Something And Nothing - a gig (of sorts)

I haven't really bothered with gig reviews this year (though I have still been keeping track of them), but on Thursday night, MrsRobster and I attended a special show by one of our all-time heroes, Mr David Lewis Gedge. The great man has just published the second volume of his autobiography 'Tales From The Wedding Present'. This one is subtitled 'Something And Nothing' and picks up where volume 1 ('Go Out And Get 'Em Boy') left off, covering the period around the release of the band's first album, the evergreen classic 'George Best'.

I've not had chance to read it yet, but in case you didn't know, it's not your normal autobiography. Gedge has always loved comics, and he has overseen the publication of a few Wedding Present comics over time, featuring different stories from the group's history. The books essentially tell Gedge's story in comic book form. Aided by the wonderful illustrator Lee Thacker, former Cinerama/Wedding Present (and Goya Dress) bassist Terry de Castro, and David's girlfriend Jessica McMillan, Gedge compiled some of the previously published tales along with brand new ones that he and family, friends, acquaintances and exes have recalled.

So a few nights ago, Gedge, Thacker and de Castro (along with current Weddoes bassist Melanie Howard) came to Cardiff on the second date of the book launch tour. The three - led by de Castro - fed us anecdotes covering not just some of the new book's content, but also some insight into how the project came together. There were some fascinating revelations.

(WARNING: If you're planning on going to one of the remaining dates, you might want to skip the next paragraph so as not to spoil things...)

Firstly, we learned that the Kevin in Give My Love To Kevin is not a real person. Like many of Gedge's songs, it was inspired by overhearing a conversation between strangers. When departing one stranger said to the other "Give my love to Kevin", and Gedge thought that would make a good song title! My favourite anecdote was related to the fact that Gedge is absolutely meticulous (read: geeky) in his record keeping to the point where he keeps spreadsheets on everything. Even back as far as the 80s, before he could enter anything onto a computer, he kept a record of which of his loud shirts he wore at which gig. This would ensure he never wore the same shirt twice in the same place on subsequent tours. "In fact, if I wore one shirt in Cardiff, I'd make sure the following year I wore that shirt as far away from Cardiff as I could!"

Following the interviews, the audience was invited to ask questions. I contemplated whether I should ask one. My initial idea was to ask Gedge about all the band members of the past and how some of the numerous sackings had taken place. Someone beat me to it however. So I managed to come up with the final question of the night:

"October 1988, Exeter University. My first ever gig - The Wedding Present. My mate and I were in the lobby just prior to the show and this guy walks right past us. 'That's David Gedge,' I said. 'Nah,' said my mate, 'he wouldn't be here mingling with the likes of us.' But it was you, mingling with the likes of us, and you've done it ever since. Do you think that's an important part of who you are and what you do?"

His response? "Not really no! It's just to stop the boredom of hanging around backstage waiting to go on." He did elaborate a bit though, and confirmed that he actually enjoys it.

After a short break, David, Terry and Melanie convened for a short semi-acoustic set of songs. It's interesting how well some of the material works in this stripped-back form, even those songs that are usually so fast and frantic. Something And Nothing sounded great, as did both Dare and Crushed. Along with some old crowd-pleasers (Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft, You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends, My Favourite Dress and Brassneck), there was also room for some proper deep cuts, such as Big Rat from the 'Watusi' album, Close Up, from the Cinerama album 'Torino', as well as Science Fiction, the new single due next week - the 11th monthly single of 2022.

All this in the wonderful setting of the Acapela Studios, a beautiful converted chapel in the village of Pentyrch, just a few miles outside Cardiff. MrsRobster and I booked a table so we could indulge in the venue's famous pizzas prior to showtime. It's this that helps raise the money for the venue to book its acts. It's a place you really should visit if you're in this neck of the woods.

So, food, drink, autographed books and David Gedge. Could it really get any better? I highly doubt it. If you get the chance to go along to one of these shows, I very much recommend it. Failing that, buy the book (or books, if you haven't got volume one already).

Here's a couple of tunes from the night someone I know managed to capture.

