Sunday 19th June 4pm, as a massive La's fan, I post on the only place that has La's related news and views, the-las.com
Highly recommended for any real music fan..
Anyway, 4pm on June 19th, A rumour has gathered wind that the elusive, genius and reclusive Lee Mavers, frontman, guitarist, singer and principal songwriter of The La's, who's debut album was released against their wishes in 1990, before I was born, that Mavers was to appear as a special guest at a gig in Manchester later that night...
As one of the biggest post-La's fans, I had accepted that any chance of seeing Lee or the La's in concert was nil, I had accepted I was too late, bound to doom, and to watching old concert videos imagining that feelin', and had accepted I'd never hear There She Goes, Timeless Melody or Looking Glass in the flesh.
The chance was too much to pass up, I scoured into the rumour, the fact the support act was billed as "Lee Rude & The Velcro Underpants" a parody of "Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground", rumours flew round, myself personally realised they both had songs called "There She Goes" and that a Salford DJ had announced it was in fact Mavers, but nothing more other than a few tweets, rumours and chinese whispers.
Luckily, after attending a number of ex-La's member Barry Sutton's gigs in Liverpool, I had become a pal of his, acquiring his mobile number and got the courage to ask him about Lee's apparent comeback in Manchester, the only reply was "True".
I jumped around the room, and told my Dad the events of the past half an hour, my parents were less than convinced. I was invited to the pub by my close pal Ellen, and told her I couldn't due to Mavers' apparent gig that night in Manchester and she offered her company to Manchester, which was one problem off the list, finding an accomplice.
We'd have to leave almost immediately to make the hour's drive to Manchester from the 'pool. I grabbed my La's t-shirt, La's CD, my back up money stash (in case I'd have to bribe a bouncer to get us if it was packed..) and picked up Ellen en route and headed to Manchester.
We arrived about an hour before the gig at the venue, the very cool, underground Deaf Institute. I was wearing my La's t-shirt and had heard my scouse accent and was approached by a number of other La's fans who had made the journey based on the rumour. (I had come the furthest!)
The La's enthusiasts enquiring whether or not I had come with Lee or if I had learnt anymore. The stairwell leading to the stage was getting full, everyone waiting for a glance, anything to indicate he was there, and the bouncers were getting ready.
We queued up and made our way up and paid in, £7, even if it wasn't Lee, it'd still be a good trip with a good pal to see a gig. Unfortunately we were hungry and needed to eat anything we could find, the bar's offer of fruit and nuts weren't too tempting and we decided to go the shop next door.
On the way out, BAM! It's Jasper. Jim Fearon. Lee's best mate, ex-bassist in '86 and drummer in the later 2005 festival gigs, I recognized him from the 2005 Glastonbury webcast, where Jasper walked onto the stage, followed by Jay Lewis, John Power and Lee. It was definitely him, the most concrete evidence of Lee being there, so far. I gathered the courage to stop him.
"Erm...excuse me, are you Jasper?"
He's slightly confused, he must not have ever been recognized before, either that or he's underestimated how deep one's love for The La's goes...
"err, yeah.."
A shock goes up my spine.
"ah sound, you playing tonight?"
"Nah, onstage at about half 9"
"cheers, good meeting you"
"you too, have a good one.."
With that Jasper's bailed to the smoking section, in awe, I leg it back to the stage area to tell the La's faithful about my run in with Jasper.
We head the shop and back and smoke and contemplate whether it was freak occurence or if Lee is about to walk onto the public stage for the first time since an impromptu performance with Pete Doherty in 2009.
Half 9 comes and we stand in the crowd, tension and anticipation filling the air. And then...Lee Mavers steps on stage, something I thought my eyes would never see for themselves. My heart stops. It's him. My dream came true. Accompanying him was Gary Murphy aka Bandit of The Bandits on the bass guitar.
Opening with the classic "Son of a Gun", to a Lee Mavers drum solo and playing lost classics "Come In Come Out" and "Callin' All", the beauty "Timeless Melody" and of course, "There She Goes" and the haunting "Looking Glass"
Even Lee having the odd go at the microphone "fucking crap that" and "how can you listen to that record?" still having a go at the record from 21 years earlier.
The night was filled of chants for new songs which were laughed off but nevermind, this was a man playing classics in acoustic form. I watched my video back the next day and I was chanting (alone) "there's only one Lee Mavers!", "magic!" and "we've missed you, la"
Mavers steps off stage, no wave goodbye, nothing, he's gone, we clap, we cheer, we almost think we're about to wake, but we don't, it really happened.
The ride home was a blur, recalled by my mother the next day "banging on about magic, Lee and Jasper, and funny shaped fruit" and that Ellen butted in with "that was a pear..."
Unfortunately, in the rush, neither me or Ellen had eaten and we had a far too many pints of Tuborg and my drunken singing was picked up on my full length concert video, later posted to youtube and vimeo, much to the fans' joy.
No official statement has been released as to what Lee's and The La's future is, with longtime bassist John Power reforming his Britpop heroes Cast.
Lee Mavers, you'll always be my hero, despite whatever is said, scouse psycho babble, drug addiction, reclusiveness, I don't care. There was a time only The La's music would get me up in the morning. Thank you Lee Mavers, thank you.
