Well, I've just been reminded that it's twenty years to the day since the release of There She Goes by The La's. It came out the year that I left school and was one of the records that made me want to form a band. Actually, I wanted to be in The La's and sent Lee Mavers a letter at one point asking him that if he ever needed a drummer then he should get in touch. I never did get a call...

Former Icicle Works drummer, Chris Sharrock, played on this recording. I really do love Chris' playing and he has been an inspiration to me. He's a very underrated drummer, in my opinion. The clip posted here highlights just how rhythmical and syncopated his playing is, with just two drums and no cymbals.

Unfortunately, Chris left the band before their debut album was released and the following line-up never again reached the heights of There She Goes. The band drove engineers crazy in their search for organic sounds, and they were ultimately doomed. Stories of aborted recording sessions are legendary, with one engineer saying that the vintage mixing desk the band were using didn't sound right because there was no dust on the valves. The band subsequently sent a friend out on a search for some "Real Sixties dust, La."

The dissolution of The La's still causes me pain. Along with The Stone Roses and Spacemen 3, they are probably the only British band of the last twenty years worthy of attention. They were a pre-cursor to Brit Pop, which is an unfortunate legacy to have. What makes There She Goes so great is that it doesn't just remind people of certain records from the Sixties, it is better than records made in the Sixties.