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The Life and Death of My Pop Star Life
Don't look now
25/08/09
During the 1990's, I was in 3 bands and I played a different instrument in each.

In about 1992/93 I formed a "grunge" band with my then friend at Bushey Hall School, Watford, Mark Standy. Mark was (and is) American and thought he was Eddie Vedder. He wasn't. He played guitar and "sang".
He had just learnt to play "Neighbour" by Ugly Kid Joe and "Alive" by Pearl Jam, as well as the standard issue Nirvana catalogue for any new guitarist.

I decided to be a drummer and teach myself drums. After school each day we would commandeer the music lab at school and practice. I had no idea how one would play the drums, and to begin with I was hitting the tom drum with one hand and the snare with the other. After a few months we both learnt how to be rubbish musicians, rather than rubbish and talentless ones. We decided to name our band "Fatal Malady" at first as it was a phrase we had seen written in a history book. We then decided that that was a shit name and something a soap writer would call a teen rock band. It was at this point that my love for rock and grunge was dwindling and I was becoming an indie kid. I was really into Suede, Kingmaker and The Auteurs. It was from The Auteurs that we eventually settled on the name "Brainchild" for the band.

I started art college in late 1993 and it was there I met the other member of the band and future legend, Dominic Graham.

I first met Dom on one of our many visits to the chip shop near college to play Street Fighter 2, as we didn't have the internet or happy slapping in those days. We also started going to the same indie club, the Forum in Hatfied, which I know believe is sadly demolished. It was when we had to stay for referrals week at college that I first discussed the posibility of him coming to play bass for the legendary Brainchild. Dom was an amazing bassist. He was still learning like the rest of us, but by golly did he pick it up fast. He studied Flea from the Chilli Peppers and was able to pop, slap and all the rest almost immedietly. I knew then we were amazingly fortunate to have this genius slumming with us in Mark's garage playing rubbish (That's right, we even played in a garage, cliche anyone?). Dom then mentioned that he had a friend who could play a mean guitar, that friend was Graeme. He came, saw and joined Brainchild.

We started cooking up some rubbish songs with great titles such as "Killer Klowns" "Teenage Anarchist" and "Sulphur Lust". We also started playing gigs around Watford and Hemel Hempstead. We were rubbish and if I am honest, I think we knew it really. Our two best gigs were both captured on video, which tragically, I accidentally threw away when we moved house.

We even recorded a demo. This was odd, the only studio we could afford had no room for a drum kit so I had to play the drums on a keyboard. Rock and roll. We later recorded a second demo but couldn't afford to pay for it, so it probably was also thrown away years ago.

After about a year of playing in this frankly, smelly band. Dom and I began to have murmurs of leaving and forming a super indie band. Dom wanted to be a lead guitarist and I wanted to sing. So, we began to covertly write songs and build up the courage to announce our abdication. After a few weeks we had written some marvellous Suede and Blur rip off songs and had sounded out another friend of Dom to join up. The scene was set. Dom and I would meet Mark and Graeme and announce our departure.

We met at a McDonalds in Watford, both prepared to say our bit and both prepared to take a barrage of abuse. But, as with most things in the world, luck intervened. Mark, who by then had started smoking weed far too much for our liking, announced he was splitting the band up to go his own way. Me and Dom both could not believe our luck. We acted disappointed, but we both knew that secretly inside, we were over the moon. We went back to mine and started making plans for band number 2. The as yet unnamed band.

At this time, Dom and I knocked together songs at a scary rate, we were writing about 2-3 a time, none of them were any good, obviously, but it was great to meet someone who I not only got on with a great deal but could also share creative juices with. I think back on that time now very fondly. I have since played with other people and it sometimes takes me a time to warm up to people and be able to feel comfortable in their presence, especially when performing. With Dom, however, it was always second nature. Dom brought the new member of band number 2 to a rehearsal. His name was Gavin Martin, and he played bass and, he drove a car. I knew a guy at my old school who could play drums and had a drum kit, so we roped him in to play rehearsals with us.

It wasn't too long before we had a mini set together. I remember the first time we played it through, it was just so exciting. We were pure 100% brit pop and I took great pleasure in singing in a mockney accent and Dom loved being Bernard Butler and Johnny Marr rolled into one.

At this point Dom and I had parted ways college wise. I had only been able to take a year of Art and left to do Media Production at another college on the other side of Watford. I met some new people and one of them was impressed by the fact that I was in a brit pop band. She was seeing a young guy who had "the look" and could play guitar. By "the look" she meant he looked like he had just stepped out of Menswear or Pulp, and still does. His name was Toby and he came for one rehearsal and then joined.

