A trip across the water to Paris effectively sealed drummer Tony McCarroll's departure from the band, although he stayed on to play the bands biggest show to date.
Sheffield Arena (see previous blog) was a strange choice for the first Oasis arena show. However it hit the mark, selling out and allowing them to make a huge statement in the same month (April 1995) that they gained their first (overdue) number one single with the euphoric Some Might Say.
April also saw the band play the first of two performances on the long gone and sadly missed White Room show. Music was everywhere on TV back in the mid-90's. Nowadays all we have is Later With Jools.
Noel singing Talk Tonight with his hero Paul Weller was a touching moment. The passing of the flame? Noel was certainly making good on his promise to release a single every few months like The Jam.
Check all Oasis' White Room performances on YouTube - sensational
Onwards, to Glastonbury, where Noel proceeded to make a duffel coat the must have fashion item that year. The band blitzed it, check this sensational version of Slide Away. Liam Gallagher's vocals were soulful, powerful and rock n roll. The band partied hard; Evan Dando and Robbie Williams tried to hang on, but no-one could keep up with the Gallagher brothers - on stage or off.
Summer continued with two shows in a tent at Irvine Beach in Scotland. I was in Magaluf on holiday at the time - sadly! Those that went speak of sweat dripping off the roof and the band threatening to blow the roof off.
Oasis in 1995 were an incredible live outfit, bolstered by the arrival of Alan White on drums, but battle hardened after over 100 shows in 1994 and straight into it again in 1995. Liam Gallagher's voice (see Slide Away above) at this stage was quite exceptional. Pure rock n roll, some said he was the missing link between Lennon and Lydon. Liam only turned 24 in September of 1995, he was the best rock singer in the world
Shows in Japan were reminiscent of Beatlemania and all roads led to Earls Court for two nights around the release of (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
Prior to this though, we had the Britpop battle between Oasis and Blur surrounding the release of Roll With It and Parklike in August. It was nuts, 1995 was a great time to be a teenager. Music was everywhere. Blur won the battle but Oasis won the war. Nothing could stop them.
October 1995 was the month were Oasis truly went Supersonic. They delivered the follow up to Definitely Maybe in the shape of Morning Glory, played 2 sensational shows at Earls Court and also released Wonderwall.
Wonderwall went crazy. Yet somehow it never made it to number one! Kept off the top spot by Robson and Jerome - housewives favourites. It didn't matter, this was number one in so many peoples hearts.
I have a fond memory around this time of driving from Carluke to Lanark with my friend Dave to drop something off at one of his work mates houses. His mate didn't exactly stay in the best part of Lanark. It was rough to say the least. The sun was shining, it must have been an Indian Summer, windows and doors were open all down the street. And What's The Story Morning Glory? seemed to be coming out of all of them.
We pulled up at Dave's mates and She's Electric was blasting out of his house. It was incredible, driving through this estate and listening to Oasis coming at us from all angles.
Oasis were leaving everyone else in their dust. They had The Masterplan, Acquiesce, Round Are Way, Rockin' Chair and Talk Tonight as b-sides!
Memories of 1995 - Sheffield Arena doesn't seem like 21-years ago! Watching a band go stratospheric and strapping in for the ride with them was an incredible buzz. The songs, releases, clothes, haircuts, shows, TV appearances, radio and magazine interviews, the laughs, the craziness, nights out and in being soundtracked by Oasis....the band truly did come along at the right moment in my life.
1996
Where could it go from there? The answer, was even higher, further and faster....for a time.
Wonderwall was still everywhere, helped by a cover version by Mike Flowers Pops. Remember that? There was brilliant pre-internet rumour that his version was in fact the original and Noel had covered it. It doesn't deserve to be posted, but here is a link just in case you fancy it.
Building on a phenomenal 1995, Oasis released the emotional epic Don't Look Back In Anger in February. This Noel sung heartstring puller won them even more fans. The melodic Wonderwall was rooted in Noel's love for The Beatles and Don't Look Back In Anger took it one step further by cheekily starting with the chords of Lennon's Imagine. The Brian Cannon and Microdot cover was also a nod to the story of The Beatles decking out Ringo's kit in flowers after he walked out on the band at one point.
Noel had reportedly given Liam the choice between singing Wonderwall or Don't Look Back In Anger and Noel's voice really suits the sky scraping chorus of the latter. He also ended up singing Wonderwall live on many occasions, sadly I have never heard a version of Don't Look Back In Anger with Liam on lead vocals.
So by early 1996 (from April 1994) Oasis had released 2 albums, 9 singles/EP's and played well over 200 shows; not to mention the countless media interviews, TV shows and acoustic sessions. The media loved them, the Gallagher brothers sold copies of the NME, Melody Maker, Select, Vox, Q, Record Collector, Loaded, FHM...... by the bucketload.
There was no let up; in early 1996 I travelled through to Edinburgh to see Oasis play Ingleston Exhibition Centre. There seemed to be a different mood about the night than previous shows I had attended. Talk of Hibs, West Ham and Aberdeen casuals meeting for a fight filtered the air. There seemed to be a sense that it was all going to kick off in the crowd. Thankfully it didn't and the Oasis rocket kept soaring.
There were shows in Germany and America but everything was now gearing towards 2 nights at Maine Road, home of the brothers beloved Manchester City.
Noel walked on stage with his arms aloft to huge applause before strapping on his Union Jack guitar and I can't have been the only person that went out and bought a Penfield jacket immediately after reading reviews and checking pictures in the NME.
Liam looked positively scruffy by comparison, wearing jogging bottoms and an umbro training top pulled over a shirt on the second night. Somehow we was still cool as f**k, especially hearing him scream 'Manchester, are you mad for it?' when it came out on DVD.
