Brit Pop

[Carefree]

I was a bit too young for gigs when everyone was touring in the 90s but was so in love with Damon Albarn. He still makes me swoon in person, despite being absolutely teeny tiny. Finally saw Blur at Hyde Park and my inner teen was delighted.

Saw Pulp in Dublin recently and whilst not quite Britpop, just by virtue of their long career, I can't believe how good they are. It's also one of the most chill gigs I've been to and everyone who were wearing band shirts had on ones I love.

Fancied Liam, for about an hour, and didn't like Oasis past the second album.

I was going through a lot of horrible stuff in the 90s so my memories are scarce but they all definitely turned me onto music in a way nothing else did.

 

[jazzmonster]

Menswear are so underrated. Their first album was fantastic.

 

[SpookyLumberjack]

What a great thread! I was/am a huge fan of Suede, Supergrass, Super Furry Animals, Pulp, The Bluetones, The Verve, The Coral (perhaps a bit later?) And Starsailor were a favourite too.

 

[Sheeeet]

I loved Cast! I wish I had caught them live.

I never saw Cast on purpose but have seen them maybe 4 or 5 times as support for other bands - they were the perpetual bridesmaid, never the bride for a good 5 or 6 year period - I bet if you had gone to the local school fete they'd have been on there as well

Speaking of support bands, I saw Wannadies for about the third time at Manchester Academy 2 many years ago, supported by SOULWAX(!) who were so ace I never saw Wannadies again

 

[markcorriganscrisps]

I've not written off the Coxon allegations as he pings my radar (and quite often perps will make counter allegations, hence him posting narc stuff).

I see what's meant by Damon being snooty though, I have always got some serious superiority complex vibes from him. Shame if he's back on the gear though, I wonder if that was a factor in the break up or came after.

 

[Peonyrose]

Anyone remember Woodies alco-pops?
HOW were they allowed?

 

[jaqui_jones]

Does anyone remember free cd’s being given away with magazines back in the 90’s?

I remember the free cassette's from the melody maker maker shaker
There's a great book called 'the last party' about the britpop story written by John Harris

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

I've just had to explain the Blur 'Song 2' "is there any jam" (pleased to meet you) joke to my son. He looked at me like I was insane. I've tried to explain that we could not Google lyrics in the 90's. Please tell me someone else remembers the jam thing?!

I remember it - I’m pretty sure it was on ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’. I always hear it as ‘is there any jam’ whenever I hear that song.
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Dog man star holds up to the test of time. Jarvis I adore. I also love Divine Comedy. Music was so diverse I the 90s. I love it all

Pulp & The Divine Comedy are possibly my two favourite bands of all time. I’ve seen TDC live more times than I can count!

 

[caremum]

Saw Blur play in 1992 in a long since closed venue called McGonagle's just off Grafton St., Dublin. The tickets cost 6 Irish Pound and 50 pence! Wish I still had the stub. I was always a fan of theirs. Leisure is a phenomenal album. Went off them a bit for Parklife. That whole Cockney lad style wasn't for me.

Hated Primal Scream with a PASSION. Moving on Up, Loaded and Rocks can get in the bin. Over rated, over played, over lauded SHITE. I'm still convinced the painful Bobby Gillespie is the long lost brother or even son of the equally painful Chrissie Hynde ( I don't care if she would have been only 10 when he was born). There's just no way they're not from the same gene pool.

we probably fell over each other in McGonagles at some stage

I like Blur but to me Suede rule supreme followed by Pulp. Saw them in the SFX way back when and then Dublin recently. My ovaries come back to life when I watch Brett Anderson!!

 

[Stripper Vicar]

£15 quid for a gig ticket! Those were the days!

And the days of ticket shops where you could get tickets & coach travel

 

[The Yoko Ono of GY]

There were stories like that about their first drummer, The Hib.

I saw Mansun a couple of times in the '90s and they were a good live band. Paul Draper had very little connection with the audience, sometimes performed with his back to us and almost never spoke, but the music was great and he could sing, so we let him off. Chad was a bit weird - I remember he was dribbling on himself at one gig - but Stove was always there with a cheeky wink or a smile. The first time I saw them, Embrace were supporting and they were crap. I think it was Rialto the second time and they were brilliant.

