BAIBS Wednesday 12/12/12

Found the snooze button on my alarm. Not a good thing. Finally woke up properly(ish) a good half hour later than I should have. Two options: Either quick wash, forgo the coffee and obligatory Live at 7 facebook status or wake my girlfriend and selflessly ask her if she'd like the pleasure of getting out of her warm bed, even though she's not at work for another 3 hours, chip away at the iceberg that was once her car and give me a lift to the radio. I'm good like that. I'm not that bad, I made the coffee.

So the show started on time thanks to the Cherry Blossom and I avoided the bag fiddling, hand freezing, coffee spilling walk into work. It was stupidly cold but I do like frost. I think it's Nature accessorising at it's best. As pretty as it is though I think we should have some deal were it's gone by mid-morning. Wasn't expecting a treacherous walk home too. Moaning to myself about non-gritted pavements when a gritter went past and pelted me with rock salt. Moaning then, through gritted teeth, about gritters. I'm 44. I'm allowed a good moan. And my teeth wont ice over now.

Walking through the town and a young urchin stopped me, tugging at my coat. I looked down at his flat cap, rosy cheeks, threadbare rags and hobnail boots with holes. 'Mister, tell us a story wontcha'. Think I'm taking this Dickensian Christmas thing too far now. But I did get a request this morning from the Cushty Librarian wanting something Noel Gallagherish with a footnote that she hates the Gallaghers so thought I'd share this with you.

It was back in October 1995. The Britpop wars were at their height with Blur and Oasis taking up positions in the NME. I was down in that London visiting my good friend Nigel Smith (co-writer of I'm Made Out Of Cheese). Back then he worked as a dj for the Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street and had got tickets for Oasis playing live at the megastore, midnight on Sunday October 1st, the release of What's The Story (Morning Glory). A ridiculously exclusive gig. We sat in the nearest pub til closing time, 10.30 on a Sunday back in those days, where John Lydon nestled in a corner with his 'Yes I am. Now f**k off' t-shirt. Off to the megastore with time to kill so we went up to the roof for a smoke. A security guard came up and told us we had to go downstairs so we got back in the lift.

The lift was one of those with doors front and back and we went through the wrong doors straight into Oasis' makeshift dressing room. With 'we shouldn't be here looks' we eyed up the table of beer and decided to blag it. Avoiding eye contact with the Gallaghers we waded into the beer. I scrounged a fag off Noel and couldn't decide whether to frame it or smoke it. I smoked it. Next thing Liam's kicking off cos someone's drunk all his f***ing beer. I hid mine in my jacket and continued to bore Noel with my 'We have the same shoes on' conversation.

Then ushered into the store for the gig, in front of the barriers. Oasis did two and a half songs. Noel bet Liam £50 he'd forget the words to Rocking Chair. He did and stormed off. There's a photo in an Oasis book of Liam in standard two finger salute pose with me peering over his shoulder still with the 'I shouldn't be here' look.

It all turned into a bit of a melee. I lost Nidge and ended up on the street and waited. Then Liam came swaggering towards me and stopped. All he said was 'You do the f***ing Morecambe and Wise thing and they don't f***ing like it'. Then he sauntered off into London followed by a pack of photographers who'd got exactly what they wanted.

So that's my brush with fame and, I think, enough name dropping for one day.

Laters

SS

Playlist Wednesday 12/12/12

Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode

Hunger - Frankie and the Heartstrings

Moving To New York - The Wombats

Mary - The Adulescents UK

One More Shot - The Rolling Stones

Feel About You - The 48ks

Black And White Town - Doves

(All I Wanted Was) Danger - The Milk

Money - Missing Andy

Stingin' Belle - Biffy Clyro

Stop The Cavalry - Jona Lewie

Hey Ho - The Lumineers

Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo and the Bunnymen

The Death Of You And Me - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Breathe - The Prodigy

With Or Without You - U2

Right Now - Bang Bang Romeo

You Held The World In Your Arms - Idlewild

Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones

The Love Cats - The Cure

Follow Me - Muse

Memories - Jery At Controls

You Overdid It Doll - The Courteneers

Baggy Trousers - Madness

Boxing Day - Blink 182

This Is Real - The Enemy

White Wedding - Billy Idol

Bats - The Darlingtons

A Message To To You, Rudy - The Specials

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Frank Sinatra

Altogether Now - The Farm

Keep On Running - The Starkins

You Jane - The Wedding Present

Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag - Pigbag

Souvenir - OMD

Ready To Die - Famous Villains

It's The End Of The World As We Know It - R.E.M.

Slow It Down - Amy MacDonald

What You Do To Me - Teenage Fanclub

Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers