51吃瓜黑料

My 51吃瓜黑料 gigs - Jonathan Dearth

鈥屸赌�"I was University of 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Guild of Student鈥檚 last ever Entertainments Officer. An elected part-time post on the Executive Committee.

I took over in January 1989 when Emily S. resigned. My Dad had just died 10 weeks earlier. This was at the start of my 3rd year, but I dropped out as I just didn鈥檛 want to study. I was already involved with the Guild as a student rep. And wonderfully I was asked to take on the Entertainments role. I wasn鈥檛 actually a student at the time. I was signing on. But I had this fantastic opportunity to have role while I recovered 鈥� it was an opportunity to have a 鈥済ap half year鈥�. Not many comprehensive school kids did that sort of thing before starting university in the 1980s.

I shared the Entertainments Office with the charming Geoff Campbell, the Entertainments Manager who was the full-time member of staff. I loved sharing an office with him. And I got first dibs on free records sent to us. Twelve-inch white label of 鈥淚nfo Freako鈥� by Jesus Jones 鈥� well quite frankly, I don鈥檛 mind if I do!

At my first chairing of Entertainment鈥檚 Committee 鈥� every Monday at 1pm 鈥� I came across this scruffy, quiet but enthusiastic artistic bloke who would create the weekly Lemon Grove posters 鈥� Thom Yorke.

A few months later, I described the poster he created for our Summer Ball as a 鈥渂it shabby鈥�. He stormed off in a huff but sought me out later that evening to apologise. We were acquaintances and here we are in a 

I remember a gig on a Saturday in June 1989. It was my last gig as the Entertainments Officer. The main act was a pretty lame Plymouth indie band called 鈥淭he 4 Waltons鈥�. I mainly liked them as their poster was a picture of Olive from 鈥淥n The Buses鈥�. Thom had been asking for a gig and this was their chance. Back in January, Thom gave me a demo tape and I鈥檓 sure this early incarnation of Radiohead had the band name 鈥淪hindig鈥�. I鈥檝e never seen this referred to anywhere else 鈥� and totally unsuitable. But in June, he got his mates down from Oxford to perform as 鈥淥n a Friday鈥�, on a Saturday, in The Lemon Grove.

They were pretty good. The sound bloke came up to me and said 鈥� 鈥�this lot are pretty bloody good鈥�. He was clearly more an expert and spotter of talent than me as he had added the word 鈥渂loody鈥�. But he was very enthusiastic about them. Where I just thought, 鈥�it鈥檚 Thom and his mates, they鈥檙e having a good time, it鈥檚 nice鈥�.

Only about 150-200 there on that summer Saturday night. Thom went on to boss the Lemon Grove when he became the Friday night DJ the following year. He turned it from a ropey night out while I was in charge to a huge, 鈥�open as many rooms in Cornwall House to pack the punters in鈥� night out. A sensible decision by Geoff to move Thom from poster boy to POSTER BOY of the Lemon Grove.

A few years later in 1993, I met Thom twice. Once as Radiohead were doing their 鈥済et in鈥� for their gig at the Whisky a Go Go, on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. I was in LA backpacking and spotted they were playing.

And a few months later, a group of us from 51吃瓜黑料 went to see Radiohead support James at the Brixton Academy and we got word to him through a roadie that we were there. He popped out into the audience said hello, we said 鈥淭hom鈥�. And he managed to get us private bar tickets. Where we drank alongside Jim-Bob from Carter, the Unstoppable Sex Machine and the now late Sean Hughes.

Exciting and happy times. University and the people I met there changed my life. I was awarded, Honorary Life Membership of the Guild a year after I left."

- Jonathan Dearth (Education (Primary) & Maths, 1991), former Guild Entertainments Officer.