‘Killing Me Softly’ had just gone to No.1. A freebie ticket came from a lovely camp chap called Alan who worked in a second-hand clothing shop. It was The only live UK show [Fugees said] they’d do that year. Bilal and De La Soul supported… Omar and Nas wandered out on stage to drop a few verses. Oh. My.Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli, Irmin Schmidt and others.
In truth the memories of this are few and far between. There is this to lean on though. As a gig it was an improvement on the lads-love-in (think Tommy Robinson does Nuremberg) that was an Ian Browngig at the same venue, but nothing near the astonishing Kraftwerk gig in 2004 which I still pinch myself over. It inspired me to do this.
Two songwriters on-stage. The first was a then-lauded Irishman who made the lovely ‘Song From Hope St’. Headlining was the impish and quietly bonkers Parks. It was an enjoyable set, I try to recall, solo on a piano? But, in truth, the The Magnetic Fields gig in the same venue [or was it Whelans?] were far more impressive, inventive…
The billing for this is reminiscent of a Beach Boys tour when they managed to drag Brian Wilson to mumble on stage for a song or two. In other words the listing of ‘featuring’ Aphex was necessary to ensure the punters would enter. The venue later became the Button Factory but I’d left Dublin by then. The great Rory Murphy who worked there will always live large in my memory.
It was loud. The strobes were used. There was little dancing. It wasn’t as loud as My Bloody Valentine but not far off. I don’t think he did the ‘sandpaper’ routine which he did the year I went to Sonar.
None of these would be the most memorable gigs attended. That would be another post entirely…
