Forming in 1990 Coventry’s Adorable had the confidence, the drop dead cool, and most importantly the songs — epic, emotional, dynamic songs — of a great rock ‘n’ roll band. Fourteen years after their untimely demise we feature an in-depth interview with all four former members to celebrate the release of the first ever Adorable compilation Footnotes 92-94.
In 1992 Adorable were briefly touted as the next big thing after a twelve-inch demo EP and a series of scorching live shows resulted in them being signed to Creation Records. Their first release was the near flawless, “Sunshine Smile”, a sublime mix of melody and distortion which was rightly praised by everyone within earshot including the NME and Melody Maker who both made it single of the week.
In an effort to distance themselves from the current personality-free shoegaze scene assertions such as their debut album was “gonna go down as one of the best debut albums of all time,” backfired and the mainstream press, not prepared for this pre-Oasis arrogance, would never interview them again. Their debut album Against Perfection, a bold, anthem filled work released in 1993 was also given a lukewarm reception, although it did scrape into the UK top 75. In support they toured extensively making inroads in Europe, The US, Canada, Japan and Australia.
However things went from bad to worse the following year when record company conflicts coupled with lack of press or radio support led to Adorable being dropped by Creation following the release of the underrated Fake album. The band disbanded soon after receiving the “Dear John” letter following a gig in Brussels on November 11th 1994.
Earlier this year Cherry Red released the first ever Adorable compilation entitled Footnotes 92-94 (Review) which features all their singles, plus choice B-sides and album tracks. Webcuts has always had a soft spot for Adorable and is proud to feature a brand new interview with all four former members of the band. Your host for the proceedings: Caleb Rudd.
Had it been a while since you had heard the records? What feelings did re-listening to Adorable evoke?
Wil (bass)
Yes — the only time the records came out were on drunken evenings with our old T-Shirt seller, Danny Latham and Tour Manager Simon Harper. The main feeling the re-listening evoked was annoyance. During the band days, both Kevin and I had never had a job and were resentful of what we perceived as Pete’s military regime. I now work 50-60 hours a week and so look back on Pete’s more than reasonable suggestion that we rehearse/write songs for 6 hours a week with different eyes. Kevin and I never understood that the band was our job and that Creation weren’t paying us handsomely just to go record shopping and watch Goodfellas. W
Piotr Fijalkowski (vox, guitar)
I don’t listen to Adorable albums except when very very drunk. I haven’t been that drunk for a while. The tracks make me feel very nostalgic — it’s like looking back through old photographs. PF
Kevin Gritton (drums)
I always found it very difficult to enjoy the tracks first time round, too close to them I suppose. I have really enjoyed hearing them now with a bit of perspective KG
Robert Dillam (guitar)
I didn’t play guitar for a year after the band broke up, I was too sad, so I didn’t play the records much either. After that though I’ve been listening to adorable, as an appreciator of the music. When I hear the music I remember things in the band a lot of the time, or I remember playing the songs on stage. That’s always interesting. RD
Adorable – “Sunshine Smile” (UK) Promo
There is mention of the “disastrous” 1993 Australian tour (“Kangaroo Court”, Footnotes) yet Pete mentioned a highlight (Select 1996) was playing to a 1200 strong crowd in Melbourne? What specifically happened on the Australian tour?
We were all very tired, suffering from dreadful jet lag that none of us had ever experienced before, and I had a major falling out with the other members. I think if there were two stages to our career, this was certainly the pivotal point, and it was down from here to the end. It was during this tour that I realised our new songs weren’t up to scratch, and maybe due to the tiredness and tensions I think our gigs were lacklustre. To top it all, whilst some of the gigs were well attended — Melbourne was our biggest ever headlining gig — some were very sparse, and the promoters did a runner on us and never paid us. We waited for them at the departure lounge at the airport, waiting until the last call for our flight. As a result we ended up having to pay for the tour out of our own pockets. I loved the country but it was a low point for the band. PF
Adorable – “Cut #2″
What didn’t happen? Basically we were kind of fucked by then, so we had a holiday in the end. Melbourne was great. I got to the gig, fell asleep with jet lag, woke up and played the gig and went back to sleep again. Big crowd and a good show considering. RD
I had a great time, personally. The promoters were DJs who had never toured a live band before. They flew us around and put us up in good hotels, including a week on Bondi Beach. If they’d have done their maths, they’d have worked out they could never have made a profit, but we were having such a good time nobody noticed this until the end of the tour. I think Pete was referring to tensions within the band. I don’t remember the argument he mentions in the van, but I do remember stubbing out a cigarette on Kevin’s hand in a hotel room in Perth. This incident probably indicates that all was not well between us. As for the promoters, they stole my records and tried to run off without paying us! We recovered the money, but I never got my Lyn Collins or Vicki Anderson albums back. W
Footnotes makes it clear that there were often arguments amongst the band. What were they generally about and who was the band member most likely to play mediator?
