Music Arcades: The Real Tuesday Weld: I, Lucifer

The first time I encountered The Real Tuesday Weld was on 28 May 2003 at the Ocean in Hackney, where they were supporting the Future Bible Heroes. I only caught part of their set — not enough to form an opinion — but Mark saw it all and was disparaging, in that way he has, in the interval.

The next time I nearly encountered them was at The Crown on Clerkenwell Green. Time Out had them listed to play a gig with the rather unlikely start time of 7.30. I turned up shortly after 8.00 and no one connected with the pub seemed to know what was happening or when. I chanced on seeing the guy who I thought was the singer (Stephen Coates) on the stairs. I asked if he was in the band. He was, he said, unable to conceal some pleasure in being recognised. He told me they were playing a first set at 9.30, but there would be DJ sets and why didn't I go up. I did go up, but the people were all so scarily well-dressed that I decided I was better off going home again (a ten-minute walk) to re-plan the evening's timetable. Having done so, I did not return to the Crown.

The second time I actually saw The Real Tuesday Weld was exactly a year after the first at the re-launch of this album (it originally came out on another label in 2003), on 28 May 2004 at Bush Hall. Again everyone was dressed up, possibly including Jeremy, Alex, Lucy and me. Glen Duncan read from his I, Lucifer book, and I each bought this CD.

The following week (3 June 2004) The Real Tuesday Weld played live on Gideon Coe's show. Between songs Gideon chatted with Stephen Coates about Al Bowlly and some mutual acquaintance from Notting Hill who was never to be seen not wearing spats.

On 10 October 2004 The Real Tuesday Weld supported The Magnetic Fields at the Royal Festival Hall. This was The Magnetic Fields' largest ever gig at that time, so it seems safe to assume that it was also the biggest for TRTW. That was the point that really nailed it for me, and I decided that the band weren't sufficiently special to warrant further investment of my oh-so-precious time.

So when they supported The Magnetic Fields again at the Cambridge date of the UK tour, on 27 October 2004, Mark, Ben and I stayed in the pub while they were on. I did, however, encounter the band a fifth and final time later that evening, as we waited on the platform for the (delayed) penultimate train back to London — though we travelled in different carriages.

Since then they have collaborated with Cibelle, whom I liked when she supported Tom Zé, and, as I often say, it may be that I'll be proved wrong in discounting them. There is, though, just one great song on this album and that is The Ugly and the Beautiful. It really is great, but it's not enough on its own. Here's the video.

Meanwhile they probably got more money from licensing Bathtime in Clerkenwell for several adverts than they did from all the album sales. Truth be told, the track was always more of an advertising jingle — written, I think, to accompany an animation by a friend of Stephen Coates — than a song. Here's the original animation.