The Wedding Present: Deer Caught in the Headlights

Small Story - 30 March 2025

After a couple of weeks of not feeling great, (I had thought about using Still Ill by The Smiths last week but a combination of that being too predictable and me lacking motivation put a stop to that) I was fit to join my good friends Ben, Kevin, Stuart and David for my semi-regular attendance at a gig by the semi-legendary Wedding Present.

It was at a new venue to me too, the Sub Rooms at Stroud. Nice place. Gloucester Guildhall vibes about it.

The Weddoes were great again. Another fantastically energetic performance with brilliant, extended dual (and duelling guitars) at the end of many songs. 

As is often the case on a gig week I pick a favourite from the night to represent the event. As I've already used the likes of Corduroy, Flying Saucer, Brassneck and Bewitched, which were highlights again, I've gone with Deer Caught in the Headlights, one of the standouts from their 2012 album Valentina.

Altered Images: Sentimental

Small Story - 16 March 2025

Do you ever have times you're convinced you know the name of a song and then can't find it? It's like it never existed - until you find it was called something else.

Anyhow... I've spent a fair bit of time at sporting events this week.

Firstly to see my niece make her home debut for her hometown Women's Football team. Then I had a couple of days at Cheltenham Festival before watching Swindon Town play, coincidentally, Cheltenham Town.

Now it might be stretching it to call the Nigel Eady County Ground an arena but Prestbury Park certainly qualifies so it's this Altered Images song to sum up the week.

You may have gathered from my intro that I thought it was called Arena. It is in fact titled Sentimental and was the b-side of the band's 1981 debut single Dead Pop Stars.

I was in too deep to change my mind and in my defence Clare Grogan does say arena quite a lot.

Del Vikings: Flat Tire

Small Story - 9 March 2025

Mrs Tea at Johnny's and I had plans to drive to Bristol this week. However, not much further than 100 yards from our house the car flagged up a tyre malfunction warning.

I got out to take a look and the near side rear tyre looked a bit saggy but far from flat. I decided to drive to a petrol station and see if putting some air in it cleared the error. 

When I got out this time the problem was clear - a screw embedded in the tyre. It was an easy decision not to drive on the motorway in that state so straight back home and a new tyre ordered. We'll try again.

Del Vikings (or The Dell-Vikings or The Del Vikings, or The Del-Vikings) were an American doo-wop group that had a few US hits in the 1950s.

My copy of Flat Tire, originally released in 1958, is on a single with The Hi-Liters fantastic Dance Me to Death on the other side which came out in 1984 for some reason.

Isaac Hayes: Theme from Shaft

Small Story - 23 February 2025

Mrs Tea at Johnny's and I had a few days in Dorset last week. We spent some time looking around the market town of Sherborne and also visited Shaftesbury among other things.

Now Shaftesbury is quite touristy but I thought of a campaign that could attract even more people. Shaftesbury needs a theme song. I think it would go like this...

Theme from Shaftesbury

Where's a good place to go if you've got a couple of hours or so

(Shaftesbury)

You're not wrong

Where do they make the most delicious apple cake?

(Shaftesbury)

It's even better warmed up

Where did King Canute die, in the year 1035?

(Shaftesbury)

I did not know that

Look, it's a work in progress. There needs to be a bit about the hill that's in the Hovis advert too.

I should probably apologise to Isaac Hayes too, but he died in 2008. So if his family or estate are reading - it's an homage to the fabulous Theme from Shaft from the 1971 film Shaft.

The Monochrome Set: Jacob's Ladder

Small Story - 16 February 2025

Back in 2016 I wrote about watching the Royal Rumble on tv with a couple of friends. That annual get-together halted after the 2019 edition when it moved to a channel none of us were paying for, but this year we were back together.

There were some good matches on the bill. The Women's Royal Rumble, a tag-team title match and the Men's Rumble. I won't say anything in case you're planning to watch it. 

But for me the highlight was the ladder match between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens. I don't think I'll be giving anything away if I say that they knocked seven bells out of each other.

So my 'ladder' song is Jacob's Ladder by London post-punk outfit The Monochrome Set. One of those groups I've known of but never really investigated.

Jacob's Ladder is their biggest 'hit'. It reached number 81 in 1984.

808 State: In Yer Face

A Small Story - 9 February 2025

I genuinely hadn't intended to write anything this week, Nothing much had happened of any note. The ideal week to give it a miss under my new 'Small Story' banner.

But then I woke up yesterday morning, looked at the clock and saw it was 8:08. I was mildly amused but thought little of it. Then, later in the day, when I went to the kitchen to start dinner the cooker clock said 18:08.

8:08 was in my face again - was the universe trying to tell me something?* If so, I'd better pacify it by choosing 1991 top ten hit In Yer Face by Manchester electronic combo 808 State.

I've still got the album this features on, ex:el, which has another couple of cracking tracks on it. I saw them live in the same year in Heaton Park, at the Cities in the Park festival. Don't remember a thing about it which seems kind of appropriate.

* No, it's a coincidence. 

The Dickies: Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)

A Small Story* - 2 February 2025

* If you're bothered enough to wonder why Small Story and not Track of the Week I wrote about that.

What better way to start a new theme than by looking back? Lots of ways probably but this is one I've chosen. 

Nostalgia eh? This week I was back at a pub that is very close to where I grew up. It would be fair to say I was familiar with it in my late teens and early twenties. I'd popped in to see someone and find out a bit more about a darts league they run there.

I walked in to find The Dickies' 1979 top ten hit Banana Splits (Tra La La Song) blaring out of the tv screens. Some sort of MTV 70s 'Sound of the Suburbs' 1976-1980 music programme was playing.

Banana Splits was soon followed by Cool for Cats by Squeeze, Going Underground by The Jam, Messages by OMD and Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart. I was in my element.

But it was that Dickies' song that really hit the spot for me. I'd have seen that same video on Top of the Pops in the spring of 1979 and been blown away by their speed, energy and general craziness. They became my first real favourite band and I set about buying all their records from that late seventies period. I still have them.

So that was the looking back. Looking forward I don't think I'll be joining the league. Too long a format for me, there's also another possibility closer to where I live now. That pub won't play the Dickies though.

Which is a shame as I still find them a whole 'mess of fun'.