COVENTRY Music Museum curator Pete Chambers BEM writes for the Observer.
Adorable Sounding Off
On Saturday, July 29, at midday, the Coventry Music Museum welcomes a very special Coventry band Adorable.
The band – that’s Pete, Wil, Robert and Kevin – began life at the Warwick Uni as Bubblegum Flesh, later The Fuzzyfelts eventually becoming The Candy Thieves.
By 1990, the band had a new line up and rebranded as Adorable, playing their first gig at The Tic Toc Club, Coventry on January 16, 1991.
The band appeared on the ‘NME On For 92’ showcase gig which featured emerging bands the magazine was tipping for the coming year.
The following day, they received multiple offers from both major and independent labels.
Signing to Creation Records, the band toured UK for four weeks, before releasing their debut single ‘Sunshine Smile’ in April 1992.
It was awarded Single Of The Week in NME and reached number one in the Indie Charts.
Further singles, I’ll Be Your Saint, Homeboy and Sistine Chapel Ceiling all followed before the release of the band’s debut LP ‘Against Perfection’ in March 1993 which reached the Top 75.
The second LP ‘Fake’ was recorded against a backdrop of press disinterest and hostility label apathy (their champion at Creation Alan Mcgee had suffered a breakdown), plus band tensions.
The album came out to an indifferent world in September 1994, and following a UK and European headlining tour, the band announced on stage at Brussels that they were splitting up that night (November 1994).
The four members decided to reform for the 25th anniversary of their last night in Brussels and rewrite the ending of the story of the band with something a bit more positive.
Their five shows in the autumn of 2019 at Hebden Bridge and London all sold out with fans travelling from across the globe.
Indicating that despite never quite hitting the big time, the band are not forgotten and still had a loyal fanbase.
Adorable split up in far better spirits for a second time on November 3, 2019.
So now read on – see you at what will be a sell-out at the museum – wristbands are essential for this event and the band promise to play three cut-down acoustic songs.
Dr Golding
Massive congratulations go to Lynval Golding, Specials guitarist and Fun Boy Three vocalist, who received an Honorary arts degree from Coventry University.
I’m proud to call Lynval a friend, so it was wonderful to be there with him to see one of his finest moments. Lynval along with his bandmates helped to put Coventry on the music map back in the late 70s and early 80s.
Lynval said on the day: “What an occasion and I thoroughly enjoyed the time.
“I would just like to dedicate this to all the young people in the world because it’s about them.
“It’s for young people here to go out there – the world is your oyster, go and take it.
“It doesn’t matter how long it takes to get to the top. You will get there.
“Don’t forget Specials started in 79, we finally got a number one album (Encore) after 40 years. So thank you very much.
“It’s a wonderful piece of music and don’t forget our history of the Specials. Love to you all love, love, love from Terry Hall”.
On a slightly controversial ticket, it’s worth pointing out that now that’s three Specials who have honorary degrees (Jerry Dammers, Neville Staple and Lynval), what about Roddy, Horace, Brad and Terry?