They were about four people with different world views, priorities and personalities bought together by fate and common interests not always seeing eye to eye on a particular stream of issues that crop up when you are in a band. There was pressure and we let it out on each other. Nobody mediated, we just got on with it. RD
The arguments were mainly between Pete and the rest of us, but in retrospect, I have to say Pete was mainly in the right. Kevin and I lived together in a bit of a haze and felt the band was an imposition on our free time and were too busy enjoying ourselves to give the kind of commitment that the band deserved. This used to drive Pete mad, and quite rightly so. Had the band been four Pete clones, it would have had several platinum albums, two Grammy’s and a sold out stadium tour by now. Sadly, we messed it up for him, which I now regret. The arguments with Rob were more about a clash of guitar styles but I’m sure Pete and Rob will have their own views on this. W
I think almost all of the arguments had me involved in them. There never really was a mediator which was part of the problem, so a lot of the problems just remained unresolved. The one person that everybody got on with best was probably Wil, which many people outside the band might find surprising, as to the untrained eye he can come over as very confrontational. Some of the arguments were really ridiculously petty, some were due to me trying to lead the band by the scruff of the neck which Kevin in particular didn’t like. I wanted the band to work so much I tried to push everybody really hard to take it seriously and focused, but my management style left a lot to be desired! Looking back on it now I didn’t really enjoy being in the band — a lot of the experiences we had were great but being in Adorable wasn’t too hot. But it was all character building stuff. PF
I was a bit of an angry little fellow and directed most of my vitriol at Pete. I suppose I felt a little bit intellectually sidelined as a mere drummer — I hardly featured in any interviews. Having said that I did play up slightly to the crazed drummer role and was not particularly an authority on the genre of music we were playing. Wil would often be the one to try and keep the peace. KG
How did Footnotes and especially the track listing come about? (I was surprised “Road Movie” didn’t make the cut).
Cherry Red contacted me to say they were putting out a compilation and invited us to get involved, so we chose the track-listing and wrote the notes. I had been in contact with EMI a year or so before with a view to buying back the rights to the back catalogue but a lack of funds meant I had to put it on the back burner.
“Road Movie” was our nineteenth favourite song on a eighteen song album. PF
Basically we were sent a first track listing that amounted to a worst of rather than a best of. Cherry Red then very generously agreed to let us choose the tracks and the order, which is where the band came in (up to this point they had be liaising with Pete and I had no idea a best of was in the pipeline). We all put forward our favourite tracks and decided on the top eighteen quite amicably. “Road Movie” made the first cut, but somehow got bumped out by “Man in a Suitcase” when we listened to the tracks back to back as “Man in a Suitcase” was slightly different to everything else. “Road Movie” was originally planned as a single, so it’s had quite a fall from grace to not make it into the top 18. W
Do you hear Adorable’s influence on any current bands? What do you make of Crash Into June wearing Adorable’s influence on their sleeve, naming a track Adorable and covering “Homeboy”?
