The Ned Wood Archive

You love bands when they’re playing hard

Pall, Fi, and Cat always joke about Nessie’s end of term celebration at Cramond. Sitting in the cold, sheltering behind an old world war two ruin wasn’t their idea of fun. They always say that their end of term celebration was better. The big night out, two days later. The mighty Bunnymen at Valentinos. Yep, the Banshee twins are fans now.

For the past year, I’d been telling anyone who’d listen how good they were. Pall had too. I was forever playing the single. Both sides. And then Rescue came out in May, so that got played to death too. Both the 7 inch and the 12 inch. And the B sides. Pall had taped the Peel show session from the previous summer, so he was playing Villiers Terrace and Stars are Stars as well. Pall said Villiers Terrace was about the Teardrops. I wonder where he got that from. And there was Monkies from the Street to Street album. And I‘d try and sing what I could remember about the Happy Death Man standing in line, but I almost certainly changed the tune every time I sang it. Not that it mattered because Fi would quote the lyrics back at me. She’d tell us of the distracted death man she saw standing up at the castle. That’s when I realised that we’d converted them. And they were up for coming with us. Both of them. Fi and Cat.

So, like I say, we knew many of the songs. Even though it’s been almost a year since we saw them, it’s like they’re old friends. And now they’ve got a drummer. They’d said they would never have just any old drummer. The drummer had to be a real Bunnyman. Not a drunk. Not someone unreliable. A Bunnyman. So we were looking forward to what they sounded like with a real human instead of the drum machine.

This was before the album came out. That was a couple of weeks later, after the gig, when the others had gone back to their homes for the summer. That’s when you check out your favourite tracks – are they as good on the album as they are live? I joked with Pall that I “preferred the earlier simple stuff”, but the truth is, and you can really tell this from the album, Pete de Freitas added real power to the band. Listen to the might of All that Jazz. And Villiers Terrace is a lot chunkier on the album than on the Peel session. Pictures, though, I really do prefer the original. I’m just so used to it.

The NME said they’d transformed from “appealing but erratic beatniks” to dynamic modern rock. Like the Droppies, they were getting better. And more distinctive. Recognisable references from Bowie and the Velvets to Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop. Out in front Mac’s hair, lips, ego, and dark resonant haunting voice. The powerful rhythm section of Les’ diving acrobatic bass and Pete’s tough aggressive meaty drums. Will’s range of guitar tricks from sinister Gang of Four-like shards to jangling Talking Heads-like funk. Even Balfe got in on the trick with the occasional decoration of elaborate Aladdin Sane piano.

It’s a good crowd at Valentino’s. Not full. It’s a fairly ordinary long hall. Seems like they had the stage in different places every time I went there. Sometimes at the back, sometimes the side, sometimes near the entrance. How many could you get in there? A hundred and fifty? Two hundred provided they knew each other well? There’s enough space tonight to wander around and watch the band from different angles. A chance to focus on Mac’s words or Will’s licks or Pete’s power. A chance to dance if any of us were inclined. Pall’s at the back standing still, watching intently. Fi and Cat occasionally jump around, resurrecting the pogo and then whispering secrets to each other.

Seems like I know loads of the stuff they play. Some from the records, obviously, some from memory. Like Do It Clean. And Happy Death Man. Fi tells me it’s nothing like my version. Some stuff, I’m sure they play twice. No matter. It’s all excellent. You love bands when they’re playing music this good.

I take a break from watching the band and look round at the rest of the punters. Across the floor, behind a group standing and watching, I see a familiar figure gliding across the floor, yet when I move to get a better view of her, she’s not where I was expecting her to be. She’s moved to the other side of the floor, so I move again. This happens a couple more times and I’m wondering whether I’m dreaming. She always seems to be on the far side of the room from wherever I am. Finally, while the Bunnymen play Read it in Books for the second time, the angel turns and smiles at me. Then she disappears again.