076. Supergrass / The Bluetones: The Duchess, Leeds [25.2.95]

Artist: Supergrass

Support: The Bluetones

Venue: The Duchess of York, Leeds

Date: 25.2.95

At the time, Supergrass and The Bluetones were making their names on the Britpop scene. Both bands attracted something of a 90s mod revival following. The Bluetones played a great support slot, after which roughly a third of the audience left. Those who stayed did so wisely and saw an excellent (very loud) set from Supergrass, who would excel to stardom over subsequent years. No ticket stub for this gig, as in those days you could still queue and pay a few quid on the door.

073. Inspiral Carpets: Lucifer’s Mill, Dundee [22.4.94]

073a_Inspiral Carpets_220494

Artist: Inspiral Carpets

Venue: Lucifer’s Mill, Dundee

Date: 22.4.94

Three years earlier, at their peak, I had seen the Inspirals perform to crowds of thousands in their home town of Manchester. Now they were playing for a few hundred die-hard fans, in a venue where the stage wasn’t big enough for the entire band. Clint Boon and his Hammond organ were on a separate smaller section of stage. Between him and the band was a walkway that led to the toilets. You had to walk through the band to go to the toilet. It seemed slightly disrespectful – but a man’s gotta go, when a man’s gotta go!

Setlist:

073b_Inspiral Carpets [220494] SL

069. The Cure: Caird Hall, Dundee [23.4.92]

069_The Cure [230492]

Artist: The Cure

Venue: Caird Hall, Dundee

Date: 23.4.92

Setlist: Open / High / Pictures of You / Lullaby / From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea / Just Like Heaven / Apart / A Night Like This / Friday I’m in Love / In Between Days / The Walk / Let’s Go to Bed / Doing the Unstuck / Fascination Street / Never Enough / Cut / End // In Your House / Charlotte Sometimes / Boy’s Don’t Cry // Three Imaginary Boys / A Strange Day / A Forest

055. The Reading Festival [23.8.91]

055_Reading Festival [1991]

Artists: Iggy Pop / Sonic Youth / Pop Will Eat Itself / Dinosaur Junior / Chapterhouse / Silverfish / Babes in Toyland / Revolver / The Belltower

Venue: The Reading Festival [1991]

Date: 23.8.91

My first festival. With hindsight I regret not seeing Nirvana, who were relatively unknown at the time. We also had a Nirvana backstage pass, which we never used. A wasted opportunity!

044. Happy Mondays: Elland Road Stadium, Leeds [1.6.91]

044_Happy Mondays [010691]

Artist: Happy Mondays

Support: The Farm / The La’s / Northside / Stereo MCs / The High / Mike Pickering [DJ Set] / Paul Oakenfold [DJ Set] / Jam MC’s [DJ Set]

Venue: Elland Road Stadium, Leeds

Date: 1.6.91

A full on baggy invasion of the Yorkshire heartland, as Happy Mondays and friends hosted their ‘Match of the Day’ at the home of Leeds United. The gig was temporarily halted, as some nutter climbed to the top of the floodlights for a better view and a bit of a dance. The crowd obligingly chanted “jump”, and the show went on.