T in the Park 1994

 

30-years ago, T in the Park launched at Strathclyde Park in glorious sunshine. For a young 18-year old music fan from Carluke (10-miles down the road), it really seemed too good to be true. This was like the pages of the NME and the Melody Maker coming alive in front of my eyes!

Back in 1994, many fans of independent and alternative music in Carluke would take a short train ride to Wishaw and decamp to the pub Girdwoods next to the station. There was a DJ who played a mix of stuff that was veering towards indie. That exploded over the next year or so as Britpop bloomed.

Now, many of the Girdwoods crowd were getting to see loads of bands that were played in the pub on a Friday/Saturday for real. Just a couple of train stops on!

The T In The Park line-up was pretty incredible! The ambition of the promoters to bring all these bands to Lanarkshire has to be applauded. This was a major step for live music in Scotland. From memory, I think they had previously looked at the Isle of Arran for the festival. A beautiful setting, but a logistical nightmare.

Here are a few videos and bootlegs from 1994 to check out when you have time;

• The first highlights programme - featuring Crash Test Dummies, Grant Lee Buffalo, Saw Doctors, Crowded House, Rage Against The Machine, Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub, The Grid and Gun
• Blur - audio bootleg 
• Take The Power Back by Rage Against The Machine (STV footage)
• Oasis - audio bootleg
• Distant Sun by Crowded House (STV footage)
• Radio by Teenage Fanclub (STV footage)
• Rocks by Primal Scream (STV footage)

My memories are pretty hazy, but here are a few;

Saturday

• Transport and jibbing- my brother and I went with my friend Craig Richardson who kindly drove. We met loads of others from Carluke, including a few who managed to jib in by saying that their Mum had ordered tickets and paid by credit card. The ticket office wasn't quite as high tech as it is now. There really was no way of checking, so they got in! There was a meeting point in the middle of the site, so if you wanted to go and see a different band from your mates, you arranged to meet there. This was pre mobiles remember!
• Crash Test Dummies - had a massive HIT around this time with Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm and they drew a huge crowd to the main stage in the sunshine, with everyone singing along.
• Manics - I vaguely remember the Manics playing the tent with balaclavas on? They must have been roasting! I don't remember seeing Elastica, Blur or Pulp! Surely I saw a bit of them though!
• S*M*A*S*H - were a band the NME were giving a lot of column inches too as they talked of the New Wave of New Wave - bands inspired by punk. I don't think any of them really did anything of note and they quickly disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared. Britpop took over! But my brother and I went to the tent to see them and were jumping about at the front when there was a bit of a pile up and Ross was somehow at the bottom. Some big guy next to me grabbed his hand and yanked him out! Thanks mate! 
• The Levellers - there were loads of Levellers fans kicking around. There Levelling The Land album had been huge, with songs like One Way and 15 Years I ended up pulling (a very 90's term!) a lovely girl from Manchester later on at night. 
• Rage Against The Machine and Cypress Hill - the big rumour sweeping round the site was that these bands wouldn't make it. They were stuck in London or something. Did a helicopter bring them in? Or am I imagining that? Anyway, they kind of played a joint set with Killing In The Name Of being incredible. We ran to get as close to the front as possible and I remember literally running over a couple of people who were lying on the ground chilling out!

Sunday

• Oasis - I caught Oasis for the 3rd time in 4-months. I was so lucky to get into them right from the start. This was a blistering set. There is a very raw (audio) bootleg available on YouTube, but I'd love to see a video. They played football on stage, engaged in crowd banter, looked cool and sounded incredible. The tent was rammed for the hottest band around.
• One Dove - Played a blissful set and I was mesmerised by the beauty and coolness of Dot Allison! they may or may not have been on directly before Oasis.
• Teenage Fanclub - On the main stage and practically a hometown gig with Bellshill being just up the road. Memories are not so clear for this. I was probably bouncing about as close to the front as possible.
• Crowded House - Probably my clearest memory of the festival is fans making a human pyramid and following instructions from Neil Finn on the stage! Their songs seemed so perfect in the sunshine. Weather With You - what a song!
• Primal Scream - It had started to rain and Primal Scream just came on a blitzed things. I couldn't take my eyes of Bobby Gillespie. He looked and acted like a total star. The first of many times catching the band. 

