Brit Pop

[flap a doodle dandy]

I live in Austria, so I didn‘t experience britpop as a brit. So I‘m very curious about your insights!
I recently had a relapse for all things britpop-related, since I was in London and saw blur in Wembley, which was fantastic.
Do we wanna discuss more gossipy stuff here, or the music as well? I’m here for both.
When in London, I saw some people with oasis-shirts with the classic logo, and also some Spice Girls-shirts. Who does sell good bandshirts in your opinion?

Depop or Ebay for originals but some of the prices are crazy now. I am going to cash in and sell a lot of my 90s originals soon as they are all seem to have mysteriously shrunk over the years

 

[Stripper Vicar]

Coachella isn’t really the target audience for Blur though

 

[Sure…Media!]

Wow. This thread has me spinning my dusty old cds… and not regretting anything

 

[Skinnylike]

all the comments under a news story of it on facebook were saying “everyone deserves a second chance” which is fine but keep that attitude for everyone.

seems only men have this luxury

 

[Carefree]

brett anderson was a crack addict. i think he did do a lot of heroin as well. a lot of people blame justine for their addictions but both of them would have been addicts without her

There's also the tired narrative that a woman is to blame. As though a junkie wouldn't be able to get it without her. Jesus

 

[ForeverMakingJibesWicked]

My intro was more often from Channel 4 - they used to feature a video from lesser know artists inbetween programmes maybe about 6pm? That's how I heard about Geneva and Salad.

Oh wow, Salad! But I think it was the Chart Show that got me into them, the lead singer was a vision, it was the “Motorbike to Heaven” song and video that made me fall in love and I still play that song a lot, as well as “Drink the Elixir”.

I remember Britpop clearly but because all the dickheads at my school were super into either Blur or Oasis, i pledged allegiance to bands like Geneva, Marion, These Animal Men, Dubstar…. Anyone who was on the Shine compilation really

special mention also to Curve, Toni Halliday was amazing and I loved her loads too but I think Curve would be “pre Britpop” so are technically not for this thread.

 

[mee43]

Actually the rumour was discussed on the Celeb gossip thread and I seem to remember that some posters suggested that it fitted one of his band mates.
But I’m always a little wary of those kind of blinds - they’re always so very vague.
If they know something as serious as that has happened, they should be working on exposing the pedalo, not writing it up as if it’s in some way funny

 

[Sideboard Bob]

Same, it completely flew over my head. I feel awful for throwing a potential name out there, it could be anyone.

Please don’t feel too bad. The real blame lies with these kinds of blind gossip sites. It’s one thing for them to tell a story about say, an actor who was rude to a waiter and didn’t leave a tip, give a few clues and we all have fun guessing.

But a story like this one is completely different, yet they present it in the same way.

 

[LittleMissOnions]

Nah, they’ve K by Kula Shaker down as a one song album, so I fundamentally disagree. Also, not sure I’d class The Charlatans as Britpop? They were one of the first bands I saw live, just after their second album and Weirdo had come out. They were brilliant. I think Liam Gallagher nicked the way he sings into the microphone off how Tim Burgess did it back then (also it boggles my mind a bit that TB is now dating Sharon Horgan).

Completely agree Charlatans not Britpop, they formed back in the 80s and well established by the time all those lesser bands came along, did not know that TB was with Sharon Horgan tho, odd combination. The first dance at our wedding was Charlatans much to our grannies disgust!

 

[Peonyrose]

Wait. So Damon is single again, yeah?

It seems that himself and Suzi have split and he is back on the gear. The more I read about him the less my attraction is becoming. He comes across as unlikeable. An absolute musical genius and I adore his music but as a person I might have to give him a miss. Teenage me is like ‘who even IS she?’

 

[markcorriganscrisps]

I think Blur were as 'laddy' as I got tbh . All about the androgyny here so it was Suede and Mansun all the way until I discovered early Manics through Design for Life era Manics.

