Carter USM - Classic Or Dud?

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I didn't want to do this but Peter forced my hand. Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine - fearful biscuit tin shaking rubbish or the reincarnation of Rodgers and Hammerstein? Over to you lot.

― Tom, Thursday, 9 November 2000 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Carter usm represent the absolute, utter nadir of what is unquestionably the most abhorrent phase of recent musical history. wacky shorts, meathead sentimentality, bogus terrace politicising - uniting the most repellent tendencies of bloke & student alike. zero tolerance to grebo rehabilitation. really, things are bad enough...

― cw, Thursday, 9 November 2000 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Wittest lyrics since the Smiths. Guitar and drum machines simple but more fun than Neds!

― WESSEX, Sunday, 12 November 2000 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

I'm on the fence, tipping over towards Pete's side. The Only Living Boy In New Cross: utter genius. Classy choice of cover songs, too. Crap hair, though, and sometimes that's enough.

― David Sim, Monday, 13 November 2000 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

A friend of mine used to proclaim Carter USM better than Keats, or whatever the usual high-art reference point was in those days, and I believe he also claimed that their lyrics were "loud but subtle." If that's the kind of nonsense it takes to justify their existence, they'll have to go down as a DUD.

PS Hi Mark, in case you ever read this!

― alex thomson, Tuesday, 14 November 2000 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

one month passes...

lyrically, they try to get as far as irony could get you to become as optimistic as you can become to your own reality. They don't need to require their critics to read Nietzche in order to analyze and get some sort of sense of what this machine is about either. Their music is loud and clear and strong.

― fulya, Tuesday, 26 December 2000 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

(no, i didn't deliberately misspell nietzsche :>

― fulya, Tuesday, 26 December 2000 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

I agree with everything CW (09/11/00) says, but there's one more thing....I can hardly bear to mention it: the puns. The awful, ghastly, clanking puns. That, coupled with their frankly sinister omniprescence around that time - well, just thank God it's over really. I won their first album ('101 Damnations' - do you see what they've done? They've taken the title of a film and turned it on its head!) in a raffle and to this day it has remained unplayed. It will never be played.

― Captain Adams, Friday, 29 December 2000 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

They were fun - shame the KP nuts advert sort of killed them, with the press turning nasty and Worry Bomb not selling. Cpt. Adams should listen to 101 Damnations for the puns in The Taking of Peckham 123 - glorious and cheesy stuff [but at least I listened to it]. I liked them and have just discovered their latest "I blame the government" CD on Cook records - and my god they have mellowed out - perhaps too much. The hair is as bad as ever though and only the last track saves the album. Carter USM were definitely no DUD. They were keen, honest and fun, but out of their league in the top division. Pity. Those charming rogues won me over. Anyone remember CUD and they'll understand where I'm coming from. Big hugs.

― Boyflea, Tuesday, 9 January 2001 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Dud.

― John McGhee, Tuesday, 9 January 2001 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

fantastic

― , Wednesday, 10 January 2001 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Absolute shite. Please don't tell me they still make records.

― o.munoz, Thursday, 18 January 2001 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

They were and still are the best there's ever been. Pure fun. Just Listen to "30 something".

― Carl horton, Saturday, 20 January 2001 01:00 (twenty-five years ago)

one month passes...

Neither musically sublime or utterly appalling, they fall awkwardly betwixt and between.

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 7 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

three weeks pass...

Carl horton (above) you only like them coz the first three letters of your names are the same.

― Harry McIntyre, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

rubbish, the ultimate lammo band.

horrible vile sing a long indie wank, indie karoake for the worst type of student twats.

their disgusting fans with long sleeve white shirts, with blue jeans jeans and doctor martin boots, dancing like pricks whenever their wanky tunes were played... what a horrid sight in the lasy year of my uni days in 1991.

i lumped carterusm in win the crappy indie Neds Atomic Dustbin, except I called them Neds Automatic in the Dustbin. Both bands shared the same risible fan bases, and pathetic approach to music, crappy guitars with no depth or texture over simpleton lyrics sung in annoying vocal styles.

