Okay, the other story…
This is LONG!!!! So, I have typed this out on my laptop, as it’s too much on my phone, and I may have told this on here somewhere before, so if you’ve read this before, apologies.
In May 1996, I was at a Manics gig at The Forum in London, with a penpal, when we got chatting to a woman (who I’ll call Toni) who was there on her own, turns out she lived in Kentish Town and often got tickets for gigs off a tout for anything that sounded interesting. She had been at the gig two nights before and was raving about how good Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci were and how much we’d enjoy their support set, hence she’d come back again that night.
Long story short, I really hit it off with Toni and despite me being 19 and she 29, we became firm friends. I didn’t live in London, but we would talk on the phone for hours at a time.
Toni was massively into the Super Furry Animals and knowing I was mad for the Manics, she suggested that we get tickets for the tour later than year with SFA supporting Manics on a few of the dates. So we bought tickets for the Cardiff gig on 12/12/96, as well as their first of three nights in London at Brixton Academy on 14/12/96 and the last night at The Forum on 16/12/96.
Toni had become friendly with SFA and when she saw them in the months proceeding the gigs in December, she boldly asked them outright if they’d sort us out with after show party passes, and they said “If you can find us, then sure!”
So that December we rock up to Cardiff in Toni’s old banger, realising in the 4 hour drive we still got on like a house on fire. Checked into a cheap B&B and went straight to Cardiff arena. Once inside, who does Toni spot? Gruff and Bunf from SFA! She was over there like a shot and after a while, returned with two after show party passes.
Well, this after show was very swanky, some of the Manics’ families were there, plus other people from bands, media, as well as other fans and some groupies. It was a fab night. We didn’t get a chance to meet the Manics, but as Toni and I are pretty outgoing and chatty, we spoke to loads of lovely people including the Manics’ press officer who was an absolute sweetheart.
As the after show was winding up, we were getting ready to go to our B&B, when SFA asked if we wanted to come back to the hotel bar to continue the party (all above board BTW, no innuendo) and so we agreed.
We arrived at The Jury’s hotel to find security on the doors and fans all outside, Turned out the Manics were staying there too! SFA swept us past security, into the bar where loads of the lovely crew were drinking, along with some other people working for the Manics. We got a drink, turned to follow SFA to the table and found ourselves sat opposite James!
I became a gibbering wreck (as a James fan) and was trying so hard to act cool and engage him in conversation. But he was in a grumpy mood. Also a groupie was trying to crack onto to him and he wasn’t having any of it.
Anyway, the rest of the crowd and SFA were great company and at one point, I told a lame joke that featured a monkey, to which James jumped up and said, “Talking of monkeys… ” and he disappeared off to his room, to only return with one of those wind-up monkeys with cymbals. Random!
Toni, by this point buoyed with free booze said “Do you spank it James?”, he looked at her confused, so she added, “Do you spank your monkey?” to which everyone roared laughing. James just sat there looking grumpy, he either didn’t get it, or wasn’t in the mood. I think the latter as he announced he was off to bed, to which the groupie jumped up and started following him and was trying to talk to him and he was getting more annoyed and stomped off to bed, alone.
We were getting ready to head back, when one of the crew asked us if we wanted to stay at the hotel. Giving them a suspicious look, they laughed and said that Nick the keyboard player had a room booked but had decided to go home and he’d given him his key card to pass on to anyone who wants it, as it was paid for. So he kindly gave it to us and we stayed over. When we got back the B&B later that morning the old couple were about to send out a search party apparently!
Anyhoo, back in London for the Brixton gig, we saw a load of people we met at the Cardiff gig and someone sorted us out with after show party passes again. It wasn’t much of a party, bit tit actually, but I had my photo taken with Andy Cairns from Therapy? and we started tapping up the Manics’ press officer for the lowdown on the after show party after the gig at the Forum, which was the final date of the tour. He told us we had no chance, as it was invite-only, invites went out weeks ago, it was a strict guest-list and at an external venue, not in the gig venue.
So the Forum gig happens, it’s a fab gig and as we gather our stuff to leave and see the press officer, to which Toni says to him in, “Sooooo, this after show party, where is it?” he laughs and said, “No point in me telling you mate, you won’t get in. I can’t get you in”. So Toni says, “Give us a clue, street name?”, he replied, “Greenland Street, that’s all you’re getting out of me!” to which Toni shouts, “Ooooh, Windy Tuesdays? See you there!” to which he laughed, walking off shaking his head.
So we jump on the bus and get down to Windy Tuesdays in Camden, the party looks packed inside and there is two burly doorman with clipboards. Toni (which her massive-titted cleavage on show) starts trying to charm the doormen, but they’re having none of it! But one of them says that if we want to stand back and just watch people arriving, we’d be welcome.
When all of a sudden, a slightly intimidating chap comes out from the party and booms, “I’m Gary, from Sony. Is there a problem here?”, we make up some guff about being invited at the previous after shows to this party and he calls our bluff and said, “There wasn’t after shows at those gigs.” So we reply that there was and start listing all of the crew, management and journalists who were at those parties. To which, he rolls his eyes and says to the doorman, “Go on, just let them in”
We couldn’t believe it, we got in and immediately bumped into the press officer who almost spat his drink out with shock and he said, “Jesus! How?! What?!” We had a brill night, met Sean briefly, he was really sweet. Bumped into Shampoo and I stood on Paul Weller’s foot at the bar. Haha!
We started a popular fanzine after that and became queen blaggers. Those heady days!
)
I do miss the backwards 'R' though.
I'll dig it out tomorrow and post a pic.
I think the dude knew it wasn't true but let us stay.
), but I would guess Richey wrote those words towards the bottom. Thanks for sharing this and your stories, I really enjoyed reading them 
I'm worried I'll burn out, so I'm really trying to take some time out. Missed you lovely bunch loads and all the tea as well! 