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I drove for Primal Scream on a mini tour supporting Julian Cope. This was back about the time of the Velocity Girl 45. 'Throb', as he was already starting to be called by the rest of the band, was playing bass at the time. Throb & tambourine player John Martin, AKA Joogs, AKA Martin St John stayed at my flat the night before the first date. Although Joogs, together with Bobby Gillespie and guitarist Jim Beattie were quite worldly, Throb, 2nd guitarist Stuart May and drummer Tam McGurk all seemed quite young and wide eyed. I remember making lunch for Throb & Joogs before leaving for the first date in Canterbury. Joogs, who was a really top bloke, offered for him & Throb to do the washing up. Throb was horrified at this and eventually had to admit that it was something he'd never done before. With a bit of coaching from Joogs, he eventually managed the drying.
On the tour the whole band were hugely keen to live the rock & roll lifestyle, but their attempts to score drugs were not unlike Jay from The Inbetweeners trying to score in the episode where the boys go to a gig. It wasn't until the last but one night, in Bristol, that they manged to find a bouncer who could sort them out with anything at all.
At the end of the tour I drove them to Wales where they were to record an album with Stephen Street, which to this day remains unreleased. I had to stay the first few days, as the studio was in the middle of nowhere and they wanted someone on hand with a van until they were sure that they had everything they needed. My main memories of Throb, at this time were him and Stuart being about the only members of the band I could beat at table tennis and Alan McGhee's then wife, Yvonne, teaching him how to hand wash his pants; another domestic chore that was new to him.
I never really saw Throb after this time. I wasn't a massive Primal Scream fan, though I do like a lot of the XTRMNTR album. I do, however have fond memories of that young wide eyed lad, who seems a million miles from the swaggering rock star, I'd later see on telly. I knew him as a nice bloke, and a genuine music fanatic of no little talent.
R.I.P.
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Curmudgeonly Rock 'n' Roll time traveller from ye olden days
2nd verse same as the 1st...
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