I think I attended the first 7-9 T in the Parks and then gradually went more sporadically, maybe for a day rather than the weekend. I was at the last one (for the day), up on the new Perthshire site at Strathallan Castle for the Stone Roses. Review T in the Park had to move from their long term Ballado site due to a pipeline issue. 

T in the Park was an absolute blast - I camped out, stayed in a hotel (once), got a media pass one time, I volunteered with Oxfam, I organized a tent with Maggie's, I kissed girls, danced with friends, drank loads of beer, misbehaved and saw countless bands. Some breaking, some absolute superstars. 

30-years. How time flies!

On the shoulders of my friend Gordon at the last T in the Park

Flares for the Roses - the last T in the Park

Glas-goes Pop 3

Glas-goes Pop arrived on the Glasgow music scene back in 2022 as a result of the creative energy of music fans Tita Geddes and Kenji Kenji. With a major focus on independent pop music, the first festival saw performances from the likes of Lawrence's Mozart Estate, Pete Astor from The Loft/The Weather Prophets, Close Lobsters and The Orchids.

The positive response meant that the friends could take things forward and in 2023 they brought together BMX Bandits, Stevie Jackson, Robert Forster and many more.

At my age, summer festivals are quite difficult to plan for, especially at the end of July when it is my wife's birthday and around the time of an annual wild camp with my daughters. 

However, early rumours coming out of the Glas-goes pop socials hinted heavily that Gerry Love would be playing. I bought a weekend ticket and hoped that I'd be able to go.

And go I did! Although I merely scratched the surface in comparison to some indie-pop devotees who travelled from as far afield as Brazil, America and Japan, with many more coming from across Britain for a summer holiday in Glasgow and Scotland. Quite a few are staying up to check out Scotland and then come back to Glagsow for Belle and Sebastian's SWG3 weekender coming up.

On the Friday night, due to ongoing issues with trains, I opted to drive into the West End of Glasgow and the wonderful setting of the Glasgow University Debating Chambers.

I arrived in plenty of time to catch The Jasmine Minks, formerly of Creation Records. Indeed, their debut single Think! was released 40-years ago with the catalogue number CRE004. With 3 guitars on stage, The Minks created a beautiful racket, at times chiming, melodic and pure, at others, driven, raw and punky. New songs sounded superb alongside old, with Cut Me Deep being a personal favourite. 

The Bluebells absolutely smashed it out the park. Arguably, they should have headlined. Ken McCluskey bounded about the stage with the energy of someone half his age. Daddy Was An Engineer was blue collared Glasgow bar soul music, Forever More was stunning, as was Red Guitars. 

Bobby Bluebell and Ken McCluskey's voices gel effortlessly and the crowd lapped up the songs and between song banter. Some Sweet Day was ... sweet, Stonehouse Violets and Anyone Could Be a Buzzcock highlighted that the band, who formed in 1981, are still full of energy and capable of producing brilliant guitar pop.

Cath was brilliant and the crowd sang along. Bobby mentioned Alan Horne and Postcard before Everybody's Somebody's Fool, while I'm Falling was my personal favourite from their set. The flowing melodic chorus and then the sublime outro melted hearts. The room was pretty warm too!

Not many bands who play Glas-goes Pop will have appeared in Smash Hits, been on Pebble Mill and so on and so forth (as the band highlighted on stage), but then not many bands have a song like Young At Heart. It's an absolute gem of a song with an incredible chorus that can be sung heartily, whether you have known the song for years or just discovered it. Perhaps, the title describes the band perfectly, young at heart, still inspired by The Buzzcocks, The Velvets and guitar pop music all these years and decades down the line.

The Bluebells didn't want to come off stage, ripping into a cover of The Velvets What Goes On with Bobby on lead vocals. Then going into a jam of Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth. The Bluebells have never cared about being cool, they just want to create and play music and have fun. They did. It was a brilliant set.