 

[Peonyrose]

I find Liam Gallagher hilarious with his absolute no nonsense one liners on Twitter.
He is also so nice to people back in the provinces of Ireland, aka Mayo. ‘Are you Liam Gallagher, I am yeah, alright how are you?’ Etc etc.
He is there about five times a year, and the local pub owner treats him the same as everyone else.

 

[Cáca_Milis]

Off topic but Sinead O'Connor has died.

 

[Sideboard Bob]

Well he's just split with his partner of 25 years so you might be in with a chance!

That’s really sad, I didn’t realise they’d been together for so long.

I don’t mean this in a flippant way, but I find it interesting that the songs he’s written during what must be a really emotional, hard time, found their way to a Blur album, as opposed to a solo record. Maybe the familiarly and long term friendship within the band was a source of comfort?

 

[The Yoko Ono of GY]

I've only met one member of Blur, the drummer Dave Rowntree. He spoke at a conference for me on the subject of social housing a few years ago. I can't speak highly enough about the fella.

Maybe not a coincidence, that Dave always kept a bit distant to the other 3. Iirc, Alex James wrote in his autobiography about Dave, he‘d barely know him, or sth like that.

 

[maytoseptember]

I bought some DMs too They’re very… building site chic? But I love that!

I chose them mainly because I’m still traumatised by the pain of breaking in my classic black leather DMs when I was a teenager. I’m 43 now.

 

[DizzyIsHe?]

I do love Super Furry Animals. I think they've done some great music. What's heartbreaking for me is they've just been completely forgotten. You never hear them on the radio. Their breakup was just "Oh...". And my favourites by them are Cabin Fever, Cityscape Skybaby, No Sympathy and most of the Guerilla album. Mainstream success never came their way. Even cult status just isn't sustainable these days. But yes. I can see how it wouldn't work for others. I think getting trapped in a cycle of double albums might have caused band tensions. Ah democracy in bands!
Still have a listen to the first two songs I mentioned. They might float your boat or not.
Plus, they aren't Britpop Britpop. But thanks for mentioning them in the thread. And at least none of them turned out to be dodgy! So that's definitely not Britpop then!

 

[Cáca_Milis]

I have this cassette! Another one as well that's songs to drive to, wonderful keepsakes now. The quality of this stuff not to mention the magazines themselves was second to none. I had hundreds of issues of Q, Select, Mojo (and earlier on Smash Hits) as well as the music papers. I could only keep a choice few over several moves. 🫤
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I'm just over 100 pages in on Miki's book and it's a very interesting read so far, although heartbreaking, her childhood was absolutely bonkers. I'm looking forward to reading about the start of Lush and meeting Emma in the band. I also have Viv Albertine's book to read next.

I loved Lush. I was devastated when Chris took his own life. Poor guy

 

[Sideboard Bob]

Oh yes, mainly because I had a boyfriend who loved them, who I dumped as he demanded I went over to see him the night before T in the Park and I wanted to get myself some rest before the festival, so he got binned and then I cried for a week when I got back It did mean I was free to cop off with a very nice young man instead though so get it up ye, Roses lad

Go on Mark C’s!
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The interesting thing about The Second Coming is that (as far as I’m aware) it’s not even been retroactively praised. Which I think speaks volumes for how much the debut and The Stone Roses’ original sound was loved.

But I really think, if you set your comparisons aside, it’s a fantastic album. Love Spreads still goes off to this day, Ten Story Love Song is beautiful, Begging You, I just LOVE it.


And I know the Roses aren’t Britpop, but it’s nice to think about what came just before Britpop, the Manchester scene in particular. Like, the Happy Mondays came and went (and influenced so many other bands along with the Roses), but Black Grape were right in there with the Britpop scene. And that was another fantastic album.


The other ”scenes” leading right up to Britpop were “shoe gaze” and “the new wave of new wave”. The music press at the time were desperate to put labels to sounds!

 

[Thequeenofhouse]

I stumbled across this thread on Saturday after spending Friday night listening to a Brit pop playlist on Spotify with the other half. Then watched the hit list which had a couple of Brit pop tunes, followed by blur on bbc2. Trying to unwind with a bit of come dine with me last night and that was punctuated with blur songs as well. It’s a sign to listen to their new album I think