Morning Glory
A little later this afternoon I'm set to walk into an Oasis album cover.
Don't take the above statement too literally; I'm not planning a spot of very specific slapstick with a record shop display-stand (I'd have to find one still trading to do that). I will, however, be walking past the location where an Oasis cover was PHOTOGRAPHED.
I spotted it the other day whilst passing through Soho on the way to a casting. I often do a spot of window-shopping whilst on Berwick Street; plenty of funky (yes...'funky') vinyl shops to be found around those parts - if only to contradict my above statement.
It also keeps me well clear of Soho's 'sexy places'.
Standing proud in the centre of one of the window displays is a copy of the LP, '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' - and blue-tacked to the familiar sleeve is a little slip of paper, bearing the legend "YOU ARE HERE". (www.reckless.co.uk)
There was a time when I'd have been very excited about this. Back in 1995 (1995. Christ.) I went through a bit of an Oasis 'phase'; most young guitarists at that time did. I'd been a Beatles fan since junior school; a time when it was desperately unfashionable. Then all of a sudden, thanks to a five sulky Mancunians, The Beatles - and guitars - were back in vogue.
I clearly remember a boy at secondary school taking the mick out of me for wearing a 'Paul McCartney New World Tour' t-shirt on non-uniform day. He was nicknamed 'Peanut' due to the abnormal shape of his head; in my school, you didn't mince words.
My band Big Day Out were in our early stages - and the sudden reintroduction of guitars in pop definitely served as an encouragement. At this point we were a four-piece, with me on rhythm guitar - and both myself and Rich (our lead guitarist) soon bought up a pair of Epiphone Rivieras; Oasis' guitar of choice.
Embarrassingly, our singing also started to take on that distinctly nasal Gallagher twang; sneering vowel-sounds, ahoy.
I remember us playing a gig in our common room; rocking the school-uniformed crowd with a particularly sulky rendition of Oasis' 'Columbia'. We also debuted one of our own compositions, called 'Mr Brown'; a song named after our D.T. teacher, with a more than passing resemblance to the theme from 'Family Fortunes'.
The song, that is.
I was also amongst the crowd at Oasis' big Knebworth gig of '96; standing in a field with my dad and best mate Chris, also watching The Manics, The Charlatans and Kula Shaker (who Big Day Out later supported; thud goes the name drop).
My girlfriend was also there that day. I didn't meet her for another six years; wonder if we walked past each other?
Worryingly, eighteen years have now passed since 'Morning Glory'; the same amount of time as that between my birth date and the release of The Beatles' 'Love Me Do'. I'm now no longer a fan (though I still have a soft spot for some of their b-sides) - but my memories of that time are fond.
...except for the spots and bowl-haircut.
All I need now is for someone to meet me in Berwick Street in the next ten minutes. We could pass each other down the centre of the street - though we'll have to keep an eye out for the traffic.
The one adopting the best Liam Gallagher monkey-walk wins a prize.
Don't take the above statement too literally; I'm not planning a spot of very specific slapstick with a record shop display-stand (I'd have to find one still trading to do that). I will, however, be walking past the location where an Oasis cover was PHOTOGRAPHED.
I spotted it the other day whilst passing through Soho on the way to a casting. I often do a spot of window-shopping whilst on Berwick Street; plenty of funky (yes...'funky') vinyl shops to be found around those parts - if only to contradict my above statement.
It also keeps me well clear of Soho's 'sexy places'.
Standing proud in the centre of one of the window displays is a copy of the LP, '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' - and blue-tacked to the familiar sleeve is a little slip of paper, bearing the legend "YOU ARE HERE". (www.reckless.co.uk)
There was a time when I'd have been very excited about this. Back in 1995 (1995. Christ.) I went through a bit of an Oasis 'phase'; most young guitarists at that time did. I'd been a Beatles fan since junior school; a time when it was desperately unfashionable. Then all of a sudden, thanks to a five sulky Mancunians, The Beatles - and guitars - were back in vogue.
I clearly remember a boy at secondary school taking the mick out of me for wearing a 'Paul McCartney New World Tour' t-shirt on non-uniform day. He was nicknamed 'Peanut' due to the abnormal shape of his head; in my school, you didn't mince words.
My band Big Day Out were in our early stages - and the sudden reintroduction of guitars in pop definitely served as an encouragement. At this point we were a four-piece, with me on rhythm guitar - and both myself and Rich (our lead guitarist) soon bought up a pair of Epiphone Rivieras; Oasis' guitar of choice.
Embarrassingly, our singing also started to take on that distinctly nasal Gallagher twang; sneering vowel-sounds, ahoy.
I remember us playing a gig in our common room; rocking the school-uniformed crowd with a particularly sulky rendition of Oasis' 'Columbia'. We also debuted one of our own compositions, called 'Mr Brown'; a song named after our D.T. teacher, with a more than passing resemblance to the theme from 'Family Fortunes'.
The song, that is.
I was also amongst the crowd at Oasis' big Knebworth gig of '96; standing in a field with my dad and best mate Chris, also watching The Manics, The Charlatans and Kula Shaker (who Big Day Out later supported; thud goes the name drop).
My girlfriend was also there that day. I didn't meet her for another six years; wonder if we walked past each other?
Worryingly, eighteen years have now passed since 'Morning Glory'; the same amount of time as that between my birth date and the release of The Beatles' 'Love Me Do'. I'm now no longer a fan (though I still have a soft spot for some of their b-sides) - but my memories of that time are fond.
...except for the spots and bowl-haircut.
All I need now is for someone to meet me in Berwick Street in the next ten minutes. We could pass each other down the centre of the street - though we'll have to keep an eye out for the traffic.
The one adopting the best Liam Gallagher monkey-walk wins a prize.
