Oh well, whatever...
And another student related tale of woe.

Again, the late 80’s (might even have been 1990). I was doing a two week stint of work experience. As the last two the college had arranged for me were crap, I decided to see if I could sort my own out. So I ended up doing two weeks in the design and publicity department of the Riverside Club (now sadly defunct, it’s some shitty techno place or something now) in Newcastle.

It was great. I’d design posters for the up and coming gigs, and get the thrill of seeing them plastered all over town. As the Riverside was run as a co-operative, they couldn’t pay me, but I did get dibs on any gigs I fancied going to (and this continued well after my stint ended – “anything you fancy, give us a shout and we’ll get you on the guest list”). Fan-fucking-tastic.

And so began a two year run of getting into gigs for nowt. Mudhoney, New Model Army, Danielle Dax, The Young Gods, Violent Femmes, Fugazi, Pixies, and, er, Frank Sidebottom, to name but some. Lovely stuff.

One day, as I was in town I decided to pop in for a chat with the guys in the PR dept. “Any gigs you fancy”, they asked. I looked at the upcoming bands list. “Nah”, said I, “I think I’ll give it a miss”.

“Sure? This band is really good”, said Hezzy, indicating the name on the poster. “They’re called Tad, and I hear the support are not bad too”.

“Nah, I’m sure” I replied, having heard of neither band. And off I went.

Six months later, the support act exploded into the worldwide mainstream, and it became impossible to get tickets for love nor money. And I kicked myself.

The support act were some obscure little grunge outfit called Nirvana.

Nevermind.

/sorry
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Thu 20 Dec 2007, 16:11, 6 replies)

Ouch for the story.
And oomph for the pun at the end.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 20 Dec 2007, 16:15, closed)

Just trying
to bookend the title with the last line.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Thu 20 Dec 2007, 16:18, closed)

uff
Double-puntendre!
( Dixipoos Bye Bye Blackbird, Thu 20 Dec 2007, 16:20, closed)

My old housemate at University...
...had the poster for that tour up on the living room wall. Nobody took any notice of it, until one day in 1992 Nirvana because famous and my housemate became the coolest man ever to walk the earth.
(davywavy, Thu 20 Dec 2007, 16:40, closed)

Mate
at Uni had a copy of "bleach" (when it was new, before "Nevermind")
- was he considered cool ? No, he played it and we all thought "What a fuckin racket". My opinion has not changed with age.
(kitescreech still here, Sun 23 Dec 2007, 23:36, closed)

I Say Nothing.
You're the first person I've EVER known to mention Danielle Dax. Inky Bloaters remains one of my favourite albums ever.

I made a similar choice once, at the very door of Middlesbrough Poly's bar. Gig or pub? Pub won, so I missed out on seeing Voice of the Beehive who, while they're no Nirvana, did go on to be one of my favourite bands of the 80s. It would have cost me £3. Bugger.
(singingringingtree Living in the past., Sun 30 Dec 2007, 16:44, closed)