Count me in with Neil Kulkarni, Jonathan Selzer and Simon Reynolds for giving them a good kicking. CarterUSM music utter shite indie band at the very worst.

Why did anyone need them?

― DJ Martian, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lammo ?!? Good grief, and I thought gabba and emo were ridiculous names.

― Patrick, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lammo = Steve Lamacq an ex NME journalist and Radio 1 DJ who is known to support generic lame indie guitar music. Lammo thinks Mega City Four and Carter USM are great bands, I have seen it in print in his late 90s MM column! the man is clueless, Radio 1 can picked on the net, so you can check what rubbish Lammo plays. Check the BBC Radio 1/ 1FM whatever website for details.

― DJ Martian, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, I see. I thought Lammo was one of those genres that British weeklies like to invent out of thin air when they're bored, like grebo or something.

― Patrick, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

compared to the other rubbish out there, Carter USM have my vote. who really cares about their hair? have a look around! if their lyrics are taking the mick out of the world around us, then its already doing more for me than all the other Top-40-15-minutes-of-fame n- syncs of the world could ever do.

cheers.

― dave, Monday, 9 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Horrible....dud cubed....along with neds at...ato...at...(can't bring myself to type name) and senseless things, represents thee abolute nadir of brit "indie" cack. Truly horrible. Worse even than prml scrm, which is saying something

x0x0

― NoRMaN FaY, Saturday, 14 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic, without a doubt. If you want some kind of justification for that, then, err... you'll have to wait.

NO! I've got it! They were funny, and also easy to imitate.

― Doctor Bob, Monday, 16 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

Some people are just too easily provoked, aren't they? Personally, I loved Carter's merging of punk rock attitude and electronics. Not to mention their cynical, yet insightful outlook on this wonderful world we live in. So fucking what if they "ripped off" the odd lyric, had a look at the Top 40 lately?

― Leigh, Monday, 4 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

Carter usm are absolute class!! I am saying this even though i dont wear ripped jeans have stupid hair, like neds, or smell!

The lyrics were marvellous, the play on words even better.

If you couldnt get on to them, its not our problem FUCKWITS.

― al warner, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

erm, so if you DON'T like carter usm then you are a fuckwit? this twisted new version of reality has sent my head spinning.

i must admit, for a while it all seemed like charming nonsense, and i even went to see them live in 1991, but after a while it got to be like sitting in a pub with one of those people who just spout an endless stream of quotes from the fast show and monty python.

they think they're really funny. they're really really not.

and then they hire a drummer and expect to be taken seriously? hello? you've been making us wish for someone with a big gun to come and put us out of our misery for the last three years and now you want us to reevaluate you as serious artists? "piss off" we said, and do you know what? piss off they did.

at least the sultans of ping had the decency to disappear without any fuss.

― kevan, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

carter are fantastic although they tailed off towards the end, but guess what ? they are touring together with their new bands in september 2001 new music plus old carter favourites. if you check out the website you'll see you can still get 30 something t-shirts as well. the big shop is open and the world is wonderful !!!

― stu, Thursday, 30 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

Wow. It's always funny for me to see people who are sick of Carter from being over-exposed to them. I live in America so I'm one of about 17 people who's ever even heard of Carter. I own 37 Carter USM CDs (no repeats here) and all the videos and all the vinyl and everything by all the side projects. They represent to me the epitome of music and audible art. I love them. I have loved them for ten years now and if that makes me a fuckwit, so be it. It won't stop me from blasting my A World Without Dave CD every weekend for the rest of my life or crying at the end of Skywest and Crooked.

― gB, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

was there a connection between the song and the film of the same name? (which coincidentally featured Ian "Lovejoy" McShane and had Jacquline "Servalan" Pearce in a minor role)

― Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

that's "Skywest and Crooked" i mean.

― Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Gomer Pyle USM, used to always get the best of Sergeant Carter USM. ...And I never really liked Jim Nabors singing, although Morrissey does remind me a lot of him. So I guess that means that the Smiths were better than Carter USM - and the Smiths are just barely a classic - because of Marr, not Morrissey.