It was pure celebration, they had the best songs, they had the best songwriter, the best front man and now they wanted to be the biggest. What could they do next?
The answer was to do something that even a year previously would have seemed quite unthinkable - 2 huge shows at Balloch Country Park near Loch Lomond in Scotland and 2 monumental shows (125,000 capacity) at Knebworth in England - scene to previous historical concerts by the likes of Queen and Zeppelin.
But then an 'indie' band (Noel always dismissed this term - they were rock n roll) playing two stadium shows would have seemed unthinkable. Oasis has crossed over and now they were going to prove it.
Knebworth remains one of the best musical experience of my time. The whole excitement surrounding getting tickets, travelling down, the size of the place, the blag to get into the front pit and witnessing an astonishing and historic performance close up.
How could they follow Knebworth?
Many could reasonably argue that they never did and maybe they should have split. Leave a perfect legacy.
Certainly they couldn't keep up the pace. Something had to give. Cracks appeared when Liam turned up for MTV Unplugged at the Royal Festival Hall drunk and incapable of singing, leaving Noel to turn in a remarkable unrehearsed performance while his brother heckled him from the box,
Liam then pulled out of the Oasis American tour with the very un rock n roll excuse that he had to find a house to live in with wife Patsy Kensit.
From 1994, and even before - really from their King Tut's show where Alan McGee saw them and signed them on the spot (read eye witness account by Boyfriend drummer HERE) things had been going crazy; it was all up, up, up; all high, high, high. The resulting crash was probably predictable and crash they did. No-one could keep up that pace forever, they needed time out.
So Liam was probably right to take time to go and find a house and to stop the bandwagon rolling. In my opinion it took until the Heathen Chemistry album in 2002 to get back to full form and back on track.
Regardless - Oasis in 1994-1996 were truly Supersonic. I'm so glad to have been there while they were getting high, to have been 18-20, to have been to the shows, to have bought the records, to have experienced something that Liam has described in the trailer to the Supersonic documentary as 'f**king Biblical man'.
It was.
Albums
Definitely Maybe
Rock n Roll Star, Shaker Maker, Live Forever, Up In The Sky, Columbia, Supersonic, Bring It On Down, Cigarettes and Alcohol, Digsy's Dinner, Slide Away, Married With Children
Sad Song (bonus track on the vinyl release)
(What's the story) Morning Glory?
Hello, Roll With It, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger, Hey Now, (untitled), Some Might Say, Cast No Shadow, She's Electric, Morning Glory, Untitled, Champagne Supernova
Bonehead's Bank Holiday (bonus track on the vinyl release)
Singles
Supersonic
b/w Take Me Away, I Believe (live), Columbia (White Label demo)
Shaker Maker
b/w D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?, Alive (8-track demo), Bring It On Down (live)
Live Forever
b/w Up In The Sky (acoustic), Cloudburst, Supersonic (live)
Cigarettes and Alcohol
b/w I Am The Walrus (live), Listen Up, Fade Away
Whatever
b/w (It's Good) To Be Free, Half The World Away, Slide Away
Some Might Say
b/w Talk Tonight, Acquiesce, Headshrinker
Roll With It
b/w It's Better People, Rockin' Chair, Live Forever (live from Glastonbury 95)
Wonderwall
b/w Round Are Way, The Swamp Song, The Masterplan
Don't Look Back In Anger
b/w Step Out, Underneath The Sky, Cum On Feel The Noize
Key gigs
1994
24/03 100 Club London - Oasis stamp their mark on London
07/04 Tramway, Glasgow - Going out live on Radio 1, the band also give a famous interview to the NME that is later released as the Wibbling Rivalry 7-inch single
26/06 Glastonbury - Oasis take to the mid-afternoon slot like superstars, with Liam and Noel in shades
31/07 T in the Park, Hamilton - One of my all time favourite gigs, Liam and Noel pack out the tent and play football on stage
09/08 Riverside, Newcastle - Noel is attacked on stage as Oasis 'mania' takes hold.
05/09 Hacienda, Manchester - The band return to Manchester
Sept - Japanese tour - Oasis mania really does take hold
Liam on tour in Japan 1994
29/09 The Whiskey A Go Go, Los Angelese - Liam destroys a gig after being up all night doing crystal meth. Noel promptly leaves the band.
15/10 Metro, Chicago - Many close to Oasis cite this as their favourite show or live recording of the band
07/12 Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow - Liam storms off stage after losing his voice leaving Noel to finish the show on his own and then with the band. Noel promises they will return.
27/12 Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow - The band are true to their word and if you kept your ticket stub you got back in to witness a sensational performance.
1995
17/07 Cliffs Pavillion, Southend - recorded for the Live By The Sea video
20/04 Bataclan, Paris -
22/04 Sheffield Arena, Sheffield - Oasis first UK arena show, Noel plays Don’t Look Back In Anger
23/06 Glastonbury -
14 and 15/07 Irvine Beach - 2 shows in a tent on Irvine Beach
5 and 5/11 Earls Court, London - incredible shows with The Bootleg Beatles supporting
1996
22 and 23/03 The Point Depot, Dublin - The Sun nearly cause a riot by trying to 'reunite' Noel and Liam with their Dad
27 and 28/03 Maine Road, Manchester - Liam takes to the stage in trackies and an umbro top!
03 and 04/08 Loch Lomond - the warm ups to Knebworth and a Scottish celebration
10 and 11/08 Knebworth - biblical!
23/08 Royal Festival Hall, London (Noel Unplugged)
