Martin Whitehead - Features
Flatmates
Chapter 28: Heaven Knows tour, autumn 1988
In October 1998 we played our first gigs with Jackie. From 14th - 28th October we had a tour of the UK booked, but a week before that started, on 7th Octo
Flatmates
Chapter 24: Back in Blighty
Our first gig back in the UK was playing at The Fridge in Brixton, south London. The Fridge is a large theatre and a prestigious venue to play. We were supported by the
Flatmates
Chapter 29: He had a whisky drink, he had a lager drink…
In Bristol a recuperated Joel joined the tour again, having seen a doctor and rested for several days. After a welcome night in our own beds
Flatmates
Chapter 4: It’s a HIT!
‘I Could Be In Heaven’ was released on my Subway Organization label in September 1986 with the catalogue number Subway6. The runout grooves of the A and B side bore the messa
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Chapter 27: Don’t you come round here with that polar bear
Our management’s plan was that ‘Heaven Knows’ was the single that was going to get us signed to a major deal. After ‘Shimmer’ had attracte
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Chapter 26: ‘Heaven Knows’ - I’m miserable now
We’d decided on ‘Heaven Knows’ for our 5th single. The song’s lyrics tell of a protracted battle with mental instability brought about by the traumas
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Chapter 23: Going kinky in Hamburg
Two nights later we were playing the last night of the tour in Hamburg. Since the Beatles had their residency in Hamburg it’s been a place of fun and frolics for
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Chapter 14: Bye Bye Baby/Hit The North
June 1987 was busy, with The Flatmates playing 12 gigs in that month. 12 gigs over a month may not seem busy, but apart from the Devon weekend they were all b
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Chapter 13: Summer 1987
On 28th May 1987, not long after we got back from the Dutch tour, we played in Lichfield in Staffordshire where the Rosehips turned up to hang out with us. On 8th June we pl
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Chapter 11: Dutch Tour May 1987
Back in January of 1987 we’d been phoned up by a Dutch promoter, Rob Berends of the Paperclip Agency, and asked to play some gigs in Holland. So it was that on the 1
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Chapter 15: Fantasy pop stars
We had a 7 week break from gigging between 19th July and 7th September 1987 for Joel to get rehearsed properly, to have a break from the physical and emotional strains
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Chapter 21: I thought you had the leads bag?
At Stuttgart we managed to leave all our leads behind in the club. "Iz a problem". Not just the guitar leads, but all the connectors for the effects ped
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Chapter 19: Spring 1988
Our tour with The Wedding Present took in 6 gigs. Birmingham Irish Centre, Newcastle Riverside, Nottingham Trent Poly, Bristol Bierkeller, London Town and Country Club and M
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Chapter 17: Shimmer
Our new management were keen to crack on with a new single. Their long term plans were to get a recording contract with a major record company. A new single would give them mate
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Chapter 31: Life after The Flatmates
Me, Jackie, Joel and Gary decided to recruit a new singer and carry on. We advertised in Bristol and after auditions selected a girl named Kirsty. The band was
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Chapter 30: The fallout from ULU
I think after the ULU incident we all wanted to go and hide under a rock until everybody forgot about us, but we still had gigs to play in Tunbridge Wells and Brigh
Flatmates
Chapter 1: It’s early days yet
The Flatmates formed in 1985 shortly after I met up with Rocker, the band’s original drummer at a gig by The Jazz Butcher in the June of that year. It took me some ti
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Chapter 8: Love and death and Janice
On 5th February 1987 we played at the Knightstone Theatre in Weston Super Mare. The Knightstone is an old theatre near the sea front. At the time we played ther