That was it for me on the Friday, a flying visit in and out, so I didn't see headline act The Softies.

On Saturday, despite continued train issues, I braved public transport to enjoy a few beers. After getting off the underground at Kelvinbridge I treated myself to a Guinness outside The Doublet in the sunshine before heading round to the Debating Chambers.

A number of friends raved about opening band The Lovely Basement and I will definitely be checking up on them this week. Many people had been up until the small hours, staying on after The Bluebells to watch The Softies and then dancing to DJ's until 1am. There were after parties too!

Lung Leg were on at 6.55pm prompt (the sound engineer and tech team did incredibly well all weekend to keep the show running to time) and they absolutely blew me away. 

Jane (McKeown) Egypt on bass and lead vocals locked in superbly with Paul Thomson (formerly of Franz Ferdinand) on drums to create some real funky and punky grooves. Annie Spandex created scratchy and catchy riffs on guitar and two new(ish) members on additional guitar and keys helped create energetic melodies, harmonies (at times 4 part) and hooks that were ridiculously catchy. Like playground rhymes backed by new wave / punk art riffs and grooves.

Many songs were under 2-minutes, others were well under 1-minute. Kung-Fu on the Internet (the first song to mention the Internet?!), Maid to Minx and the short, fun and bonkers Eek! were fast and fun. 

Tony Molina was not a band I had heard of before Glas-goes pop. However I checked them out online and liked the sound of their guitars. So I was a little surprised when they took to the stage as a 4-piece of keyboards, 2 guitars (one a 12-string) and bass. Surprised, but delighted, they were superb. I will need to find out if they have an album that is stripped back like this. 

Then it was time for the maestro - Gerard Love and his band. They blew me away, this was the tightest and hardest I have seen them play. That said, they started gently with the sublime Going Places. Then it was power and psychedelic pop perfection. Don't Look Back sounds better every time I hear it. Star Sign saw the normally chilled Tom Crossley on key/flute break away to dance manically on stage. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Muddy Rivers was stretched out beautifully at the end, while new songs keep me wondering when Gerry will release something. You can't rush a perfectionist though.

Ending with a sky scraping Ain't That Enough and a euphoric Sparky's Dream, Gerry and his band lay down a bit of a gauntlet for headliners Heavenly. I had to dash for my last train home, so I couldn't stay to see how they responded. It's safe to say that they had a lot of fans in the crowd.

Well done to all who organized and delivered Glas-goes Pop. The festival went on into the Sunday with a pub quiz hosted by Duglas T Stewart (won by friends Ruthie and Anne-Marie and their team - well done) and a closing party at Mono featuring The Cords. 

Brilliant debut singles part 2

Hello

Welcome to part 2 of my new series where I look at brilliant debut singles by artists and bands. Songs that left a mark, established identities and inspired people to become fans or start creating music themselves.

Sometimes, bands/artists seem to appear perfectly formed.

I've started a Spotify playlist HERE

Part 1 featured; The Doors, The Undertones, Pet Shop Boys, Stardust and Tracy Chapman

Part 2 (below) features; Booker T & The MG's, The Jackson 5, Kate Bush, Radiohead and The Sex Pistols.

6. Green Onions by Booker T & The MG's

Talk about capturing your signature sound on a debut! Green Onions is a song that seemed to always be on in cool places like McChuills or the Friday Street soul night that I used to attend in Blackfriars basement. Bands like The Charlatans would reference the song and it appeared on several soul compilations I bought. I eventually tracked down the record on 7-inch vinyl in a long gone record shop in St Andrews.

An instrumental, Green Onions has a dirty groove with bass, guitar, beats and Hammond all riding it. The Hammond is at the centre of everything though. What a delightful sound! 

Released on Stax Records, way back in 1962, Green Onions still sounds remarkably fresh. An energy leaps out of the grooves. Perhaps this is because the song developed from a jam while the band were in the recording studio and it was captured live. There are audible yelps of excitement at times from the band.