(sorry if this posts twice - got an error.)

― Dave225, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

quite simply one of the best, clever, witty wordplays tunes which merged from pure punk to classic electronica to searing ballad within the space of minutes great live shows (I've still got the scars to prove it( but not on my wrists)) Low Fat Custard? Yes please!

― macca, Tuesday, 30 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two months pass...

Fucking brilliant. Grate fun. Genius lyrics, some of the best around (not "simpleton" lyrics, whatever stupid wankstain said that).

Some people are far too cynical, and just associate them with bad student indie discos. Fucking snobs.

It may sound crude, it might even not be very "textured", but the songs are simple brilliance.

― Phil H, Wednesday, 2 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

three months pass...

This question needs to be re-opened in the light of new evidence i.e. THE STREETS!

― Tom, Saturday, 27 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

When I was 16, "Let's Get Tatoos" was one of my favourite songs ever.

― Nick, Friday, 7 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

two months pass...

I know I keep on reviving this but that's because I keep on liking them more and more.

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 24 August 2002 22:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom do you like Beelzebub?

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 24 August 2002 22:19 (twenty-three years ago)

JimBob surely wasn't that devilish. I think I need to get Angus on the case.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 24 August 2002 22:23 (twenty-three years ago)

tom seems to find carter usm in all sorts of things this year.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 24 August 2002 22:31 (twenty-three years ago)

I am Cassandra USM.

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 24 August 2002 22:35 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

revive!

only living boy in new cross + their cover of rent have been two of my favourite drunken karaoke moments of the year, so classic.

― toby (tsg20), Monday, 8 September 2003 08:08 (twenty-two years ago)

erm, buy this :

http://www.iludicrous.co.uk/

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 8 September 2003 08:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, "A Pop Stars Dream". What a pile of shite. Was the rest any good?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 8 September 2003 10:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I, Ludicrous; exactly:

I read about a band in South East 23
I thought it was me I thought it was me
Riding around on a 68 bus
I thought it was us, I thought it was us
I phoned Steve Lamacq and said who do you mean
He said Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine

[...]

And if we came up with such tortuous rhymes
We'd be Carter the Unstoppable Sex Mashyne

― OleM (OleM), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:38 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

hA, tHIS tHREAD iS kIND oF lIKE tHE mINI-vERSION oF tHE dAVE mATTHEWS h8 tHREAD, iS iS nOT?

― pASHMINA (Pashmina), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:05 (twenty years ago)

Their time will come.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

Argh, Tom must be sending out psychic mindrays or something because this morning on my way to work "Lean on Me I Won't Fall Over" popped into my head. It was not a pleasant experience.

― Leon Jones Reynolds (Ex Leon), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:26 (twenty years ago)

hey!

naar-na-NAAR-na-na-na-naar-na-NAAR ... o god

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

Leon can run but she can't hide.

"ONE TWO THREE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD..."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

"Lets Get Tattoos" still is up in my all time list.

― Nick H (Nick H), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 20:35 (twenty years ago)

their disgusting fans with long sleeve white shirts, with blue jeans jeans and doctor martin boots,

OH THE HORROR!!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

They're called Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, which automatically makes them the best band ever. Not that I've ever heard them, you understand, but with a name like that, who cares?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:42 (twenty years ago)

Especially with my surname. People don't believe me when I tell them I saw Carter headline the Sunday night on the main stage at Glastonbury, oddly.

Classic, btw, especially when they got pissed-off, angry and righteous ('The Only Loony Left In Town', 'Commercial Fucking Suicide', 'Travis', 'The Music That Nobody Likes'). Splendid live - especially when they gained the drummer and bassist - and marvellous cover versions too. What else could you want?

― Si Carter (Si Carter), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 22:21 (twenty years ago)

as i've said elsewhere: i have a huge soft spot for them. "1992" especially.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 10:30 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

http://www.gusandthegovernment.com/music/usm.htm

Very important development.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:44 (twenty years ago)

also - in the next few months -

expect Akira the Don to use his Interscope budget to raise profile of Carter USM .. ..

the man loves em .. (new video has a carter reference hidden deep .. )

m.e

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

I loved "1992" when it came out, but I'm not sure if I wanna see if it's stood the test of time.

