Is it really 19 and a half years ago?! Blimey.
The trip down was made by train with my old school friends Gary and Paul. Not knowing the area that well in those days we jumped off a station early at Fratton and walked the remaining part of the journey.
By the time we are arrived at the venue there were already a few fans mingling mostly at the rear of the venue. With the luxury of an access all areas pass I was able to get inside the venue as soon as we arrived and I met up with one or two of one the support acts who were from Ireland and good lads to boot.
The band slowly started to arrive and I have a cracking couple of photos of Barney (one of which sits in the spare room in south London at Ness & Gregs house) as he arrived at the venue although I cannot remember whether he was with Hooky in his Granada. Was it a black one?
Over the course of the first few gigs I fell into the role of selling posters and this evening was no different so if you did buy one it is pretty sure to have been me who sold it to you. Around 10 minutes before NO were scheduled to come on the promoter of the tour asked me if I had a Joy Division t-shirt but the only one I had was the Psychic TV but he took it anyway. I thought little of it until the band came out and I was dumb struck when I saw what BS was wearing. MY PSYCHIC TV T-SHIRT!
I was standing on the right hand side of the stage and I had a plum view of the band and everytime I fancied a bounce in the moshpit I would simply jump off the stage and in I would go.
From what I can remember of what they played that night TPK was superb.
We met up with some friends of ours on the way out and decided to take the offer of a lift back to Herts and not long after we saw the horrific crash which still sends shivers down my spine whenever I think about it.
Anyway, back to the band. Knowing that Barney was after a JD t-shirt I took some along to the subsequent Heaven gig and offered him an Ian Curtis and Kraftwerk one. I did not hit the jackpot on this occasion but he did eventually end up wearing a tour t-shirt which if I remember correctly was actually a bootleg version (but do not quote me on that)
I am pursuing my old friend Gary (who went a bit looney once he married his missus back in 1990) as he had a whole load of photos of the occasion, including BS with my t-shirt on which I never saw again!
DM
