timebomb 1988

My Bloody Valentine / The Sperm Wails / The Popfish Norwich Arts Centre February 3rd 1988

Hit the Goldfish Club and saw Mike, who said the bands only just turned up at 7:30 ‘cos they were waiting for The Sperm Wails bass player or something, but he came by train. Had a Pils upstairs and we were joined by Noel who said how last time here, Mike met some guy who was looking for Noel ‘cos he’s the only other moptop bowlcut kid in Norwich. This bloke could play bass so we want to find him.

Steve’s band with Noel guitarring played – The Popfish who’re pretty cool. Had another drink and heard some tunes on the ‘sound system’ like Primal Screamy and ‘Just Like Honey’ & stuffs. The Sperm Wails were on and were v. LOUD & feedbacky & cosmic & thrashy. We never saw the guitarist’s front, only his back. The singer hit the cymbals and the girlie drummer was well ace, very fast & loud & Mad & stand up. Brilliant!

My Bloody Valentine were on a bit late and were so fabby wabby. We boogied on down behind the dimbo slammers. It was the most successful Goldfish Club so far. Kev (yo Kev!) said ‘Can anyone here tune a guitar?’ but that’s all he said. He words were even more swamped than usual by the mega feedback. But t’was wunnerful. I got a setlist and another one for K, so it went…

We’re So Beautiful
Sylvie’s Head
Please Lose Yourself
Safe In Your Sleep
I Don’t Need You
By The Danger In Your Eyes
Paint A Rainbow
Kiss The Eclipse
Lovelee Sweet Darlene
Sunny Sundae Smile
Strawberry Wine
Clair
She Loves You No Less.

It’s a Good Thing May 1988

Demo tapes with homemade sleeves
Fields of bright yellow flowers
Stripey tee-shirts
Guitar bit in ‘Happy When It Rains’ after ‘…feels like pain/ to my brain’

Daisy chains on statues
Chelsea Boots
Tambourine players

Fuzzboxes
Sun
Summertime
Badges
Orange Smarties

Flexis
Desert boots
Tulips
Fanzines
Stand up drumming

Doing it For The Kids Creation Alldayer August 7^th 1988

Hot ‘n’ sunneee. Shot along the motorway burnin’ rubber to Auntie Joyce’s where K and I put on black tee-shirts and cosmic mini-skirts. Got our tickets (£3.50!) and zoomed over to Kentish Town Town & Country Club. Joined the big queue of fellow indie revellers, bowl cuts, chelsea boots and polka dots abounded. Primal Scream walked along the road! Before our very eyes!! And got in a taxi!!! Bobby had his blue tartan shirt on (with the cuff ripped) and his v. long hair tied back.

Around 4pm we shuffled in to see Biff Bang Pow! do a fairly short and rather tinny set. Then this stupid alternative dancer came on and continued to do so between sets thoughout the night. Looked for the bar but it was only selling soft drinks that early on, with a mega long queue during boring Pacific. When Heidi Berry came on, K went to get a sarnie and I bumped into Noel. Then it was the Jasmine Minks who were well gear during ‘Cut Me Deep’. Sounded brill. Nikki Sudden came on and was v. boring (he also ‘guested’ during Biff Bang Pow! Yawn). Next, the Jazz Butcher.

Went to the front and wiggled as far forward as poss. before Primal Scream came on. Jim Beattie has left, Robert was on guitar looking horrible hairy heavy metal like. Andrew rhythm guitar person looked like Mr Mannion Biology teacher. Primal Scream were pretty sleazy and did about five songs, inc. a cover of ‘She’s My Witch’. ‘Imperial’ was the only familiar ditty, during which there was the traditional showering of Bobby with bits of paper. Some girlies at the front shrieked ‘Bobbeee!’ and everyone laughed. Someone else said something hassley and Bobby called them arseholes and told them to fuck off! It was annoying that they did such a short set, but still FAB Primal Scream experience.

Next it was Felt who were pretty cool with the acest slides and light show, all cosmic with groovy oil slides all squirly and trippy. The girlie in the group was v. cool standing there wearing shades just feeding back. They did one realy cosmic song when the oily bits were at their best. At the end of this we discovered that the bar was OPEN! All downed a Pils v. quickly ‘cos it was so hot in there especially after groovin’ to ‘Imperial’.

The House of Love came on and were brilliant live, much better than on record. We were at the back at first, but I found a way to the sun and grooved to ‘Shine On’ and had a good view. They did a spacey version of ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’.

We then wriggled to the front but were obstructed from having absolute stage control by stupid Japanese girls and a girl we met at the Soups and who was at Primal Scream. Momus played two songs and finally My Bloody Valentine were on. Ace and fuzzy guitarry, mad Colm drummery doing ‘Sylvie’s Head’ (or ‘Kiss the Eclipse’ can’t remember which) before which was an unknown ditty during which Bilinda sang, only it’s hard to hear her above the guitars. ‘Lovelee Sweet Darlene’, and ‘(Please) Lose Yourself (In Me) and then another unknown which was v. mad and fast and ace and long and and brill and fabby (actually ‘You Made Me Realise’) That was it. Everyone wanted more but just stupid people hung about on stage and some drunk bloke sung into the microphone and put his shirt on his head. (Apparently, this was Joe Foster attempting to lead a ‘singalong’ of ‘We Are The World’) Someone else was waving a big cut out of Alan McGee about. In the crowd we saw Rob from 14 Iced Bears, James Sea Urchin and The Legend! Eventually we trudged out at 10:30pm, wanting more MBV.

1988-A Fine And Ginchy Year

Groups of the Year:

The Jesus and Mary Chain
My Bloody Valentine
Loop
Choo Choo Train
Primal Scream
House Of Love
The Sea Urchins

Singles Of The Year:

‘Solace’-The Sea Urchins
‘You Made Me Realise’-My Bloody Valentine
‘Sidewalking’-The Jesus And Mary Chain
‘Christine’-The House of Love
‘Sunflower’-Springfields

Albums Of The Year:

‘Isn’t Anything’-My Bloody Valentine
‘The World In Your Eyes’-Loop
‘Lovely’-The Primitives
‘Barbed Wire Kisses’-The Jesus And Mary Chain

Clothes Of The Year:

Spotty Shirts
Desert Boots
Chelsea Boots
Suede Jacket

Gigs Of The Year:

My Bloody Valentine-Norwich Arts Centre 3^rd February
Doing It For The Kids Creation Alldayer-Town & Country Club 7^th August
Primitives-UEA 5^th May

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