My source of knowledge (as well as Melody Maker) from 81-95 Decent article this: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...266837&subid=75568&CMP=sleevenotes_collection
I used to adore the NME from circa 03-08 when the indie scene was fantastic. The gig section was a particularly favourite, I used to trawl through it for the local gigs of bands I’d just downloaded on Limewire following recommendations in previous issues.
The indie scene was OK then, but imagine seeing the Smiths, the Cure, the Pixies, the Clash, R.E.M. (when they were good). Strokes, Libertines, etc were OK. One of my neighbours in Grange Court is the singer from these. This is a tune:
Massive fan of The Sunshine Underground. I saw them at the Lucorum one Friday night before Burn Down the Disco. As far for others mentioned, they’re all personal favourites of mine particularly The Smiths. 03-08 we had Arctic Monkeys, The Cribs, The Strokes, Foals, Kasabian, The Libertines, Milburn, Bloc Party etc, it was a brilliant time.
Yep I get you they were all great bands (even Milburn were OK)... Kasabian a bit too mainstream for me, but have some tunes. Only good thing about being old is seeing great music. I saw bands like Husker Du in Sheffield that people into punk would cream themselves for. As it happened it was another night at the Leadmill. Music is different now. I'm still upbeat about it, but the late 70's / early 80's were great, as were the late 80's / early 90's.
Read every word of every issue from 1988 through to 2006, was the bible for new guitar music. Pre internet days it had its place, was always a massive buzz seeing a new band you like getting a write up
Amen to that - the NME was an essential read for me during the new wave days, coupled with the John Peel Show.
Sad another relic of my youth gone. Though I was more of a Sounds reader than the NME myself I used to browse it from time to time
I started off with the NME but even in those days was disenchanted by smart arsed journalists having their own favourites and being arrogant enough to be the arbiters of taste. What they said mattered as well cos it was difficult to even hear decent stuff on the radio. Saw a couple of them reminiscing on telly the other day about how they basically despised bands and acted as king makers. I switched to Sounds as soon as it started. Still had the odd prat writing for it but was more attuned to my music taste!
Looking back, the problem with the NME (and Sounds/Melody Maker) when I used to read it - so 88ish to 95ish - was that rather than report on what was good they had half vanished up their own backsides and were trying to make the scenes themselves. In some cases this worked, but in others they hyped up bands with about a quarter of the talent they thought they had and then suddenly had to do a 360-degree turn in a couple of weeks. So in 1990/91 they were hyping up Birdland and the shoegazing scene while we were suddenly all listening to the incoming sound of Seattle. Don't get me wrong, I liked a lot of the stuff they promoted, but I also like a lot of stuff they ignored just because they could. It seems like they were trying to be judge and jury rather than their role, which was to review, interview and inform. Grant Hart from Husker Du died only a few months ago. Never got to see them live, and they were a little weird on record at times but I did like (and still do) Bob Mould.
The Cribs are as still as good as ever. I thought that was it for them when they did the disappointing album with Johnny Marr, but they've gone from stregth to sttength since then. One of the best live bands of the last decade I reckon.
Yeah they’re excellent live. I saw them in January at the SU in Sheffield, such a brilliant gig. Been listening to New Fellas loads recently, very underrated album that has aged so well.
I can almost guess your age Mr Peachey as that was my era too. Starting with punk in the late 70s, through Joy Division, the Bunnymen, the American explosion, indie, etc. I was at that Husker Du Leadmill gig too. I managed to live a student life in Sheffield for most of the 80s so I was watching bands at the Leadmill/Limit/Hallamshire/Octagon/Poly virtually every night. Happy days!!!!
I grabbed a copy a few times when they started giving them away outside Tube stations in London. I'm really not surprised it's finished as it had gone downhill something terrible. Had become a waste of paper
For some reason I preferred the Disc. Always printed a poster of a group/artist in the center spread.
Was introduced to the NME at school - there used to be a (well thumbed) copy of it in the common room, but like all generations, when time passed, its usefulness diminished. Once upon a time (well before the internet appeared) it used to be the first point of call for finding out where bands played.
