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The TenMinutemen Radio Session - 11th December, 2002
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5 bands from the TwoMinutemen 2x7" compilation, on Jonson Family.
Playing ten minutes live on John Peel, 11/12/02.
Written for unPeeled fanzine (102 Clifton Rd, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 5AP £5 get's you 5) by Joe from Stanton:
It wasn't until we parked up at Maida Vale that the nerves kicked in, for the week's prior it was a thing that wasn't going to be happening, not to us anyway. I was woken in the morning by my two-year-old son, Stan. He wanted to watch 'Bear in the Big Blue House' and generally go about his business of being a two-year-old. He had no idea what was in store for his dad and his uncles: Chris, Simon and Bob. (Not that we're all related…well Chris and myself are, you know how it is…everyone is uncle this, aunty that…It's how we keep our friends interested in nappy changes and 'amusing' things they've done recently). He kept me too busy to really think about it tooooo much, although I did get a call from Bob saying he had been to the toilet three times already that morning and that he was listening to 'Electric' by the Cult in an attempt to psych himself up.
Three months previously we had received a phone call from a friend, saying he'd just bumped into John Peel's producer. She had said something about wanting to organise some form of night on the show based around the TwoMinutemen compilation that we'd released 6 months previously. John (obviously we are now close friends, so the surname must go….) had played songs off it a total of around 12 times by this point and for one reason or another was into it. Maybe it was just the brevity of the songs so it was fairly easy to squeeze them onto his show? Whatever, we were over the moon. The idea turned out to be: Five bands, ten minutes each, live. So e-mails went back and forth, bands were confirmed - Cove, Hirameka Hi Fi, Billy Mahonie, Reynolds and us, so was the date - The 11th Dec, Chris from Reynolds birthday. Tom from Hirameka Hi Fi had to put off flying to Australia by 4 days, by doing this he lost 400 pounds (in money, not weight). This was John Peel. This was worth it.
All five bands had to turn up at 4pm, which happened, give or take an hour. Soundcheck was a fairly laidback affair for the bands, the BBC engineers are professional and seemed like genuinely nice chaps, working in an organised, but speedy way, they made what we thought would be a nightmare the easiest of tasks. It just seemed to happen around us. We sat drinking coffee, they set up mikes. We chatted amongst ourselves, they checked sound levels, Chris Reynolds excitedly told everyone within earshot that he actually shat himself that morning, "Honest, I really did…These are Phill's pants, mine are in his neighbours bin". All very civilised.
We soundchecked in reverse order, as at a normal gig the headline band soundcheck first and you work the opposite way through the bill. So Billy Mahonie went first, every other band watched them in awe, they rocked, it sounded so good through all the PA's that were dotted around the place. Reynolds went next and equally ruled. Then we went through the motions, soundchecks are not good for us, we rushed, didn't use the headphones and it sucked. We did a runner…..to a pub. Cove appeared 20 minutes later, Mark from the band told us that the headphones are "worth trying, it doesn't matter if you look stupid, it's radio". The rest of Cove nodded sagely in agreement. They sat down with us and a weird thing happened…. Every person at the table was in unison drumming and humming the Billy Mahonie track 'Dusseldorf'. The track they had just soundchecked with. If you know the song you'll know what I mean, it's addictive. (I tell Gavin, BM axe master, this later on…he says it's only one chord and basically questioned our collective sanities). Nerves were jangling like an alkies shakes and the toilet door was revolving off its hinges. We all sat and tapped our feet, drummed our fingers, and tried to work out how we could get out of it.
8.30pm. Time to get back to the BBC.
To get to the studio you go through reception, waving your pass and trying to ignore Paul Weller and his ludicrous barnet. I assume he's not always there making the security dude pretend to find him funny, but he was on this occasion, so he has become a landmark to watch out for in the directions needed to find Studio 4. Straight through some doors, left, down some stairs, left at the bottom of the stairs, past the canteen (closes at 6pm), through some doors, bare left, down a corridor, through some doors, down a longer corridor flanked by Philharmonic Orchestra sized studios on our right and 'Echo Rooms' on our left. Sharp left followed by equally sharp right. Down a corridor. Through some double doors into a room with a t.v, and a drinks and confectionery machine (only Sprite, drinkswise). Straight out the other side of the room, up six stairs, past the toilets and you're there.
We're in. Steve Lamacq is being played over the studio speakers; those damn nerves are still rattling.
Studio 4 is based on two levels. The bands play on the ground floor, the mixing room is behind the drummer through a glass window. The crowd, a mixture of friends and competition winners (Competition question: Name another band on the compilation other than those playing on the 11th…) stood around a balcony overlooking the bands, drinking free cans of lager beer and just basically looking relaxed. Damn them. In the audience you could of found an Aqua Vista drummer, a Left Hand member, two Southall Riot's, a Jet Johnson singer and a Grover or two. All who appeared on the compilation, it was a true family affair!
At around 9.10pm, John (remember, no surname needed now.) turns up. Plastic bag full of records, he wanders in. Nods a hello to everyone and makes his way to the room that will be his for the night. He has a side on view of all the proceedings.
Before the show starts there is a fascinating scene being played out in the toilets where each stall is full with band members chatting to each other as if it was the most natural thing in the world. If you are a male human being you'll realise that talking in the toilet whilst 'in action' is as big a no-no as admitting you like U2 or turning up at the New Den in a West Ham top. All sorts of business was discussed, my lips are sealed….
10pm. Bugger. Show starts.
A couple of songs in and John introduces Hirameka Hi Fi, who play a blinder. 3 songs, 10 minutes. It reminded me of Sonic Youth / Trumans Water. In between each band you have to imagine 2 engineers running about, guitarists crashing in to each other, drummers swapping cymbals and snares and drum pedals and the audience relaxed. Drunk and relaxed. The song before each band play there is a quick line check to make sure all the amps/mikes/leads/whatever are in working order, song ends, John introduces them and off they go… Cove second, tight, wired and solid as hell. Cove were cool. 3 songs, 10 minutes. We went third, headphones on. Bob admitted to me the next day that he has discovered that he turns into Chas N Dave when on the radio, if you heard it you'll know what he means. We were happy with the way we played, I think the nerves made us play as tight as we ever have, and I'm sure that was the case with all the bands. 5 songs, 10 minutes, it was all over so quick. Reynolds, a four piece for the night with the addition of a violin, played a single song in their allotted ten minutes, and with the assistance of a 5th member they made their song last almost precisely 10 minutes. Thus eventually winning John's rottenly stinky trainers which, it turned out, was the prize for getting closest to the 10 minute time limit. Congratulations Reynolds. Finally Billy Mahonie played and I'm sure Gavin won't mind if I write that he was as drunk as a human should be, and to all watching it was nothing short of a miracle that he made it through the ten minutes unscathed. Billy Mahonie were great. 2 songs, 10 minutes. John was spotted with his feet up on the mixing desk, sipping wine and digging the sounds. The cheers at the end summed up the whole evening, which was about the most memorable evening of my life (4th only to marriage, birth of son and Brentford winning promotion at Peterboro in 1991).
After the show all the bands plus John and Louise, the producer, posed for a football team style photo. Much post match analysis ensued. General patting on backs, hand shaking, record swapping etc, etc. John was a true gent, he hung around chatting whilst sipping on a plastic beaker of red wine. Then home.
The next day I felt weird. Like I had used a year's worth of adrenaline in one night. I was wiped out and work sucked more than it ever has. A truly great day which we all have photos and a recording to remember it by. Roll on The TwoMinutemenTwo…..
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