h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

They were an odd, quirky yet brilliant band. During the early 90s I must have seen them some 20 times, often travelling across the country to go and see them several times on the same tour.

I even started a Cud fanzine back in about 1991. We interviewed the boys and drew some pics of them. In a way, they even influenced me going to Leeds University - I remember bumping into Carl quite a few times once the band had split up. He even turned up at a friend's house party once. I saw Mike hanging around with a yound band he was trying to manage.

Favourite memories? The Hey!Wire EP - three rock solid tracks. Seeing them live at Leeds Warehouse in 1990/91. The Xmas party at the New Cross Venue. And trying to work out the chords to Mike's guitar when I was down in the front row.

What a great band. And the sort of quirky, slow-burning, quintessentially English band that the music biz rarely fosters these days.

i love cud.

loads of the hip kids at school were in to them, and i only found out later when someone had a spare ticket and i tagged along to see them at Leicester Uni. It was fantastic, and may actually have been my first live gig.

I wish i could find their back catalogue. a friend gave me his old compilation tape which might have been one of the albums. it had Prawn, Bibi and strange kind of love on. The tape got chewed up by my old car many years go

did anyone manage to find anywhere to buy their mp3's or vinyl?

I actually have Leggy Mambo, Asquarius and Showbiz all on CD after ten years of searching. When In Rome and Elvis Belt still elude me...

My highlight was a bootleg tape of Cud - it included a version of 'You Sexy Thing' by Hot Chocolate and a song entitled 'Kinky Boots' But can I find the thing? Aaaaaagh!

I just stumbled over this conversation. I'm obviously biased on this subject, as I'm Mike's brother. Dubious claim to fame is playing the harmonica on "Soul Food" on Asquarius. Post Cud,I made about a dozen demos with Mike which never saw the light of day. Unsurprisingly, as Mike wrote all of the band's music, they sound a lot like his previous band.
Family connections aside, I honestly believe that Cud were, in their prime, one of the best live acts in the country. The gigs were like parties- everyone dancing and as many females as males in the audience- unusual for an "Indie" gig of the time. No miserable sods clinging to the bar and pondering their inner turmoil.
Sections of the music press couldn't stand the fact that Cud could introduce FUN, kitsch and humour to their music in a time of pompous miserablism,and were avowed enemies from day one.Some of Cud's music was flippant, but an awful lot wasn't.Ultimately, A+M records' sluggishness and insistence on releasing the wrong singles- uncharacteristic ballads- did for them,along with other factors I'd not care to mention.They were, in many ways,a band before their time, and must have been gutted when Pulp broke through- Northern based, kitschy, unconventional,English, etc.
Are they due a reappraisal? Who knows.Certainly their entry in the All Music Guide gives them credit.People looking for copies of Cud's pre- A+M stuff-good luck. I tried to get a copy of Elvis belt on CD and the only copy on ebay started at £100! As for When in Rome on CD, you're quids in if you've got one.

I managed to find Leggy Mambo for the princely sum of £4 recently, so miracles can happen if you are patient enough. Sadly the packaging was badly water-damaged, but CD itself plays without a hitch.

It will probably torment me to my grave that I never got to see Cud live - I only discovered them in 1998.

I have heard rumours that When At Home, Film Me was released on DVD last year, yet I've never seen it anywhere. Can anyone verify its existance?

There was a DVD issued last year - I got it on Amazon.co.uk

There is also a planned 'Best Of' album, confirmed by Mr Potter himself, on the 'Space Cudets' Yahoo group..

Matt.

Hello there, I have pretty much all of the Cud releases and would probably release my little precious love balloons into the wild, given a good enough reason. Dont know what they are worth, but money isnt everything!

Don't know how many of you are aware of this, but a two disc anthology of Cud material has been released today.

It's been given the appropriate sonic upgrade and is handily split between their years and their major label years. Sadly the packaging isn't up to much, but there's some reasonable sleeve notes from Mr Potter.

For those opf us interested in that kiund of thing it includes a number of stand alone singles, as well as a number of unreleased tunes recorded after the release of their Showbiz album.

All this and their covers of You Sexy Thing and Living In The Past. We are truly not worthy.

Ive just found out CUD are re-formed and playing Leeds cockpit Friday 18th August!!!! Best News since the birth of my son, Im nearly in tears..........I still hum "Ive had it with Blondes" as my driving song.

Any Space Cudets out there?

Just found this page - not sure if anyone's still reading. Just rediscovered my Cud collection and decided to do a search just to see what's out there on the best live band I've ever known. God, it'd be great to see them again.

Best Cudlights? Chatting to Dunphy after a gig in Stoke just when Oh no Won't do was released to be interrupted by Putnam with the words "Mind out, lads - off for a shag!". Ranks as a lowly second to seeing Putnam in Victoria Wine in Leeds and a fellow Cudite mate of mine doing duets of favourite lyrics while the other staff despaired that someone actually knew the band he was in. Numerous awesome gigs abound: Sound City, Sheffield; Roof Top Gardens, Wakefield; Heinekin Festival, Leeds etc etc.

Best song? Punishment/Reward Relationship - "which surely cannot happen again for the first time" - still never played it to my girlfriend's mother!

Does anyone remember Cud's mind-blowing rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody on the Indie compilation "Alvin Lives in Leeds"? I had in on tape only for some git of an (ex) mate to nick it!

A bit smug, but have all albums on CD, including When in Rome, Elvis Belt and Leggy Mambo, plus CD singles of Robinson Crusoe and Magic (truly awesome extended remixes of both) - plus a few of their later stuff like Through the Roof, Rich and Strange and Purple Love Balloon (12 inch vinyl). Wouldn't dream of parting with them, though - they're my babies and the route by which I cling to my youth.