― The Emancipation of Baaderonixx (KERERU 4 LIFE!) (Fabfunk), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:20 (twenty years ago)

I saw them in '91, they was great -- silly but also noisy, and the best songs had monster hooks. I still like the first two records. There's duff stuff in there, but what's good is plenty good. (never actually cared for "Sheriff Fatman," tho; "After the Watershed" notwithstanding, they weren't exactly a singles band)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

I still like "R.S.P.C.E" but oof have they aged not at all well.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:43 (twenty years ago)

"After the Watershed" might actually be my fave song by them on balance, it's a crackerjack arrangement that just keeps getting bigger and bigger, honest to god drama.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

(i also liked their inspiral carpets cover better than the inspiral carpets' version)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:24 (twenty years ago)

There would be no Pop Will Eat Itself if it weren't for them.

― Ian Riese-Moraine is on toffuti break! (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:36 (twenty years ago)

Uh...you might want to rethink that assertion.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:37 (twenty years ago)

ned's right. i do thnk...

i did really love them for a bit when i was 14..even made myself a t-shirt (they were tough to find in upstate ny). i may have to drag out the cd if its still around...im thinking i never want to hear carter or pop will eat itself ever again.

― b b, Monday, 23 May 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

They were GROWN MEN. Named Fruitbat and Jim Bob. Just think about that.

― Leon Federline (Ex Leon), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

You're forgetting Jon Fat Beast.

Except you're not any more, are you?

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

If only they had been named David Sylvian and Gavin Friday!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:58 (twenty years ago)

leon yr damned right! i meant to say the same thing.

(granted i found this charming at the time)

― b b, Monday, 23 May 2005 18:01 (twenty years ago)

an ex-gf had a VHS tape of bad (or good, depending on your tastes) porn and in order to keep the rents from discovering the true contents of the tape she purposefully mislabeled it "Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine." the ploy worked. therefore: classic.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Monday, 23 May 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

Uh...you might want to rethink that assertion.
No, I'm dead serious! PWEI got their name from an article on them back when they were under another name!

― Ian Riese-Moraine is on toffuti break! (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 23 May 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

That was a different band entirely, sweet lad.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 May 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

They were a great live band at the time.

Unfortunately the music has not aged at all well.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 23 May 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

I wanted to love them so badly and just couldn't. The music is just awful to me and sounds horribly now too. I say dud.

― Hutlock (Hutlock), Monday, 23 May 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

No, I'm dead serious! PWEI got their name from an article on them back when they were under another name!

David Quantick On-type NME piece on Jamie Wednesday.

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 01:27 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

Carter USM were the best band ever... sheer magic.

― Paul Davy, Wednesday, 14 December 2005 04:27 (twenty years ago)

The flame never dies.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 04:31 (twenty years ago)

i fully expect akira the don to use his influence @ interscope to get the carter usm name back out there .. they are his all time heros.

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

First time I ever saw these shits they were playing to, at least, 25 people at the Worcester Arts Workshop in 1990. Last time I saw them they were playing to at most 17 people in the Kidderminster Market Tavern in about '97. Somewhere in-between they headlined Glastonbury in front of every scraggy-haired student lameo in England. Bit of an embarrassing plummet from grace but then that's entirely their fault for being such a wretched, horrible band. Not missed.

― Merryweather (scarlet), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)

bollocks. they were awesome. shit image, great band. the bastard offspring of the buzzcocks and soft cell.

with puns.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 12:42 (twenty years ago)

One time, I was on the phone to a friend, when Amber (Three at the time) found the 'straw donkeys' singles compilation tape, and wanted me to play it. "But, umm, it's not really the stuff you'd like!" but to no avail. So I put it on, and basically Amber and Alice (12 months) basically moshed around the living room to "Young Offenders Mother", while my mate had hysterics on the line. "It's not always like this" I said.