We had also decided on a name for the band. Sherbet. We found out a few years later that there was already a band called Sherbet, they had had a hit in the 1970's with a song called "How'zat" or something. We didn't have the internet then, so we couldn't have checked it out. Or, should I say, we couldn't be bothered to check it out.

We were now a fully operational band. There was only one problem however, our drummer announced he wanted to leave.

Gavin's sister was going out with the lead singer of a popular band in St.Albans called "Shag". Shag not only were the biggest band in St Albans, but they also played London on a regular basis and were a set of coat tails we wouldn't have minded jumping on. Their manager, Liam, agreed to come and see us in rehearsal in a sort of audition, to ascertain if we were good enough to be Shag's support band. He came, we played, and we were in. Shag were playing Watford College and we were to be the support. Our first gig. We talked the drummer into doing this one gig, and then he could sod off. He agreed.

We put on our best charity shop suits, red shirts and black ties and played. We went down pretty well. More importantly, we became a regular support band for Shag.

The other big band in Watford at the time, were "The Violets". Where ever you would go in Watford, you would see flyers or posters for The Violets. I had never seen them live, but I had heard that they were amazing. Around the time of our drummer sodding off, The Violets split. Dom knew them and more importantly, he knew their drummer, Rupert Driver. We one rehearsal with Rupert, then we asked him if he wanted to join. He did.

We then spent the best part of 1995/96 writing new and exciting songs. We went into the studio and recorded a demo. This demo "Vacuous and here to stay" became a bit of a must have with people who came to see us and one song in particular, "Suburbia" became a very small hit. I remember one gig I was able to point the mic at the crowd and hear them sing the chorus to me. Happy days.

We genuinely thought we were on the cusp of something big and in 1996/97 we had a new set list and went into the studio to record our second demo. Our new songs had taken a turn for the dark and gloomy. Dom and I were really into Suede and were on a big Dog Man Star tip when writing songs, we also were being influenced by Radiohead in a big way.

Then, one day in 1997, we all went out for a drink on a sunny Saturday in St.Albans and Gavin announced he and Toby were leaving the band. Like with a relationship ending, I look back now and see the signs. It was clear they were up to something. Dom and I went off in a huff and decided to get drunk. It was during this session that we hit upon the idea of carrying on. Rupert came and met us and he agreed that we should carry on, evolve and get better.I had been picking up the bass and really enjoyed playing it, Rupert and Dom encouraged me and asked if I was happy to still sing, but play bass also. I was. Also, O.K. Computer had not long come out and we were writing epic Paranoid Android type songs that just wouldn't have suited Sherbet anyway. It was then we decided to call upon the other genius, Ruban Byrne.

Ruban was also a fallout of The Violets and I had first met him when he came to see Sherbet back in the early days. I instantly liked him and we clicked immediately. I remember he gave me a lift home from a gig and we sat in my room listening to music and talking until the next morning without realising it. He had (and has) an amazing sense of humour and was just so great to be around. He was (and is) also an amazingly creative guitarist. He would often bring odd bits and pieces to rehearsals to use to make sounds, like a pole from a desk tray.

We asked Ruban to join Sherbet and we started writing straight away. Ruban had loads of songs stored and gave me a tape with loads more. We ended up using quite a few of Rubans and almost over night our set doubled. We also had realised that the name Sherbet, was shit. So, we needed a new name. We did play one gig as Sherbet I seem to recall, but it was getting embarrassing being a band playing serious dark-mood music with a name that conjured up a fizzy sweet.

We settled on the name "Indiana" and we all seemed to like it.

Indiana began with a new slate, no Sherbet songs, all new material, new style and was effectively a brand new band. We were playing much more gigs now too. All over Watford and in London.

We recorded our first demo at Farm Factory studios London Colney (now Welwyn Garden City) in 1998. I still think to this day, it is brilliant and a perfect time capsule of the time. We had been affected by O.K. Computer and it really shows.

We were progressing well, the only problem being, that Rupert would leave the band on an almost monthly basis, only to rejoin again. Eventually, one day in 2000, he called me early one morning to tell me the news. He had left, he wanted to stop doing music to become a chartered surveyor, which he still is to this day, rock and roll. You would suspect I mock Rups, but I don't, I am sure he is earning more now than I ever will and has a nice little family going on.

We decided to go ahead with the second demo anyway, even if we didn't have a drummer. I volunteered to play drums and away we went. Although I like the songs on the second demo, I don't think it's very good. I think we should have waited, but time seemed so of the escense then and we were writing more songs than we could record. I think we chose the wrong two personally.

We then had a brief hiatus as we had no drummer. I was now working for a popular car company and through the friend of a friend, I had found a drummer, Matt Humphries.

