I saw Felt around the same time, on the same bill as The Weather Prophets,. A few songs in, Lawrence walked off stage and the band continued in silence without him. He came back on about 20 minutes later. Someone told me that he's gone for a dump but I don't know if that's true ...
I love this Penny. Never lucky enough to see Felt, but saw Denim, Go Kart Mozart and again recently with Mozart Estate. I think he’s very much enjoying being in the limelight now and getting some recognition of his work. His band were pumping in August.
I have loved Lawrence for so long - been to felt gigs and go kart Mozart gigs and Mozart estate gigs - he’s certainly come out of his shell a little now! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him twice - once at Creation Day in Kentish Town where I asked for his autograph and he looked at me in scorn and said ‘ I don’t do autographs’ and then years later outside his flat on Whitecross street where we had a brilliant natter … love the guy, love the music. Your review brought all the old memories back!
I was at that show as well, Penny. I first saw Felt in 1980 at Pickwick’s when they supported The Fall (The Passage were advertised, but didn’t play). I interviewed Lawrence about ten years ago when the film came out, and he said it was their first gig.
According to the Fall gigography Lawrence & Nick Gilbert supported the Fall in Manchester on May 13 as the Versatile Newts, so I suppose that was technically their first show.
I think one of the things your piece sort of highlights is that for all Felt and some other artists from that era are rightly revered now, and for all they were championed by the music press, they were only ever really playing to a relative handful of people, and didn’t play out often enough to build on that or ever become slick.
I imagine when Felt supported the Cocteau Twins at the Mountford Hall in 1984 (or did I imagine that?) it was probably one of the biggest audiences they’d played to. Same when Joy Division opened for Buzzcocks, I imagine, though I wasn’t at that.
I saw Felt around the same time, on the same bill as The Weather Prophets,. A few songs in, Lawrence walked off stage and the band continued in silence without him. He came back on about 20 minutes later. Someone told me that he's gone for a dump but I don't know if that's true ...
I'd forgotten about the Weather Prophets. I liked them at the time.
I'd forgotten how much I loved this track on Pillows and Prayers. Lovely to be reminded of Felt, thanks Penny.
I love this Penny. Never lucky enough to see Felt, but saw Denim, Go Kart Mozart and again recently with Mozart Estate. I think he’s very much enjoying being in the limelight now and getting some recognition of his work. His band were pumping in August.
I have loved Lawrence for so long - been to felt gigs and go kart Mozart gigs and Mozart estate gigs - he’s certainly come out of his shell a little now! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him twice - once at Creation Day in Kentish Town where I asked for his autograph and he looked at me in scorn and said ‘ I don’t do autographs’ and then years later outside his flat on Whitecross street where we had a brilliant natter … love the guy, love the music. Your review brought all the old memories back!
I was at that show as well, Penny. I first saw Felt in 1980 at Pickwick’s when they supported The Fall (The Passage were advertised, but didn’t play). I interviewed Lawrence about ten years ago when the film came out, and he said it was their first gig.
Cool fact. I didn't know that.
According to the Fall gigography Lawrence & Nick Gilbert supported the Fall in Manchester on May 13 as the Versatile Newts, so I suppose that was technically their first show.
Absolutely.
I think one of the things your piece sort of highlights is that for all Felt and some other artists from that era are rightly revered now, and for all they were championed by the music press, they were only ever really playing to a relative handful of people, and didn’t play out often enough to build on that or ever become slick.
I imagine when Felt supported the Cocteau Twins at the Mountford Hall in 1984 (or did I imagine that?) it was probably one of the biggest audiences they’d played to. Same when Joy Division opened for Buzzcocks, I imagine, though I wasn’t at that.
Great name.
I’ve never had it verified, but I think there were a few early shows Felt did with the Fall in London and elsewhere , so I suspect it’s about right.
The Pickwicks show was May 21st 1980, and I think the only Felt record out then was Index, which came out in ‘79 and was just Lawrence on his own.
Lawrence said he told Mark E Smith he wanted to be a pop star and MES just laughed at him. Gave them the gig, though.