Super Furry Animals didn't really connect with their audience either. I found them overrated after seeing them live.

Another band that get written off are Shed Seven. They were brilliant live and always had good chat with the crowd. Echobelly too, and Longpigs.

Thanks for the reminder. I wanted to bring up Super Furry Animals. Saw them in Vienna in about 2001, and it was one of the best gigs of my life. They were really intense, and the crowd was unbelievable. Gruff even ate the celery on stage for soundeffects, which Paul McCartney does on the record. We loved every minute.
I still find them quite an original and unique band with banging tunes.

 

[Allflightscancelled]

I’ve seen Suede and Inspiral Carpets so far this year. Neither strictly Britpop, I know, but Britpop adjacent, and both were great gigs. Seeing Suede again just before Christmas with my husband this time, who’s not a fan but willing to be educated

 

[Sideboard Bob]

There were many rumours of some of the Oasis songs being ghost written. Personally speaking, they were shite anyway.

Were they fuck ghostwritten
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Sorry, my one golden rule as an Oasis fan is that I don’t need to defend them on the internet, because I know they don’t give a shit, but that is just too funny,

 

[markcorriganscrisps]

Did I hear the sound of my Menswe@r radar pinging? i think Donna was maybe dating Chris.

I think I get the Justine thing. She seemed very self assured, intelligent and pretty talented, so I can see the appeal there though also looked a wee bit stinky at the time

 

[TheRockingReverend]

There was Select magazine as well, which was glossier than NME and Melody Maker and took itself less seriously than Q. And Vox, which I think was a glossy spinoff of NME for a while.

When magazines were fun, full of pages and actually available!! Would reccommend 'That's Me in the Corner' by Andrew Collins if yuou're interested in the print side of it. He worked at the NME and then for some of these other mags. Funny stories about a Northampton lad working for the press during Britpop and how and why these mags were launched.

 

[hiyaaaacath]

On the coat trend once around 16 (1997) I spent the next few years in the worst coats I could go from the charity shops

Jeans, band tee, superstars and a ratty old seventies afghan coat
With one of those army surplus back packs covered in badges

Small town

Yesssss the army and navy bags (I think we called them Swedish bread bags, for some reason). I’d completely forgotten about them.

Dr Martens, black band tee (sometimes worn as a dress), green army shirt worn as a jacket.

Or strappy dress worn over flared jeans (preferably with some kind of embroidered bit on the bottom) with bindis and a bracelet that was attached to a ring and had a chain over the hand

 

[Cáca_Milis]

£15 quid for a gig ticket! Those were the days!

I saw Blur in Dublin back in 1991 and the tickets were £6.50!! ( Irish pounds.. more or less same as sterling back then)

 

[Sideboard Bob]

I love Sandstorm by Cast.

Did anyone listen to The Evening Sessions (Jo Wiley and Steve Lamaq) in the 90s? I loved it. There were so many great bands and singers that I heard for the first time on that show.

I also loved the White Room, when I was looking it up I saw this tape, it was a classic!

 

[Dizzy]

I had bright blue Sambas that wrecked my feet but also 2 pairs of Superstars (we called them shell toes) in black and in white and I wore them to death, they were the coolest trainers. I bought a pair of Spezials a few weeks ago and they’ve given me all the 90s vibes
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Before we showed ourselves the door of the Primrose Hill thread, we were discussing Britpop wrong 'uns.

We had Bluetones Mark Morriss and Kasabian Tom Meighan. I'm also vaguely aware there were allegations against Graham Coxon.

Jaime Harding from Marion went to prison, think he set fire to his girlfriend's clothes and had a long history of drug problems.
I'm sure there are more - does anyone have better recall than I do of them, please?

I was so disappointed with the Tom M situation.

 

[Nadia Vulvokov]

I was quite fond of Sleeper back in the day. Not so much now but I still admire Louise Wener. I think they played a few shows this year.

I saw them last year, it was a great gig and Louise is still stunning!
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And what would be great is for Shane Meadows to finish off his 'This is England' anthology with 1996 (perfect logical choice) as the sounds, fashions and sights of Britpop play out against that amazing Euro 96 summer - oh and so we may find out what happened to Combo.

I met Shane last year, he was with Vicky McClure who I'm acquaintances with. Vicky is desperate to work with him again and he said never say never 🫰