Friday 9 December 2016

" I wish I was Household Name..."


I'm sat in my late Grancha's reclining chair, that he left me when he passed, I have the new Cutups record The Nerves on the gramophone, having just seen them last night and I'm reading the liner notes, something I always like to do on my first listen to a new record.

In the past two weeks I have been lucky enough to see The Cut-ups and The Take live, two bands who are extremely important to me. I got into both bands around the same sort of time, late nineties early noughties, they were both being touted by Household Name records, at the time I believe.























I first met The Take boys at gigs in Cardiff, at the old Capillary Life (Jawbox) gigs downstairs in The Oz bar. I met Jon from the Cutups at around the same time when he was in Shoe! and I think they opened up for The Take and Douglas, at the Cavern perhaps...

One of my fondest memories of seeing The Take on my 21st birthday in TJ's supporting Bluetip, (New Shoe! Premonition) a birthday I happen to share with Charlie from The Take, Bluetip got him up on stage, sang Happy Birthday to him and made him do shots, my brother had the whole thing recorded on a Dictaphone as well.

Later, I put on The Cutups at Le pub, I believe probably their first Welsh gig perhaps... Anyway they played a bunch of gigs and became great friends especially Reza, as he later studied in Cardiff and I later managed to persuade him to fill in on drums for my band and fulfil a life long dream of playing at the Cavern.



I also somehow managed to persuade Charlie from The Take to fill in on bass for a while too.

Anyway they are both immensely important bands to me personally, excellent musicians and great people. I am truly thankfully I ever got to see them live, listen to their records, let alone make an absolute racket sharing a few members.

To The Take and The Cutups and all who sail in them!


















Long live the Cavern!

You can get The Take - Dolomite here for fiver:
https://bombedout.bandcamp.com/album/dolomite
You can get Propeller here for £4

You can get The Cutups The Nerves here:
http://www.thecutups.com/

You can hear Bluetip here: https://bluetip.bandcamp.com/album/polymer
and Jawbox here:   https://jawbox.bandcamp.com/track/capillary-life