But, on reflection, that would only be the first time that something like that happened.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Way Xpost: "Oh, I see. I thought Lammo was one of those genres that British weeklies like to invent out of thin air when they're bored, like grebo or something."

Makes this whole thread worthwhile.

I used to have a Carter USM album, with songs like The Only Living Boy in New Pulse or some shit on it. It was really blah, but no one would buy it. I think I gave it out as a party favor one year at Christmas...
Always liked the name of the band more than the music.

― js (honestengine), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

at least the sultans of ping had the decency to disappear without any fuss.

Haha I'm going to see a Sultans gig on Saturday with support from Jimbob!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:15 (twenty years ago)

WHERE, ANDREW???

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:16 (twenty years ago)

Frutibat supported them in Essex last month!

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 21:25 (twenty years ago)

I keep thinking of them a lot just now due to that Honda advert with "The Impossible Dream", the "1992" version of which used to be sung along to at the end of many a drunken emotional night of my student years. I realise after reading this thread that this makes me, in DJ Martian's eyes, "the worst type of student twat". Really, I wasn't. Those were the people who lived for New Model Army and Back to the Planet, probably. Or Mega City Four. (OK, I like one of those three as well, but I'm over it now).

Carter, on the other hand...

Despite not having listened to them for years, I am convinced I could sing all of the first three albums, plus a fair bit of the rest of their material, word for word (and there are rather a lot of words).

I'm going for classic, by the way. They were a lot better than they ever looked like they should be.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

(sorry, likeD, not like)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:08 (twenty years ago)

They were awesome. I headbanged onstage with them at King Tut's once.

They headlined Reading, but I don't think they ever headlined Glasto (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-post).

― everything, Thursday, 15 December 2005 01:15 (twenty years ago)

Fucking classic. Listened to "A World Without Dave" today, and enjoyed every second.

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 15 December 2005 01:44 (twenty years ago)

In Dublin, Charlie.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 15 December 2005 09:55 (twenty years ago)

"The Impossible Dream", the "1992" version of which

... i would like played at my funeral. seriously. one of my favourite ever songs; and certainly my favourite ever version thereof.

and it would have the added bonus of pissing lots of my snobbish mates off, even after my death. 'rah.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:17 (twenty years ago)

I should try Glasgow more :)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:22 (twenty years ago)

Great at the time - ripe as old camembert now tho'

― Niall, Thursday, 15 December 2005 21:04 (twenty years ago)

Grimly, next time we go out, we shall piss everyone off by singing Carter songs drunkenly throughout the night, concluding with a tear-sodden version of "The Impossible Dream". Andrew, you should come over (because I doubt anyone else would come out to witness this)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 22:32 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone know what "Rubbish" is supposed to be about. The pop-culture references and puns are so thick that meaning seems to have been entirely squeezed out of the equation.

― everything, Thursday, 15 December 2005 22:47 (twenty years ago)

It's just about how modern life is rubbish, isn't it. Less subtle than Blur, I admit.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 22:59 (twenty years ago)

if it was by anyone other than carter, i'd dismiss it as a collection of hit-and-miss imagery. but because it's by carter, and therefore MUST HAVE HAD A MEANING, i'm guessing it's making a (poor) point about pollution, of both the environment and the airwaves.

ailsa: it's a date. (does anywhere have carter on the jukebox?) andrew: yes, you should!

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:37 (twenty years ago)

I can't imagine that anywhere exists that has Carter on the jukebox. Certainly not in Glasgow. Which is a shame.

Once, however, I was at the UGC cinema and they were playing "Rubbish" over the tannoy system in the foyer. This pleased (and surprised) me no end. Looking back, I'm not entirely convinced that I didn't just dream this.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:44 (twenty years ago)

Grimly, you nailed it.

― everything, Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:45 (twenty years ago)

but I don't think they ever headlined Glasto

Glastonbury 1992, Friday night IIRC. Shakespeare's Sister the following night(!). Both shite.

