The Wedding Present formed 40 years ago – why does that seem astonishing? - and have a new box set and tour to celebrate. David Gedge digs out his old notes about the first gigs he ever saw and played and looks back at what four decades onstage might have taught him. Among the delights …  

… Rick Wakeman in full cape attire at Manchester Free Trade Hall in ’76 and how Be-bop Deluxe pointed to the future

… the bone-dry humour of the Ramones – “the only time I ever pogo-ed” – and memories of seeing Wire and Queen.  

… how Leeds’ goth culture coloured his early band the Lost Pandas (who had the nerve to play “minor chords”)

… ‘Reception: The Wedding Present Musical’, about to open in Leeds and built around stories, characters and relationships in his songs. “Musicals are very divisive and I wasn’t sure I liked them”

… “meticulous and geeky”: how the set lists flow and the two songs he never omits

… how John Peel playing Go Out And Get 'Em, Boy! ten times launched the Wedding Present: “he was like the Emperor Nero really, almost too powerful. If he didn’t like you, you could vanish without trace”

... the unexpected challenge of band member manipulation

… “if anything gets a laugh, repeat it”

… and costly future visions of the Wedding Present plus orchestra!

Order tickets to the Wedding Present 40th anniversary tour here: https://www.scopitones.co.uk/forthcomingconcerts

And the box set here: https://www.scopitones.co.uk/post/the-wedding-present-to-release-career-spanning-40th-anniversary-compilation

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