Matt came along to a rehearsal and played. He is a very good drummer, probably the best I have ever played with. He is very reminiscent of Steve White, very hard hitting and in your face, but with such a smooth style. It was with Matt that we recorded our third demo in 2002, again, at Farm Factory. My heart just wasn't in it.

It was around this time that I had kind of had enough of it all. To this day, I cant exactly put my finger on why I decided to quit. But it was the only option in my head. I had just split up with my girlfriend at the time and we had been together for three and a half years. I was depressed and the idea of being in the band just seemed like the last thing I wanted to do at the time. We rehearsed every Sunday without fail and had slowed down on the gigs front. I felt that we had hit a wall and there was no way to change it except by leaving the band.

I called Dom and told him. He tried to talk me out of it, as did Ruban, but my mind was made up. They talked me into doing one more rehearsal for old times sake. I did, it was really sad and gloomy and I seem to remember Dom didn't talk to me all night, I don't blame him.

Dom and I didn't speak for about a year afterwards. I was annoyed with him, he was annoyed with me. I still saw Ruban and there was always talk in whispers of us all playing together again, but it never happened.

Indiana carried on without me for five more years. I was upset that they were still going for a while and I could never bring myself to hear or see them. Seeing them live would have been like going to the wedding of an ex. They even had a cool website, more reasons to be miserable.

I locked myself away and went all Brian Wilson. I composed a recorded my own stuff, but it never went anywhere.

I then moved to Brighton in 2004 and Dom and I started to reconnect and since then I think we have become better friends for it.

We recorded 3 demos in total over a 5 year period in Indiana and I listen back to them with really fond and happy memories.

Both Ruban and Dom still play in great bands. Ruban has since joined a band called SonVer(www.sonver.co.uk) and Dom is in Broken Mile (www.myspace.com/brokenmile) and I suggest you check them both out immediately as they are both awesome and will be big.

Ruban and I collaborated again recently (though not together) by both submitting pieces of music for the forthcoming film "Beyond Biba" (www.beyondbibamovie.com). A documentary about the life of Barbara Hulanicki, legendary sixties fasion guru.

So, what is the reason for this walk (hike) down memory lane? Well, whilst retrieving all of my old college work from my parents loft, I found a load of old band stuff and it just got me reminiscing about the old days. The days of wine, roses, the last day of the fair, the grease-paint and the hair.

Also, I am seeing Dom and Ruban this weekend for drinks and a group therapy session about the old days.

Long live rock and roll.


Follow Ted (MrJohnRain) on Twitter
Comments about This Article
John, Sherbet will never diiiiieeeeeeeee. Chyxzadorus (or however you spell it) yes, but never Sherbet.
Comment By: Amy Rich, 18 Jun 2010, Rating: 5/5
Always mate. Weddings, christenings, Bar Mitzvahs...
Comment By: Toby Opperman, 18 Jun 2010, Rating: 5/5
Sherbet are dead. Taboom are available?
Comment By: John, 17 Jun 2010, Rating: 5/5
I'll book Studham Social Club.
Comment By: Toby Opperman, 15 Jun 2010, Rating: 5/5
Have you got Glitterbugs and Suburbia on CD? Please can I have a copy? Also...Television Animals and one about a fair weather friend. Seriously, that would be amazing. Do a 'Sherbet - Best Of' album and design a t-shirt. Blur came back, why not Sherbet?
Comment By: Amy Rich, 15 Jun 2010, Rating: 5/5
Someone asked if I was the Toby mentioned and I can categorically state that I am. Nice piece John. Brought back some memories. Though if memory serves, Gav handed in both our notices on a Bank Holiday Monday, pissed out of his head at The Goat. I wasn't even there when he did it. Git!! Hope you're well.
Comment By: Toby Opperman, 22 Feb 2010, Rating: 5/5
Great days, yarr...
Comment By: Pirate #1, 17 Jan 2010, Rating: 5/5
Put a smile on my face reading this
Comment By: CF, 10 Oct 2009, Rating: 5/5
I think you're pretty lucky in a way, while fortune and glory has never come your way it seems to have been a good journey thus far. I live in an area where people are stereotypical. Being a little different I was ground down so much I climbed into a shell and never emerged. I can play the keys from paper and ear, create and sing; but other than the minidisc no-one has ever heard me so i've never evolved. I'm just left feeling stale wondering what could have been; similar to william shatners last album.
Ho-hum
Comment By: Some sad twat called handsome stranger, 25 Aug 2009, Rating: 5/5
*While you are in shower* COULD IT BE!!!!
Comment By: Hector Savage, 25 Aug 2009, Rating: 5/5
Happy, happy, happy times.
A whole section of our lives nicely summarised.

"Multi coloured meeeeeemorieeeees... of the way we were..."
Comment By: Mr Ic van Dyke, 25 Aug 2009, Rating: 5/5
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