Rubble n Shit #4 (part one)

Issue #4 of Rubble n Shit was cut n pasted in the summer of 2001, which was a hot and sunny one if I remember correctly. This issue is probably my favourite as it features my first ever band interview, with King Adora, which was at the time the most terrifying and exciting thing that had ever happened to me. I was obsessed with that band and still have my signed album, singles and t-shirt from the signings covered in this issue. It also includes an awesome in-store performance and signing at Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street - later HMV and now closed down, I think - as featured in this video. I might even be in it somewhere, with terrible hair and too much eyeliner on.

I've had to remove a few pages though, cos some stuff was just a little too personal and embarrassing to share. There's also funny photo of chubby-faced teenage me in part two, so do come back for the second half if you want a good laugh.  

The King Adora signing was held at Left Legged Pineapple in Loughborough, a new and second hand record shop, which sadly closed a few years back. This was the first time I visited Left Legged, but a couple of years later I would pop in every Friday after college en route to the pub. I always scoured the second hand section first to try and save money, and it was rare I left empty handed.

I think York was the furthest we ever travelled for a gig, but we probably would have gone anywhere to see the Pachinos. It was a bloody long way. I made mixtapes to keep us entertained, which I still have stashed away in my shoe box of old cassettes. I rarely throw anything away.

Ooh, here it is, the big interview with Maxi from King Adora. And I got a kiss on the cheek, that was all 18-year-old me really wanted from life...

'So we went in, sat down and announced we were 'absolutely shitting ourselves''

I think honesty is always the best policy.

We were so baby faced we always got away with 

buying child train tickets whenever we went to gigs.

 This was the first time we met Crackout. 

We went to the dressing room to meet 

Steven and Jack after the gig. They were being filmed 

for the video for 'You Dumb Fuck' at the time. 

I think some of the live shots in the video are from that gig.

Wish I could remember more about this gig, sounds like it was awesome. 

Didn't have the guts to interview Therapy? at 18, but I did many years later.

Also met Andy Cairns in a pub in late 2001.

I was so terrified and awe-struck I think I only managed a 'hello'.

King Adora signing at Virgin Megastore.

Rubble n Shit #3 (part two)

Here's part two of Rubble n Shit #3, written and slapped together in early 2001. If you missed part one you can read it here.

Jag and Mem from Outmeasured went on to be in Ghost of a Thousand.

Rubble n Shit #3 (part one)

It's early 2001. I've just turned 18. While everyone else is gearing up to finish sixth form and making plans for uni, I'm locked away in my bedroom frantically cutting n pasting about the bands I love, the gigs I've been to and the music I'm hooked on. I work full-time in a factory packing toys for minimum wage - £3.50 for 18 - 21 year-olds at that time - which gives me enough money to stalk the bands I love and put a zine together.

It's strange re-reading this as a (mostly) sensible 30-something. I miss the days when I could just drop everything to head off to a gig in Bath, Manchester, London or wherever else I fancied. I still do go to gigs in other cities from time to time, but these have to be strategically planned due to work commitments and limited finances.

Also, I can't believe how many gigs I've forgotten about. I've been to so many over the years that I have no recollection of some of them. Last year I was convinced I'd never seen Jimmy Eat World live, so I was pretty chuffed when I saw they'd been added to the Download festival line-up at Donington Park. Halfway through their first song it dawned on me that I'd seen them before, supporting Weezer at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in 2001. Later, when I was going through my ticket stubs, I discovered I'd seen them again at Rock City, Nottingham, around 2002. Idiot.

While I can remember going to the Dog Toffee, Feeder and Manic Street Preachers gigs that feature in this issue, I couldn't actually remember anything about them. It's been good fun looking back at what I'd forgotten, I just wish I had a zine review of all the gigs I've been to over the years.

Until I read this gig review of the Manics at the Apollo the only memory I had of that trip was the appalling b&b we stayed in across the road from the venue. It was freezing, we had a broken window in our room and there was a shared bathroom. On the plus side, it was full of Manics fans, who left a trail of multi-coloured feathers on the stairs and along the corridors as their feather boas malted everywhere. I think my feather boa of choice was black for that gig.