The Joshua Tree - U2

Not many people will know this, but I was once in a band that was destined for greatness - perhaps becoming bigger than U2 one day. We will never know. But we stood at a crossroads and took the wrong turning. I'll explain;

Around 1989-1990 I was part of a three piece with PW and KC and we were going places - usually on the bus into town. Anyway it was formidable group with a keen sonic template - We had managed to nab a photocopy of the sheet music to 'The Joshua Tree' and we were hell bent on bettering it. After much practice in our rehearsal room (KC's parents' dining room) we had just about mastered 'With Or Without You' and could now play it all the way through without stopping. Buoyed by the sound we had created - it was quite amazing, and a testament to our musical skills, how we managed to recreate the U2 sound with just a guitar,  vocal and a cheap keyboard. We now knew it was time to unleash this on the rest of the world, well Clavering Estate in Hartlepool at least. But what could be do? What grand gesture would be big enough to match our expansive sound?

Then KC came up with an idea so unique that it was bound to have the desired effect. We would play an open air gig on top of his parent's garage. What an idea - it would guarantee maximum publicity, especially as it was on the route of the Number 12 bus. We started to plan this event, a happening if you like. But then logistical problems started to raise their ugly head. Who would be in charge of crowd control, what would happen if the police shut us down, did we have an extension cable long enough, could we fill a ninety minute set with one song?...... Problem after problem was raised without solution....After hours of intense discussion we still hadn't found what we were looking for so we did the only thing that we could - we went to the pub and forgot about the whole idea. And that was the end of the band as we knew it.

But who knows where we would be now if we had only followed through on the idea? New York, Los Angeles, London, Seaton Carew all could have beckoned. Ah well - we just had to be content to join the many bystanders in the history of rock music that look back and regret what might have been; Pete Best, David Knopfler.....