the wedding present. 1996.

this is the only other thing i found in that notepad - having obviously been inspired to prose by possibly the band i've seen the, um fourth most number of times (and who are still slowly accruing). it's not exactly incisive critique, but it's mine. all sorts of other interesting memories are enmeshed around this gig, but all that you are going to know is that i drank at least twice as much alcohol that night as i could even begin to dream of managing at a show nowadays.

wedding present / cable
top of o'reilly's, nottingham 27/2/96.

First off, Cable. They opened with "the colder climate", a brave move given how it descends into several minutes of wilful contemplative quiet strumming, but one of their best songs. The set was full of quiet / loud tricks and forays into appropriately taut, wiry instrumental bits before they go all semi-grunge again. Actually not bad, better than on record & worth keeping an eye on.

Within seconds of the wedding present started, I knew it was up to all expectation & the near 7-year wait. "Sucker" seemed over before it had started, but there were so many songs & all so good. new (female) bass player too providing the odd backing vocal. The whole of "Mini" was rightly aired, even Mercury with its brilliant slow burn lyric & clanging guitars, "Dare" was launched ferociously into, the 2 Island singles were wheeled out just to show how the new stuff's better. Top of it all, "My Favourite Dress", about 13th song in. I mean... fantastic. Finished with "flying saucer" & left me speechless.

notts at night photo by mark thornton