Live in 1967

7. I Want You Back by The Jackson 5

Exhilarating soulful pop music that will always sound super fresh, fun and exciting. Timeless! The bass line, the backing vocals and a young Michael Jackson singing his heart out with pure joy. The energy leaping out of this record is breathtaking. 

Michael Jackson was just 11 years old when he sang this song, released by Motown in 1969. Yet his youthful voice contains so much emotion as he sings of a lost love that he wants back.

The bass riff is absolutely sensational, it must be one of the best of all time. And Michael's brothers backing vocals are an integral part of the song, almost like a second lead. 

Pure Pop perfection. An absolute 10/10 record.

Live - Ed Sullivan Show

8. Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush

Kate Bush was still a teenager when she introduced herself to the world with the impeccable Wuthering Heights . Remarkably, Bush was the first female artist to reach the top of the UK charts with a self-written song! I find this quite staggering.

Inspired by the film and book, Wuthering Heights begins with a short, beautiful piano intro, but it's when Bush starts singing at 9-seconds in that you sit up, listen more closely and think, what is this?! Who is this?!

Out on the wily, windy moors, we'd roll and fall in green

You had a temper like my jealousy, too hot, too greedy

How could you leave me when I needed to possess you?

I hated you, I loved you, too

Wow! This still sounds fresh, urgent and vital almost 50-years later. What must it have sounded and felt like in 1978?! No wonder Bush captivated so many.

Bush' lyrics are, on the most part, relatively simple. Words like; jealousy, leave, hated, loved, bad dreams, fight, home, cold, dark, lonely and the hook on the chorus let me in your window.

Combined with her voice and the way she stretches her melodies, it is incredibly moving, exceptionally powerful, utterly captivating. Bush recorded the vocals in one take!

Official video

9. Creep by Radiohead

Thom Yorke boldly and openly declared I wish I was special, so f**king special on Radiohead's debut single and teenagers across the world found a song, singer and band they could relate to.

Creep sold only 6,000 copies when it was originally released in September 1992, but upon re-release a year later, the song took Radiohead into the top 10 and gave them national exposure that they built on with their stunning second album The Bends. It's safe to say, Radiohead have never looked back and they have always looked to push boundaries, explore sounds and textures to keep stretching themselves as musicians and artists.

Greenwood's crunches into gear after the aforementioned I wish I was special, so f**king special line, as Yorke goes on to sing but I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo.

Perhaps it's the second verse that was most (and remains) most relatable.

I don't care if it hurts, I wanna have control

I wanna perfect body, I wanna perfect soul

I want you to notice, when I'm not around

So f**king special, I wish I was special

After the second chorus Yorke goes full on falsetto, building to a huge raaaaaiiiiinnnnn, raiiiiiiiiinnnnn where he holds the notes in a way no-one else was doing, or could even dream of doing.

Official video

10. Anarchy In The UK by Sex Pistols

A band that conquered against all the odds. They somehow managed to unite and divide. They inspired love and hate. That's precisely why they are still talked about today, The Sex Pistols stood out a mile. Jonny Rotten was like no-one before him and God knows how many people have tried to imitate him since.

Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook backed Rotten with a punk update on Spector's Wall of Sound, creating a glorious racket that energized teenagers across the country and appalled parents. Just read and listen to the opening lines, spat out with total commitment and glee by Rotten. 

I am an antichrist

And I am an anarchist 

Don't know what I want

But I know how to get it

I wanna destroy

Raw, pure, defiant and original, the song was banned by several radio stations. No-one knew how to take The Sex Pistols, no-one (not even their celebrated manager Malcolm McLaren) really knew what to do with them. But they demanded attention. And they got it!

Watch the official video to see why. 

Brilliant debut singles part 1

Back in April, Oasis marked the 30th anniversary of Supersonic by declaring, in a typically brash and confident manner, that it was 'arguably the greatest debut single of all time.' 

There is no doubt that Supersonic got its hooks into me and I fell for the band big time, but even as an Oasis fan,  I don't think it is anywhere near the greatest debut single of all time.

