Tuesday 23 June 2015

Guilty (of a flashback to May 1977 in Glasgow)

Maybe about eight  or nine years ago an air freighted issue of Uncut magazine arrived at my house. Which was strange in itself though stranger still was the fact that it had been sent by my sister over in Scotland. I started reading it and it was only when I got to the very back of the mag that I realised why I had been sent it. In that particular issue Allan Jones's 'Stop Me If You've Heard This Before' column was revisiting the weekend in May 1977 that New York punk hit Glasgow. 
At the local university on the Saturday night The Ramones were playing supported by Talking Heads and then the following night Television and Blondie played at The Apollo.
The only band that had set foot in Britain previous to this was The Ramones and this was also the first night of the Television tour.
Anyway Allan had been dispatched north by the Melody Maker to cover these gigs and I actually met him early on the Saturday morning just walking down Renfrew Street. As you can imagine it was a great weekend and a few adventures took place, some gaps of which were filled in for me some 35 years later by my compatriot in crime that weekend, Alan, who went on to write for the NME as Tommy Udo, after we got in touch again through Facebook. An example being that I had completely forgotten that after going to The Ramones/Talking Heads soundcheck we met Joey's brother Mickey, who was working as their roadie and we headed back to their hotel for refreshments before setting off for the gig at night.
I was needless to say completely gobsmacked that the following issue of MM had numerous words that apparently had come out of my mouth. I speak here as someone who can talk a load of crap at the best of time but after indulging in powders I can even amaze myself with the shite I utter.
Flashing forward to the twenty first century and to be honest I am in a complete state of shock and awe reliving that amazing weekend through Allan's words but after recovering I decide to call out my two sons to the porch (who it must be pointed out are then both older than the seventeen years old self that I have just been reading about.)
So I read Allan's article out to them as I relive that glorious weekend in my head once more and after finishing it I say to them that it is amazing, as I feel that 'I haven't changed in one bit in all these years' to which my kids reply, almost in unison that 'that is bloody tragic dad.'
I had to laugh!

Tee

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