• Big Rat [live at Acapela Studios, Cardiff] - The Wedding Present
• Brassneck [live at Acapela Studios, Cardiff] - The Wedding Present

The Genius Of... David Gedge #10

#10: Kennedy by The Wedding Present

This will be the last of this series for the time being. It hasn't been as popular as I'd hoped so I'm calling time on the regular postings, though I may well sporadically post additional articles when the mood takes me. There will be one more Tim Smith post and one more Jack White post, but it's most likely the Tim Smith series will be revived at some point as it was by far the most popular.

So to finish the Gedge installment, an absolute classic, not just in terms of Gedge's output but in the entire output of the indie music genre. A big claim yes, but I defy anyone to argue the point. Kennedy was the Wedding Present's first single on a major label and their first UK Top 40 hit. It featured on their second album 'Bizarro' in 1989, but I first heard it the previous year when they played it at my first ever gig.

There was no new sound to accompany the major label deal, just classic jangly Weddoes. Lyrically it's one of Gedge's simplest - a single repeated verse referring to JFK and the so-called American dream. If you ever hear the Wedding Present on the radio, it's most likely Kennedy that's being played. It's a song that still gets me going all these years later, and a fine way to wrap this series up.

The Genius of... David Gedge #9

#9: Spiderman On Hollywood by The Wedding Present

2008's 'El Rey' is sadly not regarded as Gedge's finest work, which is a shame as it's got some excellent songs on it.  Spiderman On Hollywood, for instance, is one of my fave Gedge tunes post-reformation. It's a song about things - in this case, and in typical Gedge fashion, a relationship - not always being what they first appear.  Musically it's not far removed from 'Bizarro'-era Weddoes. Lyrically it's also one of Gedge's best, his wit shining through as much as in any song he's written.

  "I thought I saw a superhero but it was just Spiderman on Hollywood
  I thought I saw a supermodel but she had hair where I don't think she should."

One of our Dave's favourite topics is that of failing relationships. While most of them tend to be bitter and resentful, this one seems to be a more amicable split with the protagonist seemingly accepting of his own misplaced assumptions and naïveté.

  "That's what's so funny, honey
  You looked like my girl for so long
  That I thought you would always be beside me
  But I'll be the first to admit I was wrong."

There are a few other dead good tracks on 'El Rey'. It's a somewhat lighter record than its predecessor 'Take Fountain', harking back to some classic Wedding Present reference points. Spiderman on Hollywood is probably its most illustrative number.

The Genius Of... David Gedge #8

#8: Quick, Before It Melts by Cinerama

One of my favourite Gedge lyrics without question. Like Wow, it's about being seduced by a woman when he's already in a relationship with another, only this time he's concerned his nervousness may affect his performance. Quick, Before It Melts was recorded for Cinerama's third and final album 'Torino' which came out in 2002. An extended version appeared on the album.

From the off we get an idea of the situation our hero is in. It's very possibly the greatest opening verse in pop music history:

  "And when you said: 'I've got nothing on beneath this dress', that was such great flirting!
  I usually find such candidness sort of disconcerting.
  But you said: 'I don't wear underwear because it leaves a stripe.
  People sneer, but do you think I care? They're usually not my type!'"

That flirting continues as the drinks flow before things become a little more physical:

  "You put your hand onto the very place my girlfriend's hand should be,
  You haven't exactly got the kind of face that invites honesty."

Musically, the big chorus really lifts things after the quiet verses. It veers towards Wedding Present territory in places with Sally Murrell's keyboards reminding us it's very much a Cinerama record. Quick, Before It Melts is their best track without a doubt, and definitely one of the best in Gedge's entire canon, if I'm being honest.

The Genius of... David Gedge #7

Three by The Wedding Present

1992's 'Hit Parade' project was remarkable in a number of ways. The good old seven inch single was dead; I was working at Our Price at the time and can say this with authority. No one wanted these silly little bits of black plastic anymore. So what do Gedge and cohorts do? They release 12 singles on 7" vinyl format only. A winner, yeah?

