20 years ago today I played my first gig at Mr Kyps (RIP) in Poole. Two decades should feel like a long time but a few things make this day feel like it was yesterday.
1. The bands who inspired us at this time are still going strong (I just saw Million Dead’s 20th anniversary last month). Their music has stood the test of time, in part because of the internet facilitating a direct to fan communication channel that doesn’t rely on the chart hits of old to stay relevant in people’s minds. I’m also just as pro-active, if not more so, in seeking out new music (August mixtape drops tomorrow!) and my gigs attended list each year is as long as it was in 2005.
2. As ridiculous as my outfit looked when I’d see this photo 10 years ago, fashion is so cyclical and nowadays I’m both surprised and confused to see ‘young’ people dressing the way we did in this era. I’ve probably leaned back into this look again more recently too. My hair is actually longer now than it ever was, but alas, the ‘Pickled Dick’ T-shirt and pink converse are long gone.
3. Although my last gig (with band number 3) was over a decade ago in 2014, 20 years later, somehow, I still regularly find myself stood, or sat on stages. I’m not ‘singing’ scrappy punk rock songs, or attempting covers of Foo Fighters and Alkaline Trio anymore, but I know I’m channeling the same energy every time a room of faces are looking at me to do something and the pressure is on to blag myself out of the situation.
I was a bit embarrassed of my part in this band for a while and mostly frustrated that it wasn’t as good as I, or we, wanted it to be. Now I know that the frustration was a good thing, to push it to the limit of ability and still want to go further creatively (read about the next band) . That knowledge makes me more proud when I see this snapshot in time.
I have a couple of mementos from this gig, a congratulations card from my Dad (with money to get pizza after the show) and a Mini Disc(!) with the whole set recorded. I’ll this dig out this media relic for a photo, but the recording shall remain in the vaults forevermore, for everyone’s protection.
Liam Toms 