Squalor is at large in tidy suburbia – 1st June 1994

Oh and Rob was dancing da boogie to da Ramones and we all did, and the house rocked, literally. Me and Broni slept on the tiniest single bed that we ever slept but we did sleep instantly heads hit pillow.

I woke at 7am, sun streaming in across lillied water, some bird gently greeting the day too right outside, in his own house of sorts. Soon I stirred everyone (Broni and Rob) and coffee’d them up into action and saying our farewells we left this beautiful spot for the big smoke.

Oh but it was a beautiful journey through tunnels of gloriously green trees and on through twisty villages, sun streaming constant casting beautiful tree shadows across the road we journeyed. On and on, til building shaped the scape and after much navigation found New Cross and parked up close to tonight’s gig and hit the road on foot and rail. Taking the underground overground and into the city to Victoria, to book some place to stay the night and catch another coffee (us all tired and weak by now).

Onto South Ken to the V&A Museum which was most cool as we spent hours looking at jewellery and costumes and artefacts and the excellent glass exhibition. Shapes and colours bouncing and reflecting – understandable fascination people have with glass, the collection of it.

Oh but it’s all too much and our dials are on overload so to Covent Garden to watch performers and candlemakers through hustle and bustle to food and nourishment. Budweiser returns colour to cheeks and my tired body prepared itself for next part of our adventure which I will have to detail you later.

And now is later. So we took long train back under and over to New Cross and got ourselves ready for the night’s ear bash. Inside the venue (called The Venue) some band thankfully finished their Carter inspired set – singer being a real whinger moaning type, but they looked pretty young so good luck to them in the future.

Into second beer and second band, Poisoned Electric Head, came on all wired and weird in funny masks and I think the singers should have kept them on. They started out vaguely interesting but soon hit dirgedom. Oh well, next band we saw from upstairs and have no idea who they is, a violin or two and hymnal female vocals reminded me of Cranes – I thought they were great at what they do but not my groove thang, you understand.

Into the middle front for Cardiacs who, fuck me dead, started with Burn Your House Brown – what a fucking ripper! And Loosefish Scapegrace in there too with some newies and oldie classic. My itching body throbbed to the beat and if more room was available I’da been windmilling air guitar, Pete Townshend (John Otway) style. Stone Age Dinosaurs/To Go Off and Things blew me away. Phew. We leave soon after second encore, ears ringing pretty tunes. Rob says ‘fairground hardcore’ and that’s all I can make out.

We sit drained in the car and navigate to our B&B where long needed rest is urged upon our bodies. Soon found it soon happens and tomorrow is another day.

They’re classless, matchless, ageless and waterproof – 31st May 1994

Once again an action packed weekend. It could be I’m trying to cram as much in as possible and make the best of my time left here – I’d be insane if I only had three months left to live.

Well, dudes, here’s the news I have to relate. Friday I made a conscious effort to relax and forget about things and me, Broni and Kerry went to see the excellent ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ at the wonderful Odeon. A good film but fuck when are cinemas going to give us beds to lay on to watch a film (it makes sense to me and my back)? We was in mad rush before we got to cinema and didn’t have time to drink our bottle of Champagne pre film so laid into it 11 P.M. (after much convincing on Broni’s part as I had to work in the morning). When I say Champagne, it’s really just sparkling wine but we play better than we are.

We talked over Miles Davis in the room two-candled, only attentions turned romantic and I couldn’t help but kiss my baby’s soft fleshy smooth torso till urges became uncontrollable and 10 seconds after climax we were both sleep in separate dreamworlds still wrapped arm in arm.

The hangover hit about an hour after I got up and I soldiered through a dull morning at work before making it home, then to travel agent to deposit our tickets when Broni turns up, new green D.M.’s and face all a-grin (spending money makes her happy) and we laughed as we packed up stuff for out weekend to come.

We searched for food to no avail on journeys meandering track, Broni playing camera girl all the while. Soon to pick up Rob and highway hit through to Chichester to find Mick and Lisa on their new residence. On it because it’s a floater. A houseboat on an old canal and it was a beautiful place in the sun and a very relaxing atmosphere. We all agreed it’d be the pits in winter though.

We chatted and caught up on things since last time, before Lisa had to go off to work in the pub, the rest of us decided to walk round the bay to the pub which was an eventful journey where we all basically ended up with wet feet, Jesus-footing ourselves across sodden grass from high tide.

After beer and nosh and talk and Ray turning up we hot tailed it back to the little house on the water actually coming close to video our own deaths in a drunken car crash that thankfully didn’t happen, the people in the other car must have shit themselves! Once back Lisa rolls a continuous supply of pure grass joints and we make drunken videos of ourselves till 2 in the A.M.