I hear bands that sound like us, although it doesn’t mean they are influenced by us. I heard an Editors song on the radio and thought it was Adorable before but they probably just have Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen (and The Pixies) in their record collections also. I hope some bands are influenced by us though. I hear Air Formation and recognise a bit of our sound. RD
Never heard of this lot and not sure I want to — I wouldn’t want to be influenced by me! I mainly listen to jazz music these days and I can’t say I’ve noticed any Adorable influence on John Coltrane! W
I would like to think of a few of the bands around these days as having been influenced by us. I did read somewhere that Ash were fans. Occasionally I hear a familiar riff or vocal line/melody — not sure if its coincidence or if we really are pulling the strings on the modern day music industry. KG
It’s nice to know bands still use us as an influence. Not sure how “Check your head, it must be clouded/do you know how bad it sounded/you’re so vain and, oh, so horrible” from the track “Adorable” sits with us! PF
Adorable – “Homeboy” Promo
On the next page the Adorable ones give the scoop on the tracks that didn’t make Footnotes, tell us their favourite Adorable songs and features a mini-interview with each member individually, letting us know what they’re all doing now. Plus more pictures, MP3s and links to Adorable on the internet.
Still love em. Still listen to them all the time. Sunshine Smile will always live in my Top 5 favourite songs ever. I only wish I could have seen they play live just once.
Still good to see that out there somewhere a few people still have the time and desire to keep the Adorable torch glowing. Can’t say at all that i ever got to know the other guys, of course we’d chat a bit at gigs or at home etc, but one thing’s for sure the A-band was a great vehicle to let Rob just play loud rock n roll guitar on stage for an hour : and for that hour you knew he was 100% into the band. Off stage I have no idea, but on-stage you always got a show….
If only they’d have…………………………………………………………………………
I saw Adorable play live in San Francisco during their tour to promote their first album. My band mates and I had heard sunshine smile on the radio and had to see them. They blew us all away!! The best concert we have ever seen. They very much influenced our sound. Even to this day, when I am songwriting, I have their sound in mind. The amalgamation of the two different guitar styles and layering of the guitars, bass, and drums was brilliant. They had some of the very best dynamics I have ever heard. All of us that were and still are into Adorable can not understand how they did not get really huge.
Jeff
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You couldn’t pair a better band with a better song with New York’s The Walkmen taking on the R.E.M. classic “Driver 8″ as part of the AV Club’s Undercover series. With the list of 25 songs narrowed down to just one, The Walkmen were left with the track nobody else wanted. Regardless, they take “Driver 8″ and transform into their own inimitable style, albeit a little rough and ready, with vocalist Hamilton Leithauser sounding as if he’s never heard the song in his life. It’s worth remembering that the new Walkmen album Lisbon is due for release on September 13 through Bella Union, and coincidently, the deluxe edition of R.E.M.’s Fables Of The Reconstruction in which “Driver 8″ sits proudly on, was released a month or so ago. Webcuts favourite R.E.M. album of all time, you say? Well, yes, indeed it is.
Forming in 1990 Coventry’s Adorable had the confidence, the drop dead cool, and most importantly the songs — epic, emotional, dynamic songs — of a great rock ‘n’ roll band. Fourteen years after their untimely demise we feature an in-depth interview with all four former members to celebrate the release of the first ever Adorable compilation Footnotes 92-94.
Wil (bass)
Piotr Fijalkowski (vox, guitar)
Kevin Gritton (drums)
Robert Dillam (guitar)
Very impressive band and it is a shame that they didnt had success
Still love em. Still listen to them all the time. Sunshine Smile will always live in my Top 5 favourite songs ever. I only wish I could have seen they play live just once.
Still good to see that out there somewhere a few people still have the time and desire to keep the Adorable torch glowing. Can’t say at all that i ever got to know the other guys, of course we’d chat a bit at gigs or at home etc, but one thing’s for sure the A-band was a great vehicle to let Rob just play loud rock n roll guitar on stage for an hour : and for that hour you knew he was 100% into the band. Off stage I have no idea, but on-stage you always got a show….
If only they’d have…………………………………………………………………………
I saw Adorable play live in San Francisco during their tour to promote their first album. My band mates and I had heard sunshine smile on the radio and had to see them. They blew us all away!! The best concert we have ever seen. They very much influenced our sound. Even to this day, when I am songwriting, I have their sound in mind. The amalgamation of the two different guitar styles and layering of the guitars, bass, and drums was brilliant. They had some of the very best dynamics I have ever heard. All of us that were and still are into Adorable can not understand how they did not get really huge.
Jeff