340 SIDI BOU SAID, Mink, 101, Swindon Level 3, Thursday 14 November 1996

Met up with Tim there as his band was first support! After much persuasion, I'd gone along to see Tim's band and was pleasantly surprised by some slightly generic but dynamic and enjoyable grungy rock. Tim on bass and vocalist/guitarist Andy struggled with duff speaker pickup, but still kicked up a fuss and got the best audience reception of the night; 9 people dancing!

Chatted at the bar while Mink peddled a forgettable Manics/ Radiohead style moody guitar rock. Paid a lot more attention when headliners Sidi Bou Said came on, mainly due to vocalist Claire's lacy black leggings! However, their sparse, ethereal sound, which is heavily Throwing Muses-based (10x"Mexican Women" for a set!) didn't really hold my attention. Sorry girls - go and write your own songs!

341 TONGUE, 101, Swindon Allied Dunbar Club - Clive's 40th Birthday Party! Friday 10 January 1997

I wouldn't normally include parties in a gig blog, but I have to make an exception for this one! My gigging buddy Clive, you see, had managed to get Tongue, formerly The Julie Dolphin and a bit of a musical obsession for both of us, to play at his 40th birthday party! So, a crowd of Swindonians came out to mark this momentous occasion! Level 3's Glyn Prince manned the decks, playing a selection of Clive's "all time" favourite songs, so despite my heavily strapped knee, courtesy of dislodging cartilage at Lev (midway through dancing to The Posies' "Solar Sister"!) I bopped along with him! Then after the usual party buffet, speeches of thanks from Clive and our presenting him with a surprise pressie, we had some live music from Tim's band 101, who rocked in a jerkily rhythmic and heavy on the guitar kind of way, loose of limb yet still together-sounding. Stylistically, they're travelling down the well-trodden Pumpkins/ Dinosaur Jr. dynamic US Alt guitar road (no surprise with Tim in the band!), but developing a style of their own in the process, and doing it rather well!

Tongue came on a 10.30, following Rich reading a truly extraordinary poem Ady had written in Clive's honour. Tongue unveiled a new dimension to their sound, with the addition of tape loops and beatboxes for some extra oomph. Initially, Diane and the boys also unveiled some new, less in-your-face but more melodic numbers, before rocking the place with the breathless and brilliant "Supermodel". By then pretty much the whole party was on it's feet, joining me - I was front centre giving it loads throughout!

Tongue concluded with 3 old faves; a frantic "Head", an absorbing "Fucked Up Lullaby", and a hugely appropriate "Birthday", which broke the curfew but they did it anyway! The best last 3 of a set I'd seen since Julian Cope's Reading set last year was a truly brilliant end to a great set - and party!

But the night was still young, so a gang of us went off to Level 3, for more raucous shenanigans, then afterwards, Tongue's Brett and Diane, plus Geoff and his "mad, bad and dangerous to know" roadie brother stayed the night at my place! More tales of sleepwalking, semi-nakedness and crazy dogs could ensue, but I'll leave it at that, methinks!

349 CARTER THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE, Midget, 101, Swindon College, Saturday 24 May 1997

Wandered along to this gig, the first at Swindon College for absolutely ages, held here because apparently, Carter USM didn't fancy playing at Level 3! Met up with Tim before his band 101 played a warm-up set to a sparse audience. Clive and I shook a leg, regardless, to their choppy Pixies-ish guitar rock. Despite the sparse crowd, they were tight and professional; getting better all the time!

Met people and socialised before main support Midget's set; they were a painfully young trio who played their spiky powerpop far too fast and loud, but improved later on.

Carter USM - now a 6-piece "proper" band - came on to an enthusiastic reception, with Jim Bob all long hair and misplaced passion. One thrown beer can later, and all hell broke loose, with the drummer walking off stage, then returning and trying to kick an audience member! Play subsequently resumed, and the tension actually made for a better finish to the set, with the older numbers, especially "Sheriff Fatman", still sounding OK, and better than their weaker newies. Overall quite an enjoyable gig, particularly so for the ruckus!

355 101, Custom Blue, plus support, London Camden Laurel Tree, Tuesday 15 July 1997

Weird one, this! The intended coach was cancelled due to lower ticket sales, so the remaining 9 hardy souls piled into 2 cars (including one, inadvisably, driven by myself) to get to Camden for Tim's band's first London headliner!

Met up with Tim and the band on arrival, and hung out awhile before going into the venue at 11, missing a few odd support bands but catching the popular Custom Blue, who were cheered to the rafters after their pastoral, Arthur Lee meets the Cardigans set which nevertheless did nowt for me. Also, as they overran, at the end of their set everyone except us Swindon lot upped and left!

So, 101, on at 11.30, played to only the hardy souls who made the trip. Nevertheless, they put on a storming performance, with a blistering "Like Your Lycra" my highlight of their dynamic and improving rock set. As I said to vocalist Andy Ashley afterwards, I didn't just come to London to see a mate's band, I came because 101 are bloody good.

A late one, this, though, which ended up with me getting stopped for speeding around Liden at 1.30 this morning and being fined! Ouch!

360 101, plus support, Swindon The George, Friday 3 October 1997

Last gig before the imminent arrival of son Evan, so I managed to squeeze this one in as it was local! Got there as the support, 101 drummer Alan's "other" band, were kicking up a din.

Tim's band 101, however, are maturing with each set; this one, in front of hardy local punters, was great from the off, but took awhile to ignite the crowd to respond and dance. Nevertheless, their rocky guitar dynamics and self-deprecating attitude won the cynical bunch over in the end, as did their blazing cover of The Wannadies' "Hit" and excellent set closer "Like Your Lycra", both of which had me dervish dancing in the middle of the pub!

362 101, MDQs, plus support, Swindon Level 3, Thursday 20 November 1997

The last 101 gig! Shame! But vocalist and songwriter Andy Ashley wants to, "give it a rest," to recharge his batteries, write new songs, then possibly consider reinventing the band under a different name. So this lured me to Level 3 on a wet Thursday, thence to endure the amateurish Cranberry-isms of the local support, whose name I've purposely eradicated from my memory thanks to their appalling cover of Throwing Muses' "Not Too Soon".

Chatted at the bar with the 101 boys during MDQs set. They've cleaned up their act since their days as Mike's Dirty Quilt, and kicked up a tight and good-sounding Marion-esque driving noise, to general apathy.

However 101 rocked me out as usual, as Clive and I became a latter-day Dervish Brothers and made the most of this excellent local band's angular jagged guitar noise - for now! "Like Your Lycra" was a splendid breathless conclusion to a final 101 set, beset with technical problems but delivered, as ever, with fun and humour. They'll be back, hopefully!