Having seen Mani play bass a couple of times with Primal Scream, and Ian Brown perform a solo set, Reni was the next to be ticked off my 'Former Members Of The Stone Roses' list. Reni had disappeared since he left the Roses in 1995 and I didn't even know he was playing music again until a month or so before this show. Me, Mike and Sug headed to the Cockpit with absolutely no idea what to expect.
Supposed 'next big thing' Bone Box were the support act. There were bloody loads of them, including a percussionist and a trumpet player, and I seem to remember that they were all wearing black. They sounded like a slinky, dribbling annoyance, devoid of melody and groove, but high on music college 'slicker than thou' schtick. I thought they were the worst band I had ever seen. Awful.
The Rub strode onto the stage at 9.30ish. Reni appeared to be holding a bass guitar. The first tune began. Reni appeared to be playing the bass guitar. My brain and I exchanged awkward looks. What WAS this?!! It was actually ok, but Reni -> THE DRUMS MAN! First tune over, Lord Wren took off his bass... and picked up a guitar. The rest of the set was actually really good. There were some fantastic harmonies and the overall effect was somewhere between mid-period Teenage Fanclub and C86 indie pop. Reni was a surprisingly good guitarist and frontman and, as ever, his vocals were far superior to the those of his ertswhile bandmate, Ian Brown. But everyone wanted to see Wren play drums, which led to a rather strained atmosphere, with constant shouts of "get behind the kit" and audible gasps everytime he put his guitar down. At one point it looked like he might give it a go, but instead he told the crowd that the band's drummer was his "padawan" and that he'd moved on. After the handful of dates on this tour, the band quietly dissolved and the next time I saw Reni he was back behind the drums, playing with a reformed Stone Roses in 2012. I still think it's a shame The Rub never put anything out; they were definitely better than Squire's post-Roses band The Seahorses, and up there with Ian Brown's solo material. A missed opportunity Alan?
A few clips of The Rub performing in Glasgow on the same tour. The quality is shocking, but I think the songs shine through the fizz
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