― Merryweather (scarlet), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:58 (twenty years ago)

This year's Glasto produced a fine rendition of The Impossible Dream* around the ILX campsite. Less tear- than booze-sodden, in fairness.

*Accompanied by the "real" one on a battered boombox.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 16 December 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

When they played at Reading in 1991 there was this massive rush of people to the stage when they appeared. Everyone was swept forward about 50 feet and the loudest chanting of "You Fat Bastard" I've ever heard filled the air. Suddenly they began playing (quite possibly "Rubbish") and all the folks squashed down the front went into mentally violent dance-mode causing about 20,000 people to rapidly back off. Result: mayhem. People getting trampled into the mud, women screaming, babies crying, Inspiral Carpets t-shirts getting ripped etc. It was all quite horrible.

This was repeated 90 minutes later when about 10,000 people who were so squashed they could hardly take a breath tried to "Sit Down" for James. They almost had to stop the show, what with the sound of breaking limbs drowning out the music.

― everything, Friday, 16 December 2005 00:33 (twenty years ago)

and people ask me why i don't go to festivals ... :)

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 16 December 2005 00:37 (twenty years ago)

Look, stop being silly right now. Classic, without any shadow of a doubt or question (bar possibly anything post "Post Historic Monsters"). No, scratch that, classic regardless.

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Friday, 16 December 2005 01:27 (twenty years ago)

Everyone was swept forward about 50 feet and the loudest chanting of "You Fat Bastard" I've ever heard filled the air. Suddenly they began playing (quite possibly "Rubbish") and all the folks squashed down the front went into mentally violent dance-mode causing about 20,000 people to rapidly back off. Result: mayhem.

Of course, if that'd been a more "cool" band, it'd have ended up in your "100 best gigs of all time". FFS!!

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Friday, 16 December 2005 01:29 (twenty years ago)

Ha-ha. Carter ARE cool. Didn't you get the memo?

― everything, Friday, 16 December 2005 02:03 (twenty years ago)

Are they cooler or as cool as Jesus Jones? To be honest I don't think there's much in it.

Mega City Four: now there was a band.

― Merryweather (scarlet), Friday, 16 December 2005 10:33 (twenty years ago)

Everyone was swept forward ...

Yeah, i was there at this. The YFB was going on all day. DeLaSoul were brilliant in response..

Trugoy: "You fat what? Yeah? Well, you can all kiss my BIG! FAT! ASSS!!!"

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 16 December 2005 10:38 (twenty years ago)

i think it's all went over all the ranters heads or was that wa*kers heads, betta than most,& i've seen alot of shit,carter usm was not amongst 'em.

― dogbottomley, Wednesday, 21 December 2005 19:36 (twenty years ago)

Shouting YFB at Andrew Eldritch, yes that was a good festival. And Carter therefore classic.

― Zora (Zora), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 19:48 (twenty years ago)

OK, OK, that's not a good enough reason. But it was, you know, fun while it lasted.

― Zora (Zora), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

The Sisters covering "He's got the whole world in his hands" Eek! Run away!!

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

It's hard for me to dislike the Sisters and Eldritch after that gig. Tony James on bass, wasn't it? It was so over-the-top-and-loving-the-view that I forgot how much I hated them. The fans were bloody geeks from hell though.

― everything, Wednesday, 21 December 2005 22:37 (twenty years ago)

i found this thread while looking for carter related stuff on the net, i thought i was the last carter fan out there! i saw jimbob do his xmas show in london afew weeks ago and he played some old carter stuff. i picked up a copy of his dvd and i'd recommend everyone do the same.

CLASSIC

― Dan Durling, Friday, 30 December 2005 05:50 (twenty years ago)

WARNING! Do not heed the above advice! I recommend everyone buy the first Jim's Super Stereoworld album if they do want to try solo Jim Bob, the DVD is a home-movie quality presentation of a fairly middling solo-acoustic-guitar performance. (There are Carter songs on it, though, so if yr just curious to see 'em busked then go ahead.) (His latest album has a duet with Fruitbat about the band's split, too, curiosity merchants.)

