NME to be free / still shite

[23 Daves]

I got offered a freelance reviews position by Record Mirror, as they needed someone to do them in my area. They contacted me, not the other way round, and after sending them some of my writing the reviews editor said I 'obviously know my stuff.' My first review was of a fairly well-known band of the time (signed to a major label but never had a hit) who I thought were fairly crap and said so. The reviews editor then rang me up on receiving it, said my review was unprintable and started laying into me to such an extent that I ended up hanging up on him. And that was the end of my national music journalism  career. I later found out that the singer of this band had worked for Record Mirror (in advertising I think) and was still big mates with several of the staff, including the reviews editor. It's not what you know eh?

You probably don't want to say, but I'd be really curious to find out who that was. The only RM-associated band I can think of is The Caretaker Race, whose Andy Strickland was a journalist for the magazine. They always got a surprising amount of coverage there and next-to-none elsewhere.

[Jockice]

I'd love to tell you but I can't really. There is a very good reason why I haven't named them though. But I can tell you that they reformed a few years ago and still occasionally put out albums. And looking back they weren't quite as bad as I thought they were at the time, so perhaps my review was unprintable. Serves me right for trying to be Julie Burchill.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

It's Blur isn't it.

[Jockice]

If only.

[PaulTMA]

Give us a clue.  Is it The House Of Love?

They sort of had a hit though.

[Jockice]

It wasn't I'm afraid. Oh fuck it, I might as well tell you (the reason I wasn't going to is that I know someone who is mates with the singer and apparently he's a really good bloke, but since neither of them are likely to read this....)
It was The Godfathers.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

The Godawfuls, more like. Listening to them was a fate worse than (Birth, School, Work ) Death. The Sid Presley Experience were no better. Good for you, Jock-O.

Other former journos [nb]I know that the bloke from the Godfathers wasn't a journo, but ne'er mind. [/nb] bands (with the journo involved going back to the day job in at least one case):

Catwalk
Welfare Heroin
Fabulous
The Pretenders
That Thing That Paul Morley Was Involved In A Few Years Back
The Band Neil Kulkarni Was/Maybe Still Is In, Google Not Being Too Helpful
Miaow
Goldblade (I know John Robb was in The Membranes before having a go at the Journo lark, then going back to forming a band, but I'm still having it)
St. Etienne

Imagine a festival featuring that lot playing, eh? Actually, I've seen two of the bands involved there live meself, so could well be tempted to go to such an event.

[Dr Rock]

I used to be in The Godfathers.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Were you the drummer? He was alright. He had a way with a paradiddle.

[Paaaaul]

Pet Shop Boys.

[Dr Rock]

Sorry I meant I used to be INTO The Godfathers. Well I liked 'Cos I Said So' anyway.

[Jim_MacLaine]

Don't forget Paul Moody's band. The Regular Fries. I must admit to quite liking some of their stuff.

[Jockice]

Didn't Morrissey do reviews for Record Mirror? He should try being me for a week, then he'd really have something to moan about.

[Jockice]

And a Britpop one, Speedy, whose singer used to do stuff for the NME. And once did a rave review of his own band under their previous name, Blammo!

[Vodka Margarine]

Don't think he counts as a journo for one of the 'inkies' but Orlando's Dickon Edwards deserves a mention.

[Ignatius_S]

Neil Tennant wrote for NME and penned one particularly famous Sex Pistols review.

Charles Shaar Murray and Lester Bangs are/were also musicians. Actually, when Bangs was in this country he was appalled that music journalists, like Shaar Murray were also in bands as he saw that as a conflict of interest (according to the biography I read, anyway).

*edit* Oh, I like The Godfathers too... so there!

[Dr Rock]

Taylor Parkes was in an early line-up of the Sugarbabes wasn't he?

[Jockice]

Taylor Parkes was in an early line-up of the Sugarbabes wasn't he?

Nah, that was Johnny Cigarettes wasn't it?

[23 Daves]

I quite like The Godfathers! And yes, they were all over Record Mirror at one point, but I had no idea there was a "mate's arrangement" going on there.

It was quite interesting to see how the Pet Shop Boys didn't appear to get any preferential treatment from Smash Hits initially. If memory serves, the coverage they initially got was faintly bemused/ mocking in tone, along the lines of "He's quite good at this sort of thing, Neil Tennant, but he'll soon be scurrying back to the safety of his desk job, mark our words".

[Jockice]

I quite like The Godfathers! And yes, they were all over Record Mirror at one point, but I had no idea there was a "mate's arrangement" going on there.

Well apparently anyway. I was told about his previous position a couple of years afterwards so it is hearsay. Seems a bit strange that they should be the first band I get send to review though. And then when I say I don't like them my reviewing career is curtailed. Maybe it was some kind of test.

[Squink]

Slightly different, but I've noticed the Wire is often scathing in its reviews of books and things that its contributors put out. Whatever you do, don't work for the Wire and do anything else that's in their sphere.

[Dr Rock]

I happen to know what Chris Roberts AND Neil Kulkarni are doing RIGHT NOW.

[Jockice]

I happen to know what Chris Roberts AND Neil Kulkarni are doing RIGHT NOW.

Being smartarses I should imagine.

(Although I quite like some of their stuff.)

[Dr Rock]

Well kindof. They were just chatting on FB about Mercury Rev, didn't care who was looking. They've stopped now though.

[Jockice]

I did look up Neil on Facebook not long ago. We have two mutual friends you know.

[Jockice]

And two with Chris Roberts. Although only one is mutual to all three of us.

[An Actual Propeller]

I did look up Neil on Facebook not long ago. We have two mutual friends you know.

Just add him.  I added him a few years ago and he accepted it without knowing who I was.  Pretty sure that he didn't know me, anyway.  I figured he'd be more insightful and provide better status updates than the vast majority of my actual friends, and this has proven to be the case.

[greenman]

Don't forget Paul Moody's band. The Regular Fries. I must admit to quite liking some of their stuff.

The only jurno band of worth that really comes to mind if only for Dust It.

[Uncle TechTip]

I quite like The Godfathers! And yes, they were all over Record Mirror at one point, but I had no idea there was a "mate's arrangement" going on there.

It was quite interesting to see how the Pet Shop Boys didn't appear to get any preferential treatment from Smash Hits initially. If memory serves, the coverage they initially got was faintly bemused/ mocking in tone, along the lines of "He's quite good at this sort of thing, Neil Tennant, but he'll soon be scurrying back to the safety of his desk job, mark our words".

They talked about this on the short show they did for R4 - Ellen, Tennant and Hepworth. Going off and joining a band was actually quite a common act for the Smash Hits journos. Kind of a rite of passage. But they were never successful and it was thought that the Pet Shop Boys would be no different.

[johnfuego]

I saw the band Fabulous live in 1993, supporting Buzzcocks. Simon Dudfield came on to say: "We destroy rock n'roll."

He now writes books about the Mondays and Roses, both of whom were done by the time Dudders went for it.