Well actually, yeah. Following the critical acclaim of 'Seamonsters', the Weddoes hit upon a surprise period of commercial success. Each of their strictly limited monthly singles made the Top 40 which was a UK chart record (only Elvis had ever achieved this before, but none of his hits were self-penned). They remain the only British act to achieve this feat. What's also interesting is that compiling all 12 a-sides together actually creates a cohesive album[1].

Three was the third of the series (Ha! Clever!) and is one of my fave Gedge tunes. It's somewhat restrained in its approach, a little quiet and understated, but lyrically it's probably as saucy as Gedge ever got.

  "I'm yours, she's mine
  Two's company but three have a better time."

Is he trying to initiate a ménage à trois here? Probably, the naughty devil. Yet it's downplayed in both his vocal delivery and the music which is notably slower than many of the tracks from the 'Hit Parade' project. Gedge isn't going to shout about his encounters from the rooftops a la Van Halen or Aerosmith. This is a private matter between him and his partner(s). It's another fine example of how Gedge gets the best out of his songs and is a bit of a dark horse in his canon.

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[1] Originally the first six A-sides and B-sides were compiled, followed by the latter 6 A's and B's. Subsequent re-issues of 'Hit Parade' have been double CD affairs with all 12 A's on one disc and the B-sides on the other. Far more sensible.
 

The Genius Of... David Gedge #6

#6: My Favourite Dress by The Wedding Present
 
Probably the first true sign of David Gedge's talent. My Favourite Dress was released as the Wedding Present's fourth single in 1987 and later that year featured (in a slightly altered form) on the debut album 'George Best'. It displays everything you need to know about Gedge's approach to songwriting, particularly in those early days.

Musically, it sums up what the Wedding Present were all about - jangly guitars, simple three-chord structures and that all-important extended coda. Lyrically, it's trademark Gedge. Our hero has been stood up, only to spot his girlfriend in the arms of another man:

  Uneaten meals, a lonely star
  A welcome ride in a neighbour's car
  A long walk home in the pouring rain
  I fell asleep when you never came
  Some rare delight in Manchester town
  It took six hours before you let me down
  To see it all in a drunken kiss
  A stranger's hand on my favourite dress
  That was my favourite dress you wore

My Favourite Dress was one of the first songs I ever taught myself to play on guitar (yes, it's that simple) and has remained a huge fave of mine over the years. On occasion I've shamefully forgotten what a good song it is. One listen, and I'm hooked once more.

The Genius of... David Gedge #5

#5: Wow

One of Cinerama's finest moments, and the loud guitars that once graced the Wedding Present's works make a welcome appearance. A tale of lies, deceit, cheating and a secret rendezvous; the boy Gedge is taken in by a temptress despite already having a girlfriend. But although he's prepared for a one-night-stand, he's not certain he wants to commit anything more to this siren.

  "I don't want to stay forever
  I don't want to leave my girlfriend
  But wow!
  This isn't happening the way I planned."

Structure-wise, Wow is very Wedding Present; verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, instrumental coda. Classic Gedge really. Only the twangy guitar and bongos in the opening verse and the keyboards in the chorus and coda hint at this being a Cinerama song. Us old-school fans could breathe a little more easily. But more than anything, it is a really good song, proving that Gedge could still pull it off with aplomb whatever name he was recording under.

Wow was released in 2000 as Cinerama's fifth single and appeared, in extended form, on their second album 'Disco Volante'. The single version was eventually compiled on 2002's 'Cinerama Holiday' compilation.

The Genius Of... David Gedge #4

 #4: Interstate 5

OK, briefly for those of you who don't know the story. David Gedge and Sally Murrell split up in 2003 following the release of Cinerama's third album 'Torino'. He continued however, recording a new album. It was after the recording had finished that it was suggested the new record, entitled 'Take Fountain', sounded more like a Wedding Present album due to its proliferation of guitars. And so it was decided - after a layoff of some eight years - the Wedding Present were reborn.

The first fruit of these labours was a song I consider to be among the best David Gedge ever made. Released exactly 10 years ago this very day[1] Interstate 5 could be described as a bit of a slow-burner. In fact, it's a bit slow, full-stop. At six minutes long, it was never going to be a radio hit either. It's a curious choice of comeback single, yet it took my breath away. It's a great song, all about a bloke's consternation at being used by a woman as a one-night-stand.
 