Of course, that is entirely personal and debatable. 

With a view to writing a blog, I started thinking about incredible debut singles, where bands/artists seemed to appear fully formed with a perfect song. 

I then started some research and quickly formed a list of 50 brilliant debut singles! So this blog is part 1! Parts 2, 3, 4, 5 ... and so on will follow! And more if I keep researching! 

I've also started a Spotify playlist HERE

Get in touch with suggestions of brilliant debut singles.

1. Break On Through (to the Other Side) by The Doors

Right from the off, The Doors got their image and messaging absolutely perfect. All in just 2 minutes 25 seconds! The first verse and chorus are delivered in less than 30-seconds! Jim Morrison sounds like a man on a mission, his band sound like loyal lieutenants determined to help him deliver his goal- there is a spark, an urgency, an energy ....

Try to run, try to hide

Break on through to the other side

Morrison is poetic, he is mesmerising, as are the beats, melodies and riffs underneath him. Outstanding.

2. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

Power punk pop perfection. Slamming into a ferocious guitar riff, The Undertones roar through verse-chorus-verse-chorus in under a minute, beginning with the incredible line a teenage dream's so hard to beat.

Teenage lust, desire and innocence pour out of the song. Fergal Sharkey delivers an exceptional vocal performance, audibly shaking with intensity at times and I still love the way he yells alright after the second chorus, into a short 15-second instrumental - just the same driving power chords.

Then the band just rip through the song again leading into another short instrumental followed by one more chorus. It's all over in under 2 and a half minutes. It's electrifying pop, the energy is infectious, the way the band just rip through the song is sensational, even on first listen you'll be singing a-long.

Teenage Kicks is simply sensational and must surely be one of the best debut singles of all time.

Full blog from 22/08/21

3. West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys

Originally released in 1984, West End Girls made a mark in in clubs across the globe, but it didn't trouble the charts, only reaching the heady heights of number 133. 

Pet Shop Boys had something though and EMI signed them up, Neil Tenant and Chris Lowe went into the studio with Stephen Hague and re-recorded the song. Re-released in October 1985, the song eventually hit number 1 in early 1986 and paved the way for a string of classic pop singles and albums.

Everything about West End Girls is distinctive; Tenant's spoken word/rap through the verses, the moody synth chords that underpin everything, the exceptionally catchy synth bass riff and the chorus contrasting East and West.

In a West End town in a dead end world

The East End boys and West End Girls

West End Girls

West End Girls is exceptional pop music. It still sounds fresh, it's not euphoric by nature, but the chorus is so super catchy that it lifts everything. An absolute classic.

4. Music Sounds Better With You by Stardust

Not just a debut single, Music Sounds Better With You was the ONLY song released by Stardust! This was despite Virgin offering Stardust $3 million to produce an album! Allegedly, there were a few other songs kicking around as demos, but Stardust resisted the temptation to record and release anything else.

Stardust was; Thomas Bangalter (one half of Daft Punk), Alan Braxe and Benjamin Diamond. The trio created Music Sounds Better With You around a guitar riff sampled from Chaka Khan's Fate, the song is remarkably simple and totally catchy.

Is the song about listening to music with someone you love, or listening to music on ecstasy? This was a popular debate at the time. It could be either.

Music Sounds Better is one verse that cleverly (thanks to the I feel so good last line) leads back into itself over and over again. Diamond said that the lyrics were "like a mantra ... something everyone could understand." 

He was absolutely right and it's the same with the groove, the repetition is infectious with instruments fading in and out. 

I love the fact that Stardust released something so perfect and so successful and then just left it at that! 

Ooh baby

I feel like

The music sounds better with you

Love might, bring us back together

I feel so good

5. Fast Car by Tracy Chapman

Released when Chapman was 24, Fast Car has a remarkable mature feel to it. Riding on a slow and melodic acoustic riff, Chapman sings of escaping a challenging life to anywhere else - any place is better, starting from zero, got nothing to lose

Chapman's voice is deep and souful and she continues to tell her tale, of saving a little from her job in a convenience store, wanting to head across the border to the city to see what living is really like. 'Cause it doesn't sound like she has had much of a life; her Dad hit the bottle, her Mum left, she had to quit school and essentially care for her Dad.

