Reading, Writing and Arithmetic - The Sundays

Gig going in the early days was difficult, to say the least, as living in Hartlepool meant that everything was a car drive away. But that didn't deter us as we normally bought the tickets first and worried about logistics later. So that was the situation when we had bought tickets to see The Sundays on the 1st February 1990 at The Riverside in Newcastle. Due to a disastrous experience following a 'Texas' concert the previous year, we dared not ask for a lift from one of our parents. Instead our brilliant plan was to stay over in student digs in Sunderland. It would be no problem getting a bus from Newcastle to Sunderland once the gig had finished. Or so we thought.
Unfortunately we did not factor in the scarcity of late night buses or the fact that the gig might over-run. Faced with either sleeping on a bench in Newcastle in February or leaving the gig early we did the only rock 'n roll thing and..... left early. On the plus side we did get to see Galaxie 500 who were the support that night.
The Sundays and in particular 'Reading, Writing and Arithmetic' are surely one of the most underrated artists and albums of that era. With chiming guitars and Harriet Wheeler's crystal clear voice, the album is a gem of melodic indie pop. Just one listen to 'I Kicked A Boy' will confirm this.
Thankfully, gig going got a little easier with the arrival of our own transport but often the effort involved in those early days gave the gigs a more triumphant feel.