Inspiral Carpets demise

My bro went to the Porter Bar in Bath last night to see Tom Hingley from the Inspirals doing a solo set. Heres his report...

"Went and saw Tom Hingley at the Porter last night - he's the ex-singer of Inspiral Carpets - very sad He was singing solo to an audience of about 15 people (about 8 by the end) - how the mighty have fallen.

I felt really bad for him as people weren't that interested. He asked a couple of times if people had heard of his band and a few people had, but most seemed unaware. He seemed alright about it but he was even selling his own CDs from a suitcase!

He (unwisely) sang that song "oh lord, won't you buy me a mercedes benz..." and then followed it with the comment 'I used to have a mercedes benz but I had to sell it'. Like I said, heartbreaking. Anyway, the Inspirals stuff that he played was good and he's still got a great voice."

How sad...the Inspirals produced some great stuff over the years. Always sad to see such a great talent forgotten like that.

 

The Inspirals were excellent about 15 years ago. Saw them in Leeds in the early nineties. 'This is how it feels to be lonely' is just superb. I much preferred them to the Happy Mondays.

 

They had really cool haircuts too!

 

The Carpets are one of my fave bands, to me there distinctive sound never seems to become monotonous, It always manages to make me smile.
Infact I picked up a nice copy of there "Cool as ****" EP just last week.

 

The Inspirals were ace - I saw them at Glasto 2003 (my first Glasto), and, as the first band we got to, and even though it was tipping it down, the vibe was electric and I was loving it (unlike MacDonalds!).

I still remember the Sma ****s (well, it should have been called that!) mag review for "This is how it feels" Inspiral Carpets/"The only one I know" Charlatans - a tied review that said the same thing for both - something about "swirley whirly organs" and "random haircuts" and I knew right there and then that great things awaited for both bands!

 

One of the Inspirals works at the vinyl exchange in Manchester, Clint Boon is a very successful DJ. Saw them a couple of years ago at the Apollo, and it was probably the best gig I've ever seen, the atmosphere was unbelievable. I think they'll play again around Manchester, if only to make a bit of money. As I remember it they sold out pretty quickly for that gig....

 

I saw them in Bristol in 2003, as well as at Glastonbury, and have to say they were out of this world. Fantastic live band, and such a great back catalogue to pick from as well. The venue was pretty much sold out, and they played for a good hour and a half. Glastonbury was good too, I do hope we might see them again on a stage somewhere, sometime. They're too good.

Tom Hingley played a couple of gigs down here, in the wine bar of one of our local clubs, Timepiece. I didn't make it, but friends went and said it was pretty well received, a good 100 or so there to see him.

Clint Boon's band, the Clint Boon Experience were pretty good too. Saw them a couple of times in 1999/2000, they only played one Inspirals tune, This Is How It Feels, and that was a radically re-worked version. The first time he played at the Cavern, someone had joined the bottom of the l and i in his name together... which he found amusing... referred to himself during the second gig he played there (which I saw) as C*nt Boon for much of the night! Really cool people too, he stayed around chatting to anyone that was there, passing the odd number around too...

 

Many years ago I sold Clint Boon a Stylophone.

Tony.

 

Good to hear they're still getting about then or in the last few years at least. Maybe he was just sad about how few people in Bath recognised him. Even though The Porter is quite an 'alternative' bar maybe it says something about Bath that so few people attended or had heard of the Inspirals

 

The Porter is a great place but a very studenty hangout on weeknights- people who would have been 2 or 3 when the Inspirals first arrived.

I wish I'd known about the gig though - I only live 200yds away.

 

seen tom twice in the last year , and can only echo what your man has already said . it was wierd the first time when he came over and asked us what we wanted to hear ... and it was embarresing to see him selling his wares like that.. he,s still got a great voice and is a mighty fine guitar player too...
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if it was advertised in the same way the newport shows were ,you wouldn,t have seen a poster ...
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Yep I've seen Boony DJ a few times as well, he is very good, one of the times Hooky was DJ'ing with him as well (he is not such a good DJ - he should stick to playing bass).

I reckon the Spirals could easily sell out the smaller venues such as the Bier Keller. There is still a bit of hype surounding them although nothing like as much as the Stoned Roses or the Twatty Mondays.

 

Where and when did he play in Newport?

 

Cranked the Life album up loud at the weekend. Good stuff!

 

january this year he played tj,s and because it was so badly attended/ advertised he played again for johnny secola at his pub langtons about a month later for free , that was weird he asked if he could have the bar stool of my wife when he played some slower numbers . very embarressed for the guy really ... BTW the inspirals gig at newport centre in 91' i think was one of my best gigs ever ... .... "a man is no man if he doesn,t have the beast inside" :JPS:
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I was in tj's last friday for the first time in ages. Have you been since they've done it up? The John Peel bar. Not a single drop of **** on the toilet floor! Amazing! A nice change from the usual inch or so. And beer on tap! And in proper glasses too!!!

Langtons? Never heard of it.

 

Chimes with my experience of Bathites

 

I was in tj's last friday for the first time in ages. Have you been since they've done it up?
Bit of a Newport thing going on here .
Actually , I was in there last night at the Diverse Music bash - had promised that I would reduce my drinking and restricted myself to 2 pints of Felinfoel Double Dragon . Very proud of myself.
The Redland Palamino Co were very good as well.
Glenda

 

Yeah shame really. I'm back in Wilts for crimbo but know for certain they'll be no musical events worth going to in Bath.