It doesn't take much for Chapman to dream, she just wants to escape;

You got a fast car

Is it fast enough so we can fly away?

Still gotta make a decision

Leave tonight, or live and die this way

That last line is equally beautiful and heartbreaking, she really lays it on the line.

Then the chorus explodes into life;

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car

Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk

City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder

And I, I , I had a feeling that I belonged

I, I, I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

Official video - Fast Car

Turnin' My Heartbeat Up

 

Trust me #74

Turnin' My Heartbeat Up by The M.V.P.'s

Originally released back in 1971, The M.V.P.'s Turnin' My Heartbeat Up is still thrilling and filling talc dusted dancefloors on the northern soul scene in 2024. 

No wonder! The song is essentially a love letter to music and dancing, to those moments where music lifts you higher and higher and you feel like you could explode with happiness.

Written by Bobby Flax and Lanny Lambert, Turnin' My Heartbeat Up packs a lot into a mere 2 minutes and 14 seconds. The short intro leads quickly to a whispering, breathless vocal that sounds like the singer is letting you into an urgent secret.

Listen to the sound of the drummer, thumpin' to the beat of my heart

Feel that bass, can't keep the pace, it's tearin' my brain apart

Things then lift quite dramatically for the bridge, as if the singer can't keep it in, he has to tell someone about the way he is feeling, the effect the music is having on him.

Whoa, I never ever felt like this before

But all I can say is mama give me some more (some more, some more!)

Then, 30-seconds in, we are into the outrageous chorus, that replicates the quiet/loud trick but in an even more dynamic fashion;

Turnin' my heartbeat up, turnin' my heartbeat up (it's gettin' louder)

Turnin' my heartbeat up, turnin' my heartbeat up

Then just listen to the drum roll, the horns kick in and the euphoric backing vocals kick in;

I keep on tellin' you, your're turnin' my heartbeat up, baby

You're turnin' my heartbeat up (yeah, yeah, yeah)

 You're turnin' my heartbeat up (yeah, yeah, yeah)

 You're turnin' my heartbeat up

The second verse follows the same pattern as the first, taking about the crash of the cymbols, comparing the sound of horns to fire that's burning. 

The bridge kicks into life

I got a little volcano about to erupt ('bout to erupt)

With more than enough to fill your lovin' cup

Then we're into the chorus again, it's a little longer, allowing the song to build and build, to get faster and faster as the singer eventually breaks down as he can't keep up.

Wow. Turnin' My Heartbeat Up is fast, furious, pacey and passionate soul music. 

Trust me. It's an absolute belter!

Turnin' My Heartbeat Up is added to my Trust Me playlist; search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify or CLICK HERE 

Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series.

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton

1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond

3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell

4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot

5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon

6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras

7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans

8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave

10. Sometimes by James

11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time

12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre

13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair

27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton

32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem

34. Mondo 77 by Looper

35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton

36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats

37. How High by The Charlatans

38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands

39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.

