The Cathode Ray

It seems fair to talk about the Cathode Ray now the Gods of Rock'n'Roll the Monochrome Set have departed on their way to Germany, via Utrecht.

What The Cathode Ray possess is probably a silver medal, and to be second only to the Monochrome Set is worthy, worthy, worthy.

Two bands playing their music and appreciating their fans. There were many for both.

The Cathode Ray song I taped was good and 20 seconds is to be found further in this blog, along with "Backed Up", this punter thought, yeah, spot on, superb, give me more.

The music is rich in style, I say rich, because they have posh gear, no, I joke, I mean they have lead guitar that is lead guitar. There are arrangements where the lead guitar properly rules the roost and also where I think refinement is still going on and I like the way it happened on stage.....there are drum fills that merit it and they have no vocal when its an instrumental.

I love superb instrumentals, bands brave enough to do it like the Stone Roses are music to my ears, others are perhaps music to someone else's ears!

I'll edit the stuff below as I clearly got started on a thought on how the 80's was informed by me.....so excuse it...sometimes I publish too soon and I've re-read and realised I need to edit....hopefully this wont be read...but my red wine is superb

The basics of the music business are something that was completely lost on me when I played in a band and the idea of tuning up I thought was for the band. My guitar was in tune when I bought it, so its not like I need to tune it again, it only 1983.....

On top of tuning what I loved (with hindsight) was our rhythm section. Clearly just a bass and drums as our Rhythm guitarist could tune up never mind tune in, (and his gibson was a copy) but we had no rhythm. We had no soul, and all we had was drugs. Which, given the former, seems not a bad way to play your way through life.

But back to the band, THE CATHODE RAY!

I loved them. They were the embodiment of everything I dreamt as a teenager, as a fanzine writer, they were up there giving it large and could deliver a sound that had us all bouncing across the floor.

One of the joys when I wrote Deadbeat was being a fan and talking up bands I liked. Fanzines became successful because they talked up the bands they liked. Job done here today and my only regret....I never blagged on the guest list...just joking,....I would've paid £30 happily for Sunday night. It was absolutely superb from the moment I entered the venue and was greeted with "yes, you can get a ticket."

Service is everything and I was properly serviced by the night....Thank you