Description
“Regarded by many as the greatest ever Adelphi show. It wasn’t, but loads of people were there, and it was fantastic – certainly among the top 10. The billing was a double booking & the fault was entirely mine. I had MBV down for Oct 15th and TWR for Nov 15th. Fortunately, the agents were cool about it, and the bands even more so. In fact, Kevin Shields seemed pretty elated to get the chance to play with this amazing band from Arizona. Guy from TWR felt pretty much the same way too. Bob, a superb band in their own right, still talk about the night on the odd occasion when I bump into them in London. Fantastic!” (Paul Jackson)
“Bob were London boys, Peel favourites and Adelphi regulars. When they played the place would be packed every time. Then there was one gig in the late 1980s. Half an hour after opening, the Adelphi was absolutely heaving. Sheffield and Manchester accents at the pool table. Six deep at the bar. Bob were headlining, but so were Thin White Rope and My Bloody Valentine. All three on the bill, same night. Double booking? Good planning? Not sure but it was the best billing I ever saw. Richard and Simon from Bob, all melodic Indie angst and tight harmonies. They usually played with a determined intensity on stage but tonight they were jumping around like their lives depended on it. Thin White Rope’s Guy Kyser thrashing his guitar with that usual brooding tension and probably wondering why on earth their home American crowds didn’t react like this seething audience did. And My Bloody Valentine, NME front page regulars, playing that splintering rhythmic noise that didn’t always make sense, but this glorious night it hit you like some sort of revelation. All three. Any one of them could have headlined but you didn’t really care who did. Just to be there was enough. Condensation running down the walls. The bar staff standing on beer crates to see the stage. Members of every one of the local bands of the era in the audience.” (Katy Noone, ex-Coyote Trap)
“My Bloody Valentine / Thin White Rope. I love MBV, this was the first time I’d seen them since they turned noisy, the beginning of the golden years for the Valentines. 2 headline bands were booked in error on the same bill (a discovery made at the last moment), a double plus for music fans, but with both bands on large guarantees Paul kept a nervous eye on the takings that night.” (Jonny Dawe, ex-Death by Milkfloat)