  I have this nagging fear
  That sex was all you needed
  I try to persevere
  I guess I've not succeeded

It does build gradually - starting with a single repeated chord, overlaid by a chiming second guitar playing a simple melody. The rhythmic pulsing of that same chord runs throughout the song, rarely giving way until the bridge when Gedge acknowledges there were doubts about the femme fatale's motives at the time of the episode in question:

  And yes there was one particular glance
  That made me afraid
  That you were just seeing me as a chance
  Of getting laid

The resentment of the protagonist is felt in the closing minute and a half as those guitars get louder and more agitated at our hero's predicament. There's no doubt that this really was a mission statement from the boy Gedge - the Wedding Present are back! I agree, this was no Cinerama track. The album emerged to rave reviews and much joy at the return of one of indie music's great names.

That in itself raises an interesting point though - it was only a name. The record was recorded as Cinerama, only a late decision to attribute it to the Wedding Present really drew people's attention to it. Would it have been so hailed as a Cinerama record? Would I have cared so much about a new Cinerama record? Discuss.

There was a thought I had that I should include this in my 'Songs to take to my grave' series - I still might. Either way, it still deserves its place as a moment of Gedge genius. Oh, and it's worth noting that Interstate 5 was accompanied by an astonishing video recorded in locations the length and breadth of the UK. One of my favourite vids of all time in fact.

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[1] I'd written and scheduled this piece before I'd even looked at the release date. Coincidence or what!

The Genius Of… David Gedge #3

(In case you missed the first two installments in this series - and going by the viewing stats it appears most of you probably have - you can revisit them here and here...)

#3: Kerry Kerry

The first David Gedge release to bear a name other than The Wedding Present, Kerry Kerry was a big departure from the trademark indie sound us fans were used to. Gone were those guitars, whether jangly or crunching. Gone too was the pounding backbeat. In their place, lush-sounding orchestral swoops, reminiscent of classic movie soundtracks from the 1960s. Strings and woodwind dominated, while Gedge and girlfriend Sally Murrell provided delicate, sometimes melancholic vocals that were far removed from the darker, grittier moods of Dalliance and Corduroy.

Yet lyrically, it remained David Gedge all over. He’s discovered his lover is seeing someone else and is now confronting her about it:

  You bought him presents with my money
  That makes me feel just great, although
  I’ve got to say that it is kind of funny
  That you could think I’d never know

Hardly Shakespeare I know, but quintessentially Gedge, which in view of the radical change of musical direction was some kind of comfort. Oh, speaking of Shakespeare:

  But now the longer that I hang around
  The more anxious that you get
  Oh it looks like Romeo has found
  A nervous Juliet

Kerry Kerry scraped the UK charts at #71. It was the highest charting single they put out. Not that that matters a jot to be honest. There were much better Cinerama tracks to come, but Kerry Kerry is significant as it introduced us to a new David Gedge that in many ways was also the same.

The Genius Of... David Gedge #2

#2: Dalliance

‘Bizarro’ proved that there was more to the Wedding Present than moping Northerners with jangly guitars. It also led to a new chapter in the band’s development. Teaming up with Steve Albini to re-record the album’s opening track Brassneck for a single proved to be a masterstroke. While Albini long had a reputation for being a not particularly easy person to get along with, there’s no doubting his talents and influence as a producer. The Albini/Weddoes pairing proved not just fruitful, but revolutionary.

After Brassneck came the ‘3 Songs’ EP, again with Albini at the helm. Already, a new Wedding Present sound was beginning to emerge – something altogether rawer, noisier, some might say nastier. The following year, the band’s third album hit the shelves, and by way of introduction, it was led by the single Dalliance. To many fans, including this one, it came as a bit of a shock.

Dalliance still displayed some of David Gedge’s finest trademarks, but there was added spark. Maybe us fans expected something lively like Kennedy to lead us into the new record. Instead, Dalliance starts quietly – very quietly, in fact – and somewhat restrained; Gedge practically whispers the opening lines.

