Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wade?
We’ll kick off with Outbreak Of Vitas Gerulaitis. This was probably the one which started it all off for me. Sometime about 1990 I took my girlfriend to a comedy gig at a tiny venue in London’s swinging Covent Garden (what was I thinking?). The memory is very hazy, but the headline act was someone like Attila The Stockbroker. However, I was gradually captivated by the support band, who raced through so many brilliant cultural references during their set that I could hardly remember any of them afterwards. Soon afterwards I heard – probably on John Peel’s show – Outbreak Of Vitas Gerulaitis and clearly recalled that particular reference during the live gig I’d heard. So the band was Half Man Half Biscuit! It must have been about the time McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt was released.
15 Letters Sent:
ash
i always though it was ‘tuck us in like vinyl please’ not tarkus
Oct 24th, 2007
chris
No, definitely Tarkus. Rather scary E.L.P. album. H.E.L.P. more like.
Oct 29th, 2007
Hoagy
Isn’t it
“Always calm with a gentle breeze”
&
“Why, it’s Mr Kowalski”?
Mar 25th, 2008
chris
Thanks. I also spotted it’s “the mayoral frown”…
Mar 25th, 2008
Hoagy
Just listened again.
It is “Mayoral frown”.
Nice one.
Mar 26th, 2008
Hoagy
I think it might be
“Subsequently engraved on a plaque”
but not sure.
Mar 27th, 2008
chris
It would make sense. Although he’d have to pronounce it “sub-see-quently”. Which he may well do. The most recent live version doing the rounds doesn’t make it any clearer. Let’s go for it.
Mar 27th, 2008
Exapno Mapcase
That’s what the book says.
NB “Subsequent hat-trick” in “Tour Jacket”.
May 23rd, 2008
_Felix
The album title, by the way, and the cover, are from the Ripping Yarns TV series by Michael Palin. The names are fabled heroic footballers of old from Barnstoneworth United, a club which perpetually loses.
Jul 18th, 2008
Michael Esterol
I always thought the first verse ended “there’s an outbreak of Vitas Gerulaitis in the town” to ryhme with “all fall down” and to add to the “subsequenty” debate, I actually think it’s “succinctly”.
If you watch the You Tube version of the song, I get him singing those lines anyway.
Jul 23rd, 2008
Bill Stow
Can I suggest a question mark after each ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Wade’
Mar 4th, 2009
Charles Exford
Just reading back to see some of the posts on here before I was aware of your site, and it’s great to see that your first ever intro’ on here mentions Attila the Stockbroker, someone who often cites HMHB as an inspiration. I notice (from Attila’s murdochspace page) that he even went on a HMHB-inspired pilgrimage up Lord Hereford’s Knob a few weeks ago, naturally timed to coincide with Hereford United playing his beloved Brighton & HoveAlbion !
When we saw Attila opening for another of his heroes John Cooper Clarke in Liverpool, last May I think it was, he started his set in mockery of all those American bands who always pay homage to some other old 4-piece when they play Liverpool, by announcing right away that it was always great to be gigging near the home of the 4 lads who have done more to (insert whatever cliché it was, i don’t remember) than anyone else … HMHB ! and then gave NB himself a good name-check too.
We saw him in Leeds last year too (yes you guessed it – the night before Leeds played Brighton – how I wish the Bickies would gig on that basis) and he mentioned that he’s often tried to promote a HMHB gig in Brighton but they won’t go South of London, he said. So imagine how excited I got the other day when I saw the following line-up for the Sunday at Attila’s own little annual festival called “Glastonwick”, which I’ll be attending in sunny Sussex next month:
Friday 5th June: (6pm-midnight) Too Many Crooks, Chris T-T, Lovely Brothers, Drookit Dogs, and Alun Party.
Saturday 6th June: Goldblade, The Go Set, Sates, Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs, Dizzy Heights, Spoz, Anal Beard, Garden Gang, Paul Carter, Charred Hearts, Gary Kaye, and Amateur Ninja Club.
Sunday 7th June: Asbo Derek (HALF BAN HALF BISCUIT), Leon Rosselson, Richard Durrant, Fitsroy, Phil Jeays, plus storyteller John Row wandering free.
Then I realised I’d mis-read it. It says ‘ban’ not ‘man’, and I’ve no idea why that’s even there cos the act just appears to be called Asbo Derek, and according to interweb research they play “ASBO Derek play kazoo-driven garage cabaret”. I can’t wait to find out what on earth they have to do with HMHB and if they do any covers ? Ah well maybe one day you’ll be on the same bill as the real HMHB again, Attila.
By the way, a propos of nowt much, yesterday’s Guardian footy blog just happened to quote Attila in quite a sensible article really if you’re into yer footy politics (and which just happend to have the top of my ugly old head in the photo at the top) :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/may/14/nationalise-premier-league-steven-wells
May 15th, 2009
Charles Exford
Little did I know when I wrote the above that Mrs. Exford & I would be having another HMHB-related conversation with Attila the Stockbroker within a week, bumping into him in the Cains Brewery Tap, Liverpool, on Friday night before a nearby gig he was doing with Billy Bragg & David Rovics. Let’s face it, he’s a CAMRA man. Anyway he told us that the ‘Half Ban Half Biscuit’ tag for the act called ‘Asbo Derek’ at his festival in Sussex next month doesn’t mean they do any HMHB covers. It’s just a joke.
Talking of covers, he led his audience that evening in a rousing chorus of “Vatican Broadside” after again doing his “I’d like to pay tribute to 4 Lads from round here who have done so much for music…” routine.
May 25th, 2009
Jem
Hello All,
Asbo Derek hope very much to see some of you at Glastonwick.
We’ve caused quite a stir – or at least gently nestled a teaspoon in the mug – haven’t we?
Sorry to say that we don’t currently do any HMHB covers but we are big fans… and you never know.
Attila has said to me that we have a touch of the Biscuit about us, which we take as a big compliment.
Come along, see what you think and say hello!
Asbo Derek
May 27th, 2009
Tumshie
Sorry to drop in so late in the game, but I’ve always heard the start of the second verse as;
‘What- Mr Kowalski?
It was you all along!’
-in the style of the kids from Scooby Doo who stop him getting his hands on the ski lodge due to their meddling.
Aug 12th, 2009
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