By the time I got there everyone else was already settled in, Steve was brewing up in the kitchen as usual and Stick was beaming guide tracks over from his laptop to the main console.
First up was ‘Doppelganger’, or ‘Gluhwein’ – ‘whatever way it’ll be something Germanic sounding’ says Stuart as we all sway in the control room. It is, as Max the engineer says ‘…a bit New Order-ish’. To my ears it resonates of Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’ and I can already see the band dressed in Matalan bath robes carrying a huge picture of Fred Dibnah across Ainsdale beach.
With all that done we head down to Shepherds Bush where the lads disappear into a club in the old underground toilets on the green, I decline the invitation and go in search of food. I sneak a Big Mac meal into the hostel up my coat and head off to bed with ears full of the Cowboy Junkies and a couple of chapters of Woody Guthrie’s ‘Bound for Glory’
Cometh Saturday cometh the pop injection… The lads are ready and raring to go, and as soon as Dave hits the big red ‘record’ button a suitably rocking number is issued forth. All chiming guitars and driving rhythm ‘This Olive Branch has been Withdrawn’ seems to spring form nowhere, but nobody is complaining – it’s their ‘Jumping Jack Flash’. Later in the day, a band jam in the live room forms the foundations of another new, unscripted song. Provisionally titled ‘Tannery Row’ it is of a more introspective, moody tempo but is tempered with an optimistic feel. We order Thai food that proves to be slightly more spicy than anticipated and crack on into the night.
Sunday morning arrives and so does Dave, he is looking a bit grey around the gills but insists on getting the job done. Stick plays some piano on ‘Tannery Row’ which we record from the corridor outside, the idea is to have it sounding a bit far away-ish. Remember when you were in primary school and you could hear the piano in the hall from your classroom, a bit like that. Periodically Dave sprints out of the back of the control room to throw up from the fire escape, he’s a trooper he really is.
Come early afternoon I am heading back to Wales, the boys stay and work some more on ‘Paulie is Dead Nice’ which is growing into a C-86 epic and another new song with a working title of ‘Primark Scream’ which would have Spacemen 3 running for the hills.
There is still lots to do, vocals and the odd tweak of guitar parts being the main part, but as of that the vast majority of the nuts and bolts for the album are now in the tool box and Dave can start putting them all together and seeing what we come up with.
It’s amazing what a winter in Horwich can offer up.
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