40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective

41. There She Goes by The Las

42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes

43. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo

44. Sister Rena by Lomond Campbell

45. Revolution by The Beatles

46. Lazarus by The Boo Radleys

47. Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays

48. American Trilogy by The Delgados

49. Loser by Beck 

50. Silent Sigh by Badly Drawn Boy

51. Comedy by Shack

52. Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven

53. Freakscene by Dinosaur Jr

54. Thank You For Being You by The Pastels

55. I Think I'm In Love by Spiritualized

56. Chestnut Mare by The Byrds

57. Cannonball by The Breeders

58. Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

59. You Make Me Weak At The Knees by Electrelane

60. Lucky by Radiohead

61. Strange Currencies by R.E.M.

61. I Am The Cosmos by Chris Bell

62. Like A Ship (Without A Sail) by Pastor TL Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir

63. Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations

64. Made of Stone by The Stone Roses

65. Tonight In Belfast by Orbital, David Holmes, DJ Helen and Mike Garry

66. Anything by Adrianne Lenker

67. I Hold Something In My Hand by Bill Ryder-Jones

68. I Meant Every Word by Burnett Sisters

69. Dream Baby Dream by Suicide

70. Stove by The Lemonheads

71. Red Lady by Phil Cordell

72. Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb

73. I Can Do It With A Broken Heart by Taylor Swift

The Charlatans at Queens Park Glasgow

I wasn't intending to write a blog on last nights Charlatans show in a Big Tent at Queens Park. After so many years, what is there left to say? April was the 30th anniversary of me seeing the band for the first time. I don't know how many times I must have seen them over the years. Maybe 40 times? At least once a year probably, sometimes more. 

There would be years where I'd probably catch them 4 times. Glasgow (twice), Edinburgh and at good old T in the Park where they appeared more years than they didn't.

The Charlatans lifted me last night and so I find myself suitably inspired to write a review over breakfast.

What inspired me?

Well the setting was pretty cool. A big old tent (possibly the old King Tuts T in the Park tent dusted down from being stored somewhere) on the far side of Queens Park. The Waterboys had used it on Friday night and Mogwai on Saturday. Could this be a new weekend fixture in the Scottish music calendar? 

However, it was the band that lifted and inspired me. Coming on stage at 8.45pm sharp to a huge ovation, Tim, Mark, Martin, Tony and Pete played a superb set that really took the crowd on a trip.

They really mixed it up, opening with the beautiful and shimmering Then, before a blast of power pop in the shape of Can't Get Out Of Bed, then the dreamy So Oh, followed by a euphoric Crashin' In. Four very different songs stretching from 1990 to 2014.

Photo by Tim Burgess

Toothache was a real dirty groove while North Country Boy really got the crowd going, everyone was singing with their hands in the air, punching the sky for the hook. Tim kept it going with Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over, which was one of my songs of the night.

Introducing My Beautiful Friend, Tim said sometimes we play it, sometime we don't, sometimes we play it, sometimes we don't. It was a little comedown after the high of the previous two songs, but again, it showed a different side to the band.

We were back on a high as the intro to One To Another kicked in and the tent erupted. Then we were into the blissed out psychedelic groove of Opportunity from debut album Some Friendly. Martin Blunt on bass was outstanding.

Tim's view for One To Another

Images and old video footage flashed up on the big screen behind the band. I hope they are uploaded to YouTube. There was particularly cool footage of a young Charlatans going for it in an old loft/warehouse with Tim in stripey T-shirt with that incredible haircut he had at the time.

Weirdo was another huge song that got people dancing, Soul Saver was a very welcome surprise, Blackened Blue Eyes was powerful and pure - we all need a shoulder to cry on once in a while. 

Come Home Baby has such an uplifting chorus and then it was The Only One I Know with an extended intro to allow Tim to take it all in. My friend and I put on an indie night in May and I played this, the dancefloor went crazy and the tent went nuts last night. The chorus is euphoric yet also beautifully melancholic and I appreciate it more with every passing year.

Everyone has been burned before

Everybody knows the pain

Very mature words for a young Tim Burgess to be writing back then. Timeless. A song that keeps on giving.

Tim's view for The Only One I Know

I had been expecting/hoping for How High in the encore, so my only slight disappointment in the night/setlist was that we had You're So Pretty to kick it off. Perhaps Love Is They Key from the Wonderland album would been better for the occasion.

But hey, we all knew where this was going ... we were all going to Sproston Green and we were all aboard. The long intro that builds and builds into a glorious groove and then BOOM

This one knows, she comes and goes

And when she goes, she goes

We were near the front, but now we were right in the mix, bouncing around in delight. What a song, what a band. I hope they come back to Glasgow again before too long.

And I'm still hoping for a Kelvingrove Bandstand date (or two). Maybe next year?

Tim's view for Sproston Green