NIKKI SUDDEN - Live @ Bay 63, London 27/10/86

Nikki Sudden and Roland S Howard

Someone asked for some more live Nikki Sudden, so here we go then, lets take a trip back to Bay 63 under the Westway in Ladbrook Grove, London in October 1986. I've gone for this one for the simple reason that I went along to this, not that I can tell you anything much about the evening, other than it was slightly chaotic, as were several of the other Nikki Sudden gigs I went to around 86/87 (Sir George Robey and Camden Palace), or was that just me? Could explain why my recollections are rather limited to remembering lots of paisley shirts and pudding bowel* haircuts, and I would say a sea of scarves, but I don't remember it being that packed. I do remember a relatively unknown band at that time My Bloody Valentine being on the bill, they went on to big things with their lo-fi feedback rumblings, they didn't do anything for me back then, nor did they impress me in their later ear splitting shoegazing NME days. This gig was a launch for Nikki's Texas album, which was his first release on Creation Records, it also marked the beginnings of his musical partnership with Roland S Howard; around the time Texas was being recorded Roland met up with Nikki and played on a couple of tracks on the album. He also joined him for several live performances, including this one, they then went on to record a couple of sublime and suicidal albums together; Kiss You Kidnapped Charabanc and Dead Men Tell No Tales, before parting company and going their separate ways.

A big regret was not picking up a copy of this from one of the bootleg tape stalls in Camden Market during the late 80's, probably the same source as this recording came from....???? Talking of which, I'd like to credit t where I got this copy from, but I'm fucked if I can remember who or where it came from, but thanx to whoever from where ever!  and you can get it here ENJOY!

*A spelling mistake I noticed, but I thought I'd keep it as it was for humorous reasons, because I've always thought those bowl haircuts looked shit!