George - who knows - we might have met. I met the band at the hotel opposite the B'ham Odeon a couple of times but only briefly. My memories of the Malvern Winter Gardens gig are more about my surprise at the size of it and of the amount of people there. Being a city boy the Malverns was some quiet place out in the country to me. I went with a friend whose relatives had gone on holiday and left us their house for the weekend I think. We got there and sure enough it looked like some quiet place in the country. From the house to the centre was a 2-3 mile walk along some really quiet lanes (coming home late at night it was pitch black - that was an experience !) and finally we got to the centre. Sure enough it was deserted. Had something to eat - bumped into Feargal for a brief second or 2 and just wasted away the time. I could picture some empty room with the band playing right up until about 7.25 when all of a sudden all these punks appeared from nowhere and the place was packed. Great gig as usual, with the Moondogs as support. Couldn't ask for more excpet perhaps the odd light for the walk home.

The Strokes were like a breath of fresh air on TOTP and I'd never have guessed they were american - much more subtle/intelligent sound than all the numetal bands that have come over and very reminiscent of some of the later punk. Watching them made me think where's our home-grown talent of the same calibre? It must exist. Perhaps they are just getting overlooked?

Strokes - well stroke my ....!! Bunch of indie New York pretty boys hyped to high heaven by all and sundry. Nothing new, heard it all before. Jingly jangly. At least some of the nu-metal bands while not being very subtle or intelligent have created a punk/rap/metal hybrid which we haven't really heard before and are appealing to the disillusioned teens (the kids always know best folks when it comes to great rock - adults by definition like AOR - adult oriented rock - which is always horrendous). Incidentally, who would have believed in the spandex, poodle haired heavy metal 1980's that Kerrang would be the skate punk kids magazine of choice by 2001 ?

Bought the Ash CD yesterday purely for Teenage Kicks and left it at work, so still haven't played it yet. I didn't fancy loading it on to the PC to watch all the other stuff that is available. Will hopefully remember to take it home tonight. Reading the cover suggests it is the recording from the Jools Holland show. Hopefully TOTP will let them play it.

Some nice words on the NME website: "Ash have covered a song of almost untouchable status for the B-side of the new single... a cover of The Undertones' 'Teenage Kicks' with an actual Undertone playing on it no less. What's more, there's a good story to go with it too... Having met Damian O'Neill previously it occurred to Ash to ask the great man if he'd join them on stage for the cover at a recent Irish Night at London's ICA. Mr O'Neill was only too happy to oblige. So happy in fact that he joined the band again for a romp through the song on Jools Holland's 'Later' TV show... and again for a live Peel session at London's Maida Vale Studios. Word from our man on the spot said the performance left Peel blubbing like a baby in the corner of the room being, as it is, his favourite song ever". Anyway, the version on the single is no less than the Peel Session version. See if it makes you cry like a baby on Friday when NME.COM will be streaming the whole thing, exclusively. Hankies at the ready.

I found a photo today of me in 1980 wearing a "see no more" tour t-shirt.I only look about 13 but then that would explain why I only look 29 now.

I think you should send it in Cliff so we can judge for ourselves! (Should be a good laugh everyone don't you think - hope he didn't hear that last bit, although it's unlikely as deafness is a common symptom of old age)

These youngsters have no idea! The best band in the world on their doorstep and they choose to listen to some US rubbish. Hopefully the festival will change your mind Claire and you'll realise your Dad is actually quite cool!

Claire.....go to bed this instance!

One Undertone-concert and you will eat and totally forget about Limp Bizkit, just a bloody hype forced upon us by clever U.S. marketing managers. Back in the 70's the kids choose the music, nowadays it is all clever marketing--strategies (Linkin park, for instance)

Just listened to Ash. Not a patch on the real thing. The final track 'Melon Farmer' sounds as though it was written in about 1978 and aged badly, whilst Teenage Kicks has aged as well as Cliff.

My children aged between 6 - 8 are going to see Hear'Say in September. Thankfully I will not be taking them. They are too young for Limp Bizkit and have to listen to the Undertones instead. I certainly didn't attend concerts at such an early age. Enjoyed Bauhaus on TOTP2 tonight. Still prefer their version of Telegram Sam to the original. Pity they never played Bela Lugosi's dead on TOTP.