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

Jarvis jumping onstage during Michael Jackson's ridiculously pompous performance was THE defining moment of the whole Britpop thing. It jumped the shark there and then, it really couldn't get any better than Jarvis wiggling his derrière at the cameras and showing Michael Jackson for what he was... a fool with delusions of grandeur.

I's sad. Britpop is so closely linked to my twenties. Listening to Pulp almost makes me cry now, and there are reports that my favourite member of Blur, Graham Coxon, is leaving (or has, in fact, already left) the band. Elastica went off with a whimper, and where all the others now? Whatever happened to Menswear and Marion?

Sic transit gloria mundi...

Yes, I must admit, I really loved all that Britpop stuff too. But things move on...

Originally, this article was going to be just about the Jarvis/Jackson episode, which I wanted to use to illustrate the unhealthy nature of Jackson-esque ultra-superstardom. It was indeed a fantastic moment.

I've been sketching an article on Britpop for about four months, it's difficult to define. But it'll be heading Guide-ward at some point.

Thanks for reading!

Great entry, by the way And the nick rings a bell...

I'll be looking for that one then.
I still haven't quite grown out of Britpop I admit, I cherish my old albums.

I must be the worst. I actually OWN the Menswear album! And I saw them live!

I never saw Menswear (or can't remember if I did) but saw Sleeper, who recieved scandalously little attention really. Very good band.

I couldn't stand Louise Weener's arrogance... Sleeper will go down in history as being of the most anonymous "backing bands" in history, hence the term "sleeperbloke", which went on to describe any bloke in a band who was either ugly or quiet or personality-free and was eclipsed by any other band member (usually the singer). Take Salad, Marijne van Der Vlugt's band... Marijne and four (or three? can't remember) sleeperblokes. (That said, one of you people is bound to have been in Salad and will want my head on a stake...)

I don't miss Sleeper though, Echobelly were much better And Elastica, my God Elastica... I loved Elastica. They should've disintegrated, not petered out. Same as the Stone Roses. Such a disgraceful exit.

Seriously though, anyone got any idea what happened to Jaime Harding, the singer from Marion? He was soooo pretty, very nice, and an amazing singer too. And Chris from Menswear, nice bloke... whatever happened to them?

Greta_9 - yes, you've got me thinking now. I shall have a hunt round for Menswear info for you. I have a feeling he's still in the music industry somewhere. But I shall hunt him down!

Well, we can disagree over Sleeper. Louise Weiner has a book out, by the way, which apparently very good. But yeah, Elastica were excellent, I saw them a few times in London. Poor old Stone Roses - but what a fantastic debut album. And second one had its moments, although they were a bit out of touch by the time it was released.

What did you make of Gene?

I was never crazy about them - but then I never really listened to them too much.
And whatever happened to Cast ?? They just faded away as well. Space reappeared at my university freshers week last year, which was a lot of fun, I always loved them, though they were kind of belated.

I saw Gene twice, because my best mate had a crush on Martin Rossiter (very strange taste in men, but there you are). I can't say they were memorable. I also saw the Bluetones, but they weren't very good and the singer was completely off his face! Dodgy, on the other hand, were very enjoyable. Marion were brilliant, I still remember their performance as one of the best I ever saw, up there with The Bends-era Radiohead (I'm sorry I missed Radiohead when they were touring with OK Computer, which is one of my favourite albums ever.) Suede were also very good, at least around the time of Dog Man Star, although they sounded much sexier when Bernard was in the band... I went off them after a while. They were all quite nice, though.

I loved the first Space single, Female of the Species. Cast are sort of fading in and out, although Guiding Star was probably their finest moment. A lot like the Boo Radleys, remember how good Wake Up Boo! sounded? And whatever happened to White Town? Your Woman was great, then... silence.

So many memories... *sigh*

Aaargh!

Can't do any work now as am stuck in nostalgia mode - want to run home and play all my albums again!

Great entry

k approaching thirty but will probably be harking back to this stuff when I am 50.

Yeah, those were the days - raccoon eyes (modelled after Richey Manic - now back in fashion), combat or Doc Martens boots, kilts, oversized t-shirts (later to be supplanted by skinny-fit tops)... more nostalgia for you

... you had to wear the t-shirts over a long sleeved shirt though didn't you? or do I just live in a cold part of the world?

Dodgy were good - I still love Staying out for the Summer. And Space's You and Me vs the World was kind of "our song" for my class at school - but that was a LONG time ago now...

I live in Italy... summers are warm here. Besides, when you go out to a rock club (there used to be indie nights back then... aaaaah!) you usually wear a sweatshirt on top of the t-shirt, and whip it off when you got hot from jumping around.

I remember we went from the grunge look (very scruffy, but comfortable, and cheap - I was basically recycling my dad's old flannel shirts) to the NWONW look (lots of black, lots of eyeliner, still scruffy but sexier) to the New Mod look (a-line skirts, skinny-fit tops) and by then we were all grown-up and just started wearing what we liked.

You and Me Against the World was very good, but it didn't get much airplay over here.