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It seems like yesterday that Blur were in full working order (i.e. with Coxon), Shed Seven did proper tours in appropriate venues and Bis made droves of little glitterkids go apeshit. And now, look what's happened. Bis are about to split, Blur are in pieces and Shed Seven are still fighting the good, yet hopeless, battle of Indie. There are reminiscent articles on 'The Britpop Love Triangle' in the papers, Louise Wener wrote a book, Shampoo hang around the toilet circuit and Marijne from Salad is married with a day job.
It all seems so long ago now, the Britpop craze has managed to be just another chapter in Indie history. It feels like we're turning into our parents drooling over the Swinging Sixties. But, wake up and smell the coffee (And TV); our parents are in their 50s, the post Britpop generation in their mid-twenties. There's no need for pseudo-historical reminiscence just yet. And, more importantly, as opposed to those who were big in the sixties, the majority of mid-nineties guitar combos are still alive and faintly kicking. Their careers might be plummeting faster than a Sumo wrestler in a lift, but they're still around, for Christ's sake! Well, just about.
Still, the current situation is just plain weird. We read about Blur like they're all 80 and about to kick the bucket, we watch bands with ex-members of Menswe@r and play the 'whatever happened to The Dandys/Dodgy/Ruth/The Nicotines/insert nineties combo here' game. Are we getting old? Or is it just me? If it wasn't for nineties indie ('Britpop' if you insist), I would most definitely have chosen a different career path, another place to live and, cliches here we come, another way of life. I guess. About ten years ago, my room was wallpapered in NMEs, Blur posters and gig tickets. Most of my friends thought I was weird (please note that I grew up in deepest, rural Bavaria, where Blur were regarded as the height of the obscure up until 'Tender' came out), because I bought Select for about a tenner at the International Press stall in the local train station.
Anyway, moving swiftly on, now I feel conned and old. I don't want to be one of those 'veterans' who've 'been there' (well, just about) when 'it' happened. I don't want be the uncool, 'old' woman who stands at the back at gigs, wondering where all the excitement has gone. And what I really don't want is to read about the nineties like they happened 50 years ago. Hello? We're still here!
