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Saturday 20th June 1998

We have a wonderful friend with wonderful music taste called Anna. She's Italian and currently resides in her home town of Pescara, Italy. But for what was possibly the longest 6 months of her life, she lived in Glasgow. In a very scary student flat with scary student  peoples. Anna is also one of the most generous people we know, and a very good cook. So spending time in Glasgow with her was always a bonus. So on the longest day of 1998, Sharon and Caroline arrived in  Glasgow to meet Anna, who provided them with much needed breakfast doughnuts and took them along to Kelvingrove Park where an all day free music festival was about to take place. The very first "terminally starstruck" experience occurred...walking into the park some guys moved out of our path. A few paces on Anna dug her elbow in Sharon's ribs and they both stopped. Caroline walked on then the penny dropped and she stopped. We all turned. Teenage Fanclub were stood there grinning. We all engaged in the natural reaction to suddenly meeting our heroes...and ran for it. This was to start a long standing tradition of not speaking to famous people despite having every opportunity to do so. In fact, managing to walk past our heroes without uttering a word has become something of an art form. We probably really shouldn't be that proud of this particular talent.

Pescara: sun, sea, sand....and home of good music taste

The Bathers, co-starring a brown leather jacket.

Having made it safely into the park and away from famous people, Caroline performs an amazing clothing change from jeans to shorts without anyone noticing. We find a spledid spot on the grass in front of the stage and settle down for a days entertainment. First up is Andy White. Some bloke from Ireland with a guitar. Really, we are all about the tortured soul acoustic type, but some people should know that they can't sing. He's one of them. Moving swiftly on then, The Bathers follow. Wee Chris with his wee leather jacket and rather splendid songs finally gets the music event off the ground. Despite The Bathers songs sounding like rainy days, a lasting association of lying in a park in the sun remains.

ASTRID Usually when someone recommends a band you may eventually get round to checking them out on a listening post, or prick you ears up when you hear them announced on a radio...but some people know you well enough (eg., Anna, man in FOPP, Jeremy) that any recommendation from them is surely a winner. So when Sharon received an email from Anna ordering her to run out right that second and buy No Reason by Astrid she did just that. 3 songs of summery jingly jangly Scottish band sunshine (how do Scottish bands write about summer so well? When was the last time Scotland had a summer??) with wonderful harmonies...we have a winner. So when Astrid arrive on stage and are a bunch of young scared wee lads from the Isle of Lewis we were somewhat taken aback. Surely not? But yes. Heavens, Teenage Fanclub were nowhere near this good this early on in their career. Of course the fact that they were quite terrified raised them about 10,000 notches on the endearment scale. Anna spots Andy White loitering at the back of the stage and demands to know what he's there for. Caroline decides he is holding the power cable together, at that moment he leaves the stage area and <poof> suddenly a power cut on stage! It's all about timing. Anyway, power is restored and the wee lads bravely continue. Bless. After their set Sharon, Caroline and Anna purchase their single, with free badge (woo-hoo!), and Sharon and Caroline spot wee William sat amongst friends in the park. Deciding that we cannot be as scared of them as they are of us, Caroline literally prods the poor lad in the back and we demand he sign the single. No-one has ever looked so scared at being recognised. Now, if you are thinking that this is completely against all of our principles..talking to famous people?? Whatever next!! We returned to out choice spot in front of the stage, right next to various members of Belle and Sebastian and successfully managed to not talk to them whatsoever for the whole day. The balance had been restored.

Astrid, wee lads

Next up, Speeder, yet more wee Scottish lads, helped along by Francis MacDonald (who has a life long ambition to be part of every band in Scotland) on drums. The wee lads turn out to be actually very good, and their album Karma Kids is a must. Ickle Scott plays guitar with drumsticks at one point. Nice blend of percussion and guitars boys!

Interesting use of drumsticks...

Speeder: they worked good karma on those kids...

Other bands that day included Ground Control (a dance band), Nimbus (not sure how to describe them but they had a fish that goes zzziip so all power to them), and Toaster, (a rock band). DJ sets in between came from, amongst others, Stuart Murdoch. We distinctly remember him playing an Orange Juice song. Good on ya Stuart!

At some point it starts to rain. Teenage Fanclub, the headliners that day make sure it doesn't last long. The ultimate in jingly jangly Scottish summer pop bands work their magic. Suddenly, Sharon, Caroline and Anna find their spacious spot in front of the stage has been replaced by an extremely large number of people and they are squidged up by the front of the stage. Fortunately, the organisers close off part off that area and stop it getting too full and we are in prime position to watch, listen and enjoy. Norman, a true showman, keeps up the steady banter with the crowd and gets cheers for his 5 note xylophone attempts on 'Your Love..'. Gerry and Raymond (bless them) quietly get on with it. We are rewarded with a smile from Raymond for the excessive cheering for 'Verisimilitude'. Much pogo-ing and high pitched squealing was had by all...and then, after an encore including the wonderful 'He'd Be A Diamond', it was over. Sigh. Sharon, who collects set lists for no apparent reason, coaxes one off the roadie. Walking back out of the park at the end of the day we spot Gerry behind the back stage caged off area. Plucking up and extreme amount of courage, Sharon, in slightly desperate voice asks him to sign the set list. The largest 'aww bless' in the world is then reserved for him as he wanders off to get the rest of the band to sign it. 'Thanks Gerry, you're a star' says Sharon who should know by now to not even try and speak. Cringe.

The rogues gallery: Raymond, Gerry and Norman

With souvenir signed guest list in hand, the girls head off back through Glasgow to Anna's scary flat. Caroline was due to return to Stirling but missed the last train. Sharon had a sleeping bag, so an interesting night was spent lying on that lovely textured carpet all student residences have, you know the type, it's green, clutching half a sleeping bag each. Fortunately Anna was to the rescue again with some very potent Italian coffee to revive spirits for the homeward journey the next day.

Footnote: all photographs courtesy of Anna.

The product outweighed the overwhelming embarrassment...