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Tag Archives: Steve Smith
The Vapors / Chris Pope & Mic Stoner – Boileroom, Guildford
I waited a long time for this. How long? Take your pick – 54 years since my arrival, give or take a fortnight; 41 years since New Clear Days; 39 years since the original split; three years since my last … Continue reading
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Tagged Boileroom, Chris pope, Dan Fenton, Dave Fenton, guildford, Magnets, Mic Stoner, Michael Bowes, New Clear Days, One of my Dreams, Steve Smith, The 79'ers, The Chords, The Vapors, Together
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From George Abbot and Godalming College to the Marquee and the Whisky a Go Go – in conversation with Howard Smith
Howard Smith was just back from a family holiday in Suffolk when I called, setting up his children with a Disney classic before chatting about his own golden era. In his case that involved a comparatively short but incident-packed period … Continue reading
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Tagged Bruce Foxton, Cherry Red, Clem Burke, Daniela Soave, David Fenton, Ed Bazalgette, George Abbot School, Godalming College, guildford, Howard Smith, John Peel, John Weller, Labour Party, Magnets, Michael Bowes, New Clear Days, PRS, Setting Sons, Steve Smith, The Clash, The Jam, The Unthanks, The Vapors, Top of the Pops, Turning Japanese, Waiting for the Weekend, West Hampstead
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The Rilly Groovy return of the Beautiful People – in conversation with Du Kane
Remember the Beautiful People’s If 60’s Were 90’s? If nothing else, you may recall a couple of commercials from the mid-1990s featuring their songs, including a car ad featuring Manchester United and Wales football legend Ryan Giggs and Aussie actor … Continue reading
Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music
Tagged Alan Douglas, Aphrodite's Child, Beautiful People, Brian Jones, Bush, Cranleigh, Dance Conglomerate, Du Kane, Eric Clapton, Flow Motion, guildford, Hawkwind, if 60s Were 90s, Jimi Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Karl Ferris, Ken Kesey, Lax Lifetime, Mike Bennett, Mitch Mitchell, Never B4, Oasis, Rilly Groovy, Robin Goodridge, Shoot! Dispute, Steve Smith, The Shakespearos, The Vapors. The Stranglers, Weymouth, Youth
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How we got there – talking Together with The Vapors’ Dave Fenton
Four decades to the week of the release of their debut LP, The Vapors delivered a new album, and it’s one that proved beyond doubt the staying power of a band that were always about so much more than one … Continue reading
Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music
Tagged Bruce Foxton, Crazy, Dan Fenton, Dave Fenton, Ed Bazalgette, From The Jam, guildford, Howard Smith, Lewis Carroll, Magnets, Michael Bowes, Midnight Oil, New Clear Days, paul weller, Portmeirion, Steve Levine, Steve Smith, The Feeling, The Jam, The Vapors, Together, Turning Japanese
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Still on The Vapors’ trail – back in touch with Dave Fenton
This time 40 years ago, The Vapors were about to set out on tour with The Jam on their biggest adventure to date, invited along for the ride on the latter’s Setting Sons tour by their co-managers, Jam bass player … Continue reading
Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music
Tagged Brighton, Bruce Foxton, Ed Bazalgette, From The Jam, guildford, Howard Smith, John Weller, Lost 80s, Magnets, Michael Bowes, Mike Hedges, Mike Jordan, New Clear Days, Portmeirion, Rob Kemp, Setting Sons, Shalford, Steve Smith, Surrey, The Jam, The Prisoner, The Stranglers, The Vapors, Turning Japanese
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Looking back at 2018. Part one – the first six months
As another busy year draws to a close, let’s take a trawl through 2018’s WriteWyattUK feature/interviews, selecting a few choice quotes from within, starting with the half-year up to … well, in the words of Neil and Tim Finn, ‘You … Continue reading
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Tagged Action Records, Ajay Saggar, Bill Bailey, Chas and Dave, Chas Hodges, Chris Hewitt, Chumbawamba, Damian O'Neill, Darron Robinson, Dave Peacock, Dave Robinson, Dave Wakeling, David Baddiel, Days of Future Passed, Deeply Vale, Donald Trump, Dunstan Bruce, Fun Boy Three, Gaz Birtles, Gordon Gibson, Gretchen Peters, Heather Small, Holly Ross, hygge, Interrobang, JC Carroll, Justin Hayward, Knebworth Park, Lee Thompson, Levellers, London, M People, Madness, Mark Chadwick, Mark E Smith, Mark Steel, Mary Whitehouse Experience, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, One Man's Madness, Preston, Rick Buckler, Roddy Radiation, Simon Fowler, Steve Smith, Stiff Records, The Beat, The Clash, The Common Cold, The Fall, The Jam, The Lovely Eggs, The Members, The Moody Blues, The Sha La La's, The Sound of the Suburbs, The South, The Specials, The Swinging Laurels, The Undertones, The Vapors, The Wesleys, Tom Williams, Top of the Pops, Wilko Johnson
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The Vapors – Manchester, The Ruby Lounge
This was my first rail outing to Manchester since Public Service Broadcasting at the Ritz three years ago ended with the dreaded Bus Replacement Service return-trip, and came 18 months after my last Ruby Lounge visit, for The Blue Aeroplanes. … Continue reading
Where we go from here: Talking The Vapors with Steve Smith
Steve Smith lives near Brighton these days, having left his Surrey hometown in the mid-1980s, initially heading to London. He returns regularly to Guildford to pop in on his Mum though, and plays locally with new wave/punk covers band The … Continue reading
A weekend to savour (pt. I) …The Vapors – The Loft, Liverpool Arts Club
I could say I’d been waiting 35 years for this weekend to come, but that’s being a bit melodramatic. One thing’s for sure though – I finally got to see a band I suspected I’d never catch live, and they … Continue reading
Back and Beyond with The Vapors – the Ed Bazalgette interview
Ed Bazalgette was walking purposefully around central London one dark November afternoon when I caught him on the phone, searching for a quiet spot and a suitable cafe to conduct our interview. He clearly knows his way around, having … Continue reading
Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music
Tagged Aidan Turner, Bruce Foxton, Class, David Fenton, Debbie Horsfield, Dr Who, Ed Bazalgette, Eleanor Tomlinson, Green Wing, guildford, Houdini & Doyle, Howard Smith, Joseph Bazalgette, Justin Chatwin, Liverpool Arts Club, Manchester, Michael Bowes, New Clear Days, Peter Capaldi, Poldark, Steve Smith, The Jam, The Members, The Stranglers, Turning Japanese
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