THE SHAPES

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Gareth Holder (The Shapes) Quote © It Makes You Want To Spit! Book 2003.

“Although we were the John Peel and Indie darlings of the time, the Belfast gig was the first time that we had ever left the mainland to play. We all crammed into my dad’s Vauxhall Victor and drove up to Stranraer and got the ferry across. We were completely out of our depth as soon as we got off the boat. We were after all, just four wankers from Leamington Spa, and there we were, suddenly lost in the docklands of Belfast at 1:00am. Terri Hooley came and rescued us, and spent the rest of the trip trying to stop us from saying or doing anything that would get the living shite kicked out of us.

The gig itself was electric as I remember it. Armed cops outside, and RUDI leading the chants of SS RUC! The crowd were going nuts and there was a feeling like the whole place could go off at any moment.

Even after hundreds of gigs, I walked out on the stage not knowing what to expect, and we actually played a blinder and went down well. I remember that we went on just after Protex, who got roundly canned and before The Stimulators. I recall talking with Denise Mercedes of The Stimulators for a while and her telling me that Bob Dylan gave her the guitar she was playing – he never gave me bugger all it has to be said! I watched The Saints, who I always liked , and remember that Terri took us all for an afterhours drinking club after the gig and we watched a band he had signed called Apartment, who were like a jazz funk thing. After that, Willie Richardson of Virgin Ireland took me to a burger bar to get something to eat, and had to rescue me from an angry who didn’t like my accent or the cut of my jib. We just kept wandering into places we shouldn’t go and opening our stupid traps. I think Terri was just glad to get us home in one piece.”

Above image taken The Maysfield Leisure Centre, Belfast


 

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