LIVE!!!
Although i'd seen Madness live four or five times by the mid-90's, i hadn't been to any other gigs, despite the proximity of Nottinghams' Rock City venue, regularly voted one of the best on the gig circuit. This was partly down to lack of friends or aquaintences to go with, and i didn't really have the confidence to go on my own. On December 17th 1996, that was to change, as my best pal John and i were quite into quirky Scouse pop band Space. We'd both got their debut album, Spiders, and seen them (miming) when Radio 1 brought their roadshow to Nottingham earlier that summer, when their single "Female Of The Species" was on its way into the Top 20. So when they came to town we decided we had to see them.
Although this was nearly 20 years ago, i still remember stepping into the main room at Rock City, and being surprised how small it seemed, and how sticky the floor was. I'd only been to arenas and outdoor gigs before, so the atmosphere was different to what i'd been used to - sweaty, charged, more in your face, but somehow with an unspoken camaraderie with your fellow gig-goers. I remember being only a few rows from the front, the bands right up close, the crowd seemingly moving as one drunken whole. Space were fantastic, as we'd hoped they would be, but i remember that gig for something else: introducing me to a band that i would fall for in a big way, and not just because i had a slight crush on the lead singer! The support group were from Wales and were called Catatonia. I later learned that they'd been around for a couple of years, gigging on the toilet circuit and releasing a couple of independent EP's on the Welsh Crai label, followed by two singles on Rough Trade, which eventually got them noticed by, signed to the Blanco Y Negro label (a subsidiary of WEA, and previously home to indie legends The Jesus & Mary Chain). In September '96 they released their debut album, Way Beyond Blue, and with a few minor hits, they got some recognition in the music press - partly due to lead singer Cerys Matthews' drunken antics - but equally for their dreamy, jangly indie sound, and catchy tunes. Their music wasn't breaking any new ground, but when it was topped with Cerys' welsh-accented, bruised but angelic voice, it became something else. I'd never heard of them or their music until this gig, but from the moment Cerys opened her sweet mouth, i was transfixed. The next day i heard a single of theirs, "Sweet Catatonia", on Steve Lamacqs' Evening Session, and i made it a mission to get their album, and raved about them to anyone who would listen. My instincts about them would be proven right, as they would soon be much bigger than the band they had supported that night.
After that gig, i resolved to see more bands live, especially as i realised the opportunity to discover music i'd not previously heard. Also, as i've found over the years, sometimes you have to see an act in the flesh to understand them. I've seen quite a few bands that i'd not been that bothered about when i'd heard their records, only to be blown away by them when witnessing them on stage. I've seen countless bands at Rock City over the years, and the floor is still sticky.
Although this was nearly 20 years ago, i still remember stepping into the main room at Rock City, and being surprised how small it seemed, and how sticky the floor was. I'd only been to arenas and outdoor gigs before, so the atmosphere was different to what i'd been used to - sweaty, charged, more in your face, but somehow with an unspoken camaraderie with your fellow gig-goers. I remember being only a few rows from the front, the bands right up close, the crowd seemingly moving as one drunken whole. Space were fantastic, as we'd hoped they would be, but i remember that gig for something else: introducing me to a band that i would fall for in a big way, and not just because i had a slight crush on the lead singer! The support group were from Wales and were called Catatonia. I later learned that they'd been around for a couple of years, gigging on the toilet circuit and releasing a couple of independent EP's on the Welsh Crai label, followed by two singles on Rough Trade, which eventually got them noticed by, signed to the Blanco Y Negro label (a subsidiary of WEA, and previously home to indie legends The Jesus & Mary Chain). In September '96 they released their debut album, Way Beyond Blue, and with a few minor hits, they got some recognition in the music press - partly due to lead singer Cerys Matthews' drunken antics - but equally for their dreamy, jangly indie sound, and catchy tunes. Their music wasn't breaking any new ground, but when it was topped with Cerys' welsh-accented, bruised but angelic voice, it became something else. I'd never heard of them or their music until this gig, but from the moment Cerys opened her sweet mouth, i was transfixed. The next day i heard a single of theirs, "Sweet Catatonia", on Steve Lamacqs' Evening Session, and i made it a mission to get their album, and raved about them to anyone who would listen. My instincts about them would be proven right, as they would soon be much bigger than the band they had supported that night.
After that gig, i resolved to see more bands live, especially as i realised the opportunity to discover music i'd not previously heard. Also, as i've found over the years, sometimes you have to see an act in the flesh to understand them. I've seen quite a few bands that i'd not been that bothered about when i'd heard their records, only to be blown away by them when witnessing them on stage. I've seen countless bands at Rock City over the years, and the floor is still sticky.
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