The Popguns provided one of the real live delights in 2023, with an excellent show at the Hug and Pint in Glasgow, an evening when I was in the rather wonderful company of strangeways.
The Popguns first recording, in 1988, took the form of one side of a flexidisc that was released on La-Di-Da Productions, a DIY label that was based in Hove, just outside their home town of Brighton. The other half of the flexidisc was courtesy of the strangely-named How Many Beans Make Five?
The actual debut single appeared the following year on the London-based Medium Cool, a label that was home to a number of excellent indie-bands of the era such as The Corn Dollies, The Raw Herbs, The Waltones and The Siddeleys. It proved to be an excellent way to introduce yourselves to the wider world
A song that was voted in at #46 in John Peel’s Festive Fifty of 1989.
Five musicians were involved in the making of the proper debut single – Wendy Morgan (vocals), Simon Pickles (guitar), Greg Dixon (guitar), Pat Walkington (bass) and Shaun Charman (drums) – the last named being the one you should recognise as being the original drummer with The Wedding Present prior to him leaving in 1988. The current line-up of the Popguns is almost identical to that from the debut single, with Ken Brotherston now on drums.
Here’s the two other songs you’ll find on the 12″ of Landslide.
mp3 : The Popguns – Down On Your Knees
mp3 : The Popguns – Leave It Alone
There was also a different mix of the single offered up:-
mp3: The Popguns – Landslide (alt mix)
Their newest 45, Caesar, was one of my favourite songs of last year. One of its b-sides, Indie Rock Goddess, has inspired the band to produce a new t-shirt, and I’m proud to say that Mrs TVV (aka Rachel) has been sporting hers at various gigs in recent months.
If you fancy owning one of these, then here’s a link to where you can make an order.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
The Popguns are a remarkable pop group. They are one of those bands that manage to sprinkle their songs with a sense of uplifting joy – making the dullest day brighter. I heartily recommend them.
It was that bothersome do-gooder Strangeways that introduced The Popguns to me, ahem, a while ago and I’m forever thankful for the introduction – probably on cassette.
The gig that JC and Strangeways attended received unainmously rave reviews from anyone I knew to be there – I recall one telling of ‘loud, tight and on form’.
I do like it when a band makes a saying their own. I’d like to see some men wearing the t-shirt. They probably do.
Flimflamfan
I asked MrsRobster if she’d like one of those t-shirts to wear at gigs, but she declined. She doesn’t like to pigeonhole herself with genres, you see. She did though, just last week at a gig in Bristol, purchase a cap from the Big Special merch stand, emblazoned with the legend “SH!THOUSE” across the front. Not quite sure what that says about her really, but I’m not going to argue…
What a song and what a band. That gig – and the company – combined to create a super evening last year. It really was a beezer of a show and night. Hope FFF gets to catch the group soon too. And a very fitting t-shirt, I say.
Strangeways