Radiohead in 100 gigs
The tickets for these acoustic gigs, previews of the new album (The Bends) that was finished and announced just before Christmas, are available free to W.A.S.T.E. subscribers. I phone the hotline the day before and leave a message as instructed. Julie from the management calls me back; I’m on the list. We get the bus… Continue reading 14. Edinburgh, La Belle Angel, 14 February 1995. Thom & Jonny (Kind of) Plugged In
12 March I take the train to Manchester with Rebecca. When we get to her place, Val has a special promo copy of The Bends on vinyl, dispatched from Caffy. My immediate reaction is that it’s a masterpiece. It’s so different from the first record but more recognisable as the band I’ve come to know.… Continue reading 15. Wolverhampton, Civic Hall, 13 March 1995.
The discovery that we have to catch the last train back to Manchester from Sheffield tonight puts me in a bad mood. The last train is at 10.45pm, I'm convinced there will be a race to catch it even though the venue is pretty close to the station. Rebecca leaves early to interview Marion. Val… Continue reading 16. Sheffield, Hallam University, 14 March 1995
I spend the morning running about at Uni trying to print an essay that I have written in the one day I had between shows. It is too short but it will have to do. For the duration of this tour I’m doing as little work as I can get away with and I don’t… Continue reading 17. Glasgow, The Garage, 16 March 1995
I wake up early, flushed with excitement and pack my rucksack. I’m learning to travel light. I’m reading 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez for my English Lit course. I get through a lot of it on the train to Preston. I’m early when I get there, so I go for a cup… Continue reading 18. Preston, University of Central Lancashire, 18 March 1995
We keep putting off our departure from Manchester and when we eventually get on the road we get diverted onto the Motorway (which we’d been avoiding as it didn’t make for easy going in the little Metro), but we still manage to arrive in Middlesbrough by 3.30pm. Outside the Town Hall we find the tour… Continue reading 19. Middlesbrough, Town Hall, 19 March 1995
Wake up with a strange introspective feeling about last night. I shouldn’t be so paranoid. We go and pick up more fanzines from the printers and then get the bus to Piccadilly, where we bump into Lisa Abuse. She’s up to her neck in exams and isn’t coming to the show. Val, Rebecca and I… Continue reading 20. Manchester, University, 20 March 1995
We drop Val down Oxford Road the next morning. As we drive away, waving, her distinctive pink hair and leopard collar recede into the distance. I don’t know it now, but I’m not going to see her again. I realise later, when this tour is over and I try to get back in touch with… Continue reading Val Savage
It is a very straight drive across very flat land from Grantham, where we stayed the night at Rebecca’s parents’ house, to Norwich. It’s a sunny day; we have mellow tapes on in the car. The Verve, Arthur Lee’s Love. We follow a ring road around the outside of town until we find a car… Continue reading 21. Norwich, Waterfront, 22 March 1995
Fatigue and traffic queues. Another one-way city. We have trouble parking when we reach the Roadmender. The others are conferring about directions when I spot Jonny walking across the road some way in front of us. He’s got shades on and big expensive-looking headphones. Eventually we park in a multi-storey then go for a wander… Continue reading 22. Northampton, Roadmender, 23 March 1995