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The Housemartins Ltd Print

£10.00

Archived Poster 6 – London 0 Hull 4
A2 – 594mm x 420mm
Strictly Limited to 36 prints (36 Years of The Adelphi)
£10.00 + p&p

Out of stock

Description

We are delighted to have been given permission to release a very limited run of The Housemartins London 0 Hull 4 posters using the original artwork as part of our Archived Posters series.

The Housemartins helped give The Adelphi credibility in 1984. They used the club as a rehearsal space, played their first gig as a four piece here and went on to sign a contract with Go Discs on The Adelphi stage.

Special thanks to Paul Heaton, David Storey (Designer) and Nikki Rodgerson.

Here’s some extracts taken from The Adelphi book “One Man and his Bog” –

THE HOUSEMARTINS
First played – 1984     Times played – 6     Last played – 1985

In 1985 The Housemartins, who played the the club several times in these early days, landed a record contract with Go! Discs.  They signed the contract on the Adelphi stage on the 20th June, 1985:

“One of the most significant moments in my life was The Housemartins signing the record contract with Go! Discs on the Adelphi stage in June 1985.  The Adelphi had been a very important part of building the band’s audience.  The occasion of the signing was the culmination of many months of hard work, especially by Paul (Heaton) and Stan (Cullimore), but it was in recognition of the importance of the club for the band, and the support of Paul Jackson, that we decided to set up the event – and also it would be a bit of fun and something special for the fans.  Let me tell you it wasn’t easy putting my name to a record contract whilst playing the drums – the point was to keep the song going while we all signed – but fortunately I had another arm and two legs to spare.  For the record by the way, I think the song was ‘I’ll be your Shelter’ – not a Housemartins original, but a stage stalwart nevertheless.  There are one or two supposedly ‘in the know’ people who allege that the Adelphi signing was entirely symbolic – a way of sharing the ‘promotion’ of one of Hull’s local music ‘teams’ with the punters – and that the REAL contract had been signed in London some days before;  but I couldn’t possibly comment.”  (Hugh Whittaker, ex-Gargoyles/Housemartins)

HUGH

“The Housemartins’ signing party – Sam and I had been to Paul Heaton’s house 10 days previously (at his request) and fixed it up.  We got paid £56 for the gig as our share (Diary:  ‘Big Time’- I can only hope that was an ironic comment, but it probably wasn’t!).  They looked just boring and shit, and the rest of us consequently thought that we could easily do what they’d done.  But we overlooked the fact that we couldn’t write songs as clever and catchy as that, and neither could we sing in four-part harmony.  I was forced to revise my, until then, fairly dismissive attitude towards them when I watched them rehearse ‘Joy, Joy, Joy’ in the soundcheck.  Then I got it.”  (Nick Clay, ex-Pink Noise)

“The Housemartins are still the best band I’ve ever seen.  My first ever gig at the Adelphi was one of their’s.  It was a few months before ‘Happy Hour’ and I was a bit nervous about going to see this brilliant band at such a cool venue, thinking everyone would be aloof and full of themselves.  I walked into the front bar and there was an old bloke sitting there with his dog and his shopping.  I felt right at home after that.”  (Katy Noone, ex-Coyote Trap)

“I think the Housemartins were the 3rd band to play the Adelphi on the 3rd Saturday of our existence.  Paul Heaton came to the club during the first fortnight to ask for a gig, and got one.  I got the instant impression that this was someone who could make things happen, and that whatever he set his heart on, and wanted sufficiently, he would achieve with grace, intelligence & principle.  He did!”  (Paul Jackson)

The Housemartins went on to achieve massive success in the national charts.  The rest, as they say, is history.  They soon became too big to play the Adelphi, but always acknowledged the opportunities that the club gave them.  However, Nick Clay recalls: “Paul Heaton and Ian Cullimore played with us and other bands at the Adelphi Xmas party on 19 December 1986.  I have no recollection of seeing them play, but according to what I wrote in my diary I did.  They were #1 in the charts when they played.”  (Nick Clay, ex-Pink Noise)

 

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