Nathan Gavin’s Playlist
She’s A Windup – Dr Feelgood
One of my earliest musical memories is of my sister and I absolutely belting it around the living room to this song. My dad would put it on the record deck and we would jump up and down on the sofas. This is quite possibly the inception of my love for loud, fast music. It’s only been in recent years that I’ve realised that the lyrical content might not have necessarily been suitable for a pair of young children, but at the time we didn’t have a clue.
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
This song doesn’t really need any introduction, and is probably a favourite for many. A personal memory I have connected to this song is that my first attempt at audio editing was using my boombox’s record function to drop in my own ‘Da da lat da’ in to song. It wasn’t very seamless and it wasn’t very good, but was the beginning of my interest in audio technology, and in ruining music with my voice.
The Piano Has Been Drinking – Tom Waits
This song reminds me of very long car journeys on family holidays in our Vauxhall Maestro. We would have a couple of mix tapes to listen to; one chosen by my parents, and one by my sister and I. This song was on my parents’ tape. Whilst I’ve grown to like Tom Waits’ music over the years, I didn’t like it at the time, but would find some solace in mimicking his voice to annoy everyone.
Creeping Death – Metallica
When I was 13, my mum took my sister and I to Donnington Monsters of Rock Festival. Metallica were one of my favourite bands at the time and had curated the festival. Many of my favourite bands at the time played at the festival, but Metallica’s headlining set is the one that sticks with me. In particular, this one sticks with me as there is a passage of the song that encourages audience participation. Being part of a crowd of tens of thousands all chanting the same phrases was a really powerful, memorable moment.
Happy Answer – Rob Acid
In my early 20’s I ran a club night in Liverpool City Centre. The music at the events was always very varied, from death metal bands to hip hop acts, from breakcore DJs to performance artists. One of the few consistent things about the music was that at some stage near the end of the night, when my responsibilities were nearly over and we were all at our merriest, my friend Luke would always play this song. It evokes such happy, hazy memories and will always make me smile.
