Swindon's Finest ( Alongside Mike Summerbee ), Yet another sycophantic thank you to Andy,Colin and Dave Options

[Pete Evans]

Sorry to be extremely boring and debate-less folks but i just registered ( initially ) with the sole aim of saying thanks ( yawn yawn, I'm sure you've heard it a million times guys ) to what i have only recently realised disgracefully, even though I saw you at Manchester Apollo in autumn 1980, is the finest ( or at least one of the top ten ) British bands in the history of...well,Britain !! ( God, that was a long, rather badly composed sentence ).

Bloody hell, what a run of albums from Skylarking to Apple Venus. That's even after the early good stuff and the hits !! Something wedged in my brain and told me I must buy a 'best of' collection for Christmas ( Fossil Fuel ) and the rest is history. By the way i did have The Black Sea and English settlemet in the early 80's but somehow strayed regrettably towards... well I can't admit to it.

All I can say is 'Thank you for the music'. You have made a happy man old ( wrong way round ) and now I even tell my under 10 year old children when we are in the bloody awful south of England and see a motorway sign saying Swindon x miles away that that is the home of the mighty XTC. They then tell me to shut up but if I can persuade them in 10/15 years time or after i've gone that dad actually knew what he was talking about then it has been worthwhile. Mind you, I have to say that my 7 year old daughter loves 'The Lovnig' and 'All You Pretty Girls' and I'm even turning her on to 'Chalkhills...' ( kin genius as we say oop norf ).

Swindon is no longer the home of Mike 'Buzzer' Summerbee ( did i mention I was a Manchester City fanatic ?? ) it is the home of the kings of British popular music. The Smiths ? Nah, Xtc rule and are cool. Thanks again guys and love you.

P.S. You aint as good as Becker and Fagen though !!