“This was the second time I saw Prefab Sprout. The first time was at a gig in the Student Union Bar at Brunel University in Uxbridge. A crowd of about five of us went from our Further Education College in Langley (near Slough) and I’m still in touch with one or two others that were at that gig; so I will ask them for their recollections too. That gig was probably in early 1984 but could equally have been late 1983. My immediate impression was dislike, I recall. They didn’t look very hip and the sound was not what I was expecting. However after a few numbers I began to warm to them and several of my friends and I started dancing to them. At the end of the gig we were all screaming for an encore, which they failed to deliver. I must have been impressed because I bought the album ‘Swoon’ shortly after that, and wore out the grooves from constantly playing it. The lyrics to those songs were incredible. I’d never heard the like of them before and not since either. This started a lifelong love affair with Paddy’s words and music.
“I managed to talk to a couple of my old college buddies today that were also at the Brunel University gig. They verified that it was indeed at Brunel University (Uxbridge) Student Union. Dave is convinced that Swoon had just been released, so that would place the gig around March/April 1984. He says that a couple weeks later he heard the first single from the album ‘Don’t Sing’ on the radio and was saying to us all, hey guys don’t you recognise this…it’s that great band we saw. Joe has an astounding memory and he says that Martin Stephenson and the Daintees were the support act (maybe I was late because I’d totally forgotten this) and they were also really great. Apparently Joe even remembers that Dave Ruffy of Aztec Camera was on drums for the Sprouts and that after initial doubts (based mainly upon the bands image I think) they totally blew us all away”.
Rudi Somerlove