Interestingly, the characters in Dalliance are based on real people. Simply by switching the sex of the protagonist to male and his subject to female, Gedge relates the feelings of a spurned lover who after having an affair with a married woman for seven years, has now found himself dumped as she goes back to her husband. In real life, the spurned lover was Sarah Johnson, the married party being Leo Cooper, husband of novelist Jilly. Ms Johnson went public in 1990 when news of the affair broke, claiming that despite the extra-marital activity lasting six years, Cooper simply referred to it as a mere ‘dalliance’ when explaining himself.

As the song progresses, the resentment and anger of the jilted flame grows – the drums get louder, the guitars do too and Gedge’s voice becomes more audible. By the time we get to the final verse, pure rage has set in. Gedge growls: 

  “I was yours for seven years / Is that what you call a dalliance?” 

It becomes the Wedding Present’s noisiest, angriest song to date and set the template for the album, ‘Seamonsters’, perhaps the most dark, daring and difficult of all their work. 

While Melody Maker dismissed it at the time as “like sandpapering your ears”, ‘Seamonsters’ has gone on to be regarded as the band’s masterpiece. It was, in essence, what you might call ‘proto-grunge’. Over the ensuing 18 months, a slew of bands (mainly from the US) would turn their guitars and distortion up to the max, the singers would growl and holler their disdainful, angst-ridden lyrics, and the world would embrace the alternative rock revolution. While grunge was at its multi-platinum corporate peak, the Weddoes could look back in a ‘been there, done that, bought the obligatory Nirvana t-shirt’ kind of way as they moved onto their next project.

So here’s the bold claim – David Gedge from northern England invented grunge; Dalliance beats Smells Like Teen Spirit as the first proper alt-rock/grunge hit single, and ‘Seamonsters’ was the first Top 20 grunge album. Presenting exhibit B in the case for the defence: Dalliance.

The Genius Of… David Gedge #1

There is a handful of artists I hold in particularly high esteem, something you may have noticed if you’ve followed this blog for a little while. I’m going to feature a few of them in more detail. For the foreseeable future, Saturday is Genius Day, where I feature a track by one of those artists I deem to be at least semi-worthy of the tag.

I’m going to alternate between three acts. So next week will see Tim Smith of Cardiacs as my subject, the following week will be Jack White. Then the cycle will start again with the second posting of today’s chosen one. And who might that be? Well duh! Look at the title of the post!

#1: 2, 3, Go

I’ve made little secret of my fondness for the music of David Lewis Gedge. He’s featured a few times on these pages (in particular here and here). I put it to you that he is one of the great, underrated songwriters of the modern age. I shall bolster my argument by posting a track of my choosing and writing a few words about it.

To begin, I plumped for 2, 3, Go from ‘Saturnalia’. It was the penultimate single the Wedding Present released before Gedge dissolved them to form Cinerama. It’s an unusually optimistic song by his standards. The lyrics are essentially saying ‘to hell with the consequences, let’s do lots of cool stuff just because we can!’

  “Make a movie today
  Buy a red Chevrolet
  Let’s go swim the Zambezi
  Let’s do it just ‘cause it’s easy.”

There’s a sense of impulsive behaviour that crops up in a number of Gedge’s songs. Here he’s being much more overt:

  “Sometimes if we just wait
  For the right moment
  It comes far too late.”

2, 3, Go adopts the quietLOUDquiet dynamic pioneered by Pixies, but still remains unmistakably a Gedge work. OK, so his voice pretty much gives it away, but I also like the contribution of bass player Jayne Lockey here as well, giving the song a similar feel to the later Cinerama stuff.

In spite of its release (in a slightly edited form) as a single, it did very little commercially which may have helped influence Gedge’s decision to put the Wedding Present brand into hibernation shortly thereafter. The likeness to latter day Cinerama also maybe hints at why Gedge took the decision to adopt the Wedding Present name again for the ‘Take Fountain’ album some nine years later. Pure speculation of course, but 2, 3, Go wouldn’t have sounded out of place nestled next to Don’t Touch That Dial, itself a Cinerama song that ended up on the Wedding Present’s ‘comeback’ album.

For me, 2, 3, Go is one of the great forgotten tracks in the Weddoes canon.