Essential Festival: Brighton 1995

Bands seen: Carter USM, Charlatans, Pop Will Eat Itself, Gene, Dodgy, Teenage Fanclub, Lightning Seeds, Skunk Anansie, Reef. So in other words, all of them!

It was a blistering hot day and I think I got sunburnt while queuing up to get in. One tent – with a stage at either end, so that when one band finished the next band took to the opposite stage straight away. Worked so well I am mystified as to why I’ve never been to a gig like it since.

S*M*A*S*H did not play sadly – Reef were the first band on. Saw all nine sets from start to finish and every set was either a 9 or a 10 out of 10, these bands were at their peak!

The PA went during Dodgy’s set and they got the acoustic guitars out for a singalong. Other memories include talking to a totally inebriated Fruitbat, and someone in the crowd front and centre when Gene were on making wanker signs at Martin Rossiter for a full 45 minutes.

I also remember Jimbob taking to the stage shouting “fucking students!” I seem to recall everyone hated students in the 90s.

Easy drive home – back in Essex at 12.30am.

Saturday 27 May 1995, 85 views