"Don't forget the songs that made you cry and the songs that saved your life"

Owdo!

I saw this over at Mark's gaff the other week & knew then that I would have to have a go...

Pick 10 bands you really like. Do it now before reading on. Mine are (picked sort of at random but all bands I do really like & it was so hard to only pick 10)...

1.Blur
2.Placebo
3.Depeche Mode
4.Muse
5.Manic Street Preachers
6.The Divine Comedy
7.Stereophonics (Shut up! I like them!)
8.Easyworld
9.Radiohead
10.Mansun


and then answer the questions.

1. What was the first song you ever heard by 6?
"Something for the weekend" when it was championed by Chris Evans, back in the day when his show was crucial.
2. What is your favourite album of 8?
Now Easyworld only made 2 albums before calling it a day & I always find it near on impossible to choose. Today I shall be choosing "Kill the last romantic"
3. What is your favourite lyric of 5?
"If I can shoot rabbits then I can shoot fascists"
4. How many times have you seen 4 live?
Much to my dismay I have only seen the mighty threesome twice. First time at Rock City, Nottingham in 2001 when I was ever so slightly disappointed & then a few months later when they headlined the smaller stage at the V festival in Staffordshire where they somehow ripped me apart & fed every single molecule in my body into some sort of ecstasy flavoured fizzy drink container which was then vigourously shaken up & opened spraying my disembodied self straight to heaven where a group of nubile heavenly chicks lovingly put me back together again just in time for the end of "Bliss". Actually that doesn't quite do it justice.
5. What is your favourite song by 7?
"Same size feet"
6. Is there a song of 3 that makes you sad?
How long have we got? Shall I just single one out? "The things you said" has always tugged at my heartstrings, especially the middle eight; "I get so carried away..."
7.What is your favourite lyric of 9?
"Kicking squealing Gucci little piggy"
8. What is your favourite song by 1?
Predictably enough it has to be "Song 2" though I also adore "Out of time"
9. How did you get into 8?
I went to see Supergrass at the now closed down Roadmender in Northampton during the spring of 2002. It was a warm up date for a festival, just a one off. The support band had just started when they arrived. They were playing a song that grabbed me straight away, it was ace! I left my perch on the balcony & went down to the front of the stage. They continued to be bloody brilliant. The next day I bought their single "Bleach" which was the song I was hearing as I walked in. That's when the love affair with Easyworld began. Incidentally Supergrass were bloody terrible that night. Honest!
10. What is your favourite song by 4?
"Time is running out" or "Stockholm Syndrome" but "Knights of Cydonia" may yet take that title.
11. How many times have you seen 1 live?
Twice. The first time they were headliners at V97 in Leeds & completely put the lid on an utterly joyous weekend. I also saw them at Hull Arena In December 97. Blur are a bloody excellent live band.
12. What is a good memory concerning 2?
I swear I went by the rules & picked my bands before I looked at the questions, it's just all working out so sweetly. It was April 1997, Reckless & I were fast becoming super moshing surfing gig monsters. For Placebo's gig at Leicester de montfort hall we had brought Funny Dance with us & there were no women with us. So we decided to have it large! We all had an E before the gig & a couple of smokes. Now Funny Dance had only ever been to see the likes of Del Amitri or Erasure before & had never experienced a "Proper" gig before. As we waited in the throng Reckless & I could see that Funny Dance was getting a little nervous. The band came on & opened with "Bionic" which starts with just the bassline before exploding into full swing. When it kicked off Reckless & I threw ourselves into the throbbing mosh pit with giddy abandon. Funny Dance looked petrified & tried to make a run for it. So we grabbed him & pulled him back in. We then, without any warning at all, picked him up & threw him up onto the crowd. He then crowdsurfed all the way to the front. When he found his way back to us he flung his arms around the both of us & exhaulted that his experience was mindblowing. For the rest of that gig & indeed the rest of "The gigging years" Funny Dance could mosh & surf with the best of them. I only have to hear the intro to "Bionic" & I break out into a broad grin at the memory of a fantastic night spent with my very best friends. (sighs) ah, happy days.
13. Is there a song by 2 that makes you sad? "My sweet prince" it may well be about heroin but to me it shall always be about She Who Changed Everything
14. What is your favourite song of 6?
"Tonight we fly"
15. How did you become a fan of 10?
My first "proper" gig was again at the Roadmender in Northampton. It was Shed Seven, who were ace by the way. The support were Mansun & they were fucking shocking. I later heard "Stripper Vicar" which is such a bloody great song that I couldn't believe it was the same band. Then came "Wide open space" which I also really liked so when I found out they were supporting Suede at Watford town hall in February of 1997 I figured I'd give them another chance. They were absolutely superb as was their debut album a month or so later. I went on to see Mansun live on over 10 further occasions & they were never less than excellent except for one occasion that was just plain odd. On my 30th Birthday at the Roadmender. I guess that Northampton just freaked them out, eh?


Blimey, I right enjoyed doing that.