― kit brash (kit brash), Friday, 30 December 2005 07:16 (twenty years ago)

i was recommending it for the carter stuff. your right its not proper pro dvd quality but i liked it all the same. i prefer angelstrike! to the stereoworld stuff

― Dan Durling, Friday, 30 December 2005 08:23 (twenty years ago)

Their cover of Shampoo's "Trouble" is quality.

― Nick H (Nick H), Friday, 30 December 2005 14:59 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

Right, they're playing Glasgow Barrowlands on 20th October, for anyone who didn't get tickets for Brixton Academy. I AM EXCITED. Who's with us?

(us = me, grimly and Andrew Farrell)

― ailsa, Monday, 14 May 2007 18:42 (eighteen years ago)

I AM! oh, hang on. i already am. WELL I'M THERE TWICE!

GTFI.

― grimly fiendish, Monday, 14 May 2007 18:44 (eighteen years ago)

I admit I would love to see them do "Do Re Mi So Far So Good" live. Not that it'll ever happen over here.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 14 May 2007 18:47 (eighteen years ago)

I might be persuadable. Does anyone fancy the Wedding Present playing the whole of George Best at the Liquid Rooms, about the same time of year?

― byebyepride, Monday, 14 May 2007 19:04 (eighteen years ago)

Aye, I meant to say to Grimly (or did I mention it already?) that the Weddoes are doing that in Glasgow too. I'm up for it anyhow.

― ailsa, Monday, 14 May 2007 19:13 (eighteen years ago)

24th Oct Edinburgh, 25th Oct QMU Glasgow. Same week as Carter!

― ailsa, Monday, 14 May 2007 19:15 (eighteen years ago)

Someone should just host All Ailsa's Parties.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 14 May 2007 19:31 (eighteen years ago)

I have a vague recollection of trying to actually make that (or something like it) happen at one point via the power of alcohol and wishful thinking.

― ailsa, Monday, 14 May 2007 19:33 (eighteen years ago)

24th Oct Edinburgh, 25th Oct QMU Glasgow. Same week as Carter!

ah. fuck. see, i already know i can't make the weddoes gig. can't remember why, but the runes would point to me being on holiday. and therefore missing carter too. will need to check when i get home.

fuck.

― grimly fiendish, Monday, 14 May 2007 19:33 (eighteen years ago)

Time to rapidly reschedule and hope your work/wife/etc. don't all kill you. Peasy!

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 14 May 2007 19:36 (eighteen years ago)

I couldn't get a ticket for Brixton :'(

― Colonel Poo, Monday, 14 May 2007 19:41 (eighteen years ago)

Come to Glasgow!

― ailsa, Monday, 14 May 2007 19:47 (eighteen years ago)

I might be.

― energy flash gordon, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 10:04 (eighteen years ago)

I am watchin' ebay. Pondering the sanity of spending over £30 a ticket.

― ledge, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 10:42 (eighteen years ago)

I HAS A TICKET :)

it cost 31 fucking quid :(

BUT FUCK IT, I AM GOING TO SEE CARTER and that makes me very happy indeed.

― grimly fiendish, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:09 (eighteen years ago)

31 FUCKING QUID!

i suppose this is me putting my money where my mouth is. despite the grief i get for voicing this opinion, i genuinely, genuinely believe carter to be one of the most underrated bands in the history of the universe (qv the wedding present).

hurrah.

31 quid, though. jeesus.

― grimly fiendish, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:10 (eighteen years ago)

31 quid to see carter? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:14 (eighteen years ago)

WELL SPENT. DON'T HEED THE MOCKERS GRIMLY.

― ledge, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:16 (eighteen years ago)

we has a ticket (for london)

also, i think the anon post near the top

fantastic

-- , Wednesday, January 10, 2001 1:00 AM (6 years ago)

was my first ILX post

― Alan, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:29 (eighteen years ago)

loving the martian post, its an early neglected martian classic

― 696, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:30 (eighteen years ago)

Martian's mellowed over the years, like Idlewild.

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:31 (eighteen years ago)

He was right though..

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:46 (eighteen years ago)

absoutely, hed read his systems thinking notes while on the pitch at fratton park with that one. cant argue with him there

― 696, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:53 (eighteen years ago)

the crappy indie Neds Atomic Dustbin, except I called them Neds Automatic in the Dustbin.

I'm sure no-one has any problem believing that the uni-aged Martian did indeed do this, at every opportunity.

Glasgow t-shirts on sale now!

http://www.carterusm.co.uk/shop/shoppics/clockworkorange.gif

― energy flash gordon, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 22:27 (eighteen years ago)

Hans up to the life-hating massif

― Noodle Vague, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 22:31 (eighteen years ago)

loving the martian post, its an early neglected martian classic

It's eerily similar to any Lex post concerning students! oOoOoO

― DJ Mencap, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 08:54 (eighteen years ago)

horrible vile sing a long indie wank, indie karoake for the worst type of student twats

See I wholeheartedly concur with this, and at the same time think that Carter at their best had 2 pairs of sweet Pop ears.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:41 (eighteen years ago)

Still not as good a description as fearful biscuit tin shaking rubbish though, that always makes me larf. (NB I quite liked Carter.)

― anatol_merklich, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:18 (eighteen years ago)

six years pass...

Falling back in love w/these dudes thx to video streaming service. The only living boy in new cross is really fucking great.

― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Saturday, 3 August 2013 06:26 (twelve years ago)

Goddamnit I just choked up a little listening to it again

― click here to start exploding (ledge), Saturday, 3 August 2013 09:05 (twelve years ago)

The summary of Reading 91 upthread makes me wish I could have been there :(

― PaulTMA, Saturday, 3 August 2013 12:20 (twelve years ago)

The first and only time I ever crowdsurfed was to Carter, at one of their reunion gigs. I was over 30 at the time. It was a beautiful moment.

― click here to start exploding (ledge), Saturday, 3 August 2013 12:45 (twelve years ago)

three months pass...

Falling back in love w/these dudes thx to video streaming service. The only living boy in new cross is really fucking great.

Yeah I'm on a YouTube binge tonight, haven't listened to them in forever. They sound really contemporary, at least if your reference points are M.I.A. and Sleigh Bells.

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Monday, 18 November 2013 03:46 (twelve years ago)

eleven months pass...

Carter USM In Session with Steve Lamacq

On Friday 7 November 2014, Carter USM will be playing their final ever radio session before calling it a day, at the legendary Maida Vale Studios for the Steve Lamacq Show.

We have 108 pairs of tickets for this exclusive event.
You can register for tickets at any time until Friday 24 October at 7pm.
Anyone attending this show under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult 18 years or older.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 21 October 2014 15:14 (eleven years ago)

Once the registration period has closed successful applicants will receive one of the final pairs of tickets to see Carter USM.

All other shows on Carter USM's final tour have sold out, so this really is the final opportunity to see the band. Anyone lucky enough to attend is invited and encouraged to wear their old band T-shirt to see the show!

Date: Friday 7 November
Venue: BBC Maida Vale Studios, London
Doors open: 5.30pm

To enter the random draw, visit : http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/carter_usm_7nov14

― Mark G, Tuesday, 21 October 2014 15:16 (eleven years ago)

five months pass...

These guys - such an early 90's anomaly

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Friday, 17 April 2015 08:57 (ten years ago)

Their best stuff can be pretty devastating for all its archness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7Lv0wAvCHM

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Friday, 17 April 2015 12:59 (ten years ago)

still shite

― Eric Burdon & War, On Drugs (Cosmic Slop), Friday, 17 April 2015 14:02 (ten years ago)

eight years pass...

I still wonder why "all their songs are about politics" was a bad thing. was it because pretty much every cunt who used to slag them off for that is now a centrist dad at best?

― Colonel Poo, Saturday, 7 October 2023 03:22 (two years ago)

one month passes...

stunned that they weren't a barenaked ladies side project

i mean, you chose that band name and now you're the kind of band that chose that name

― mookieproof, Sunday, 26 November 2023 04:51 (two years ago)

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