THE END IS HERE

Pete's view, reports and fan tributes

Here is the message Pete (X)_ Gofton posted on the KFC message board
Posted by pete x on October 16, 1998 at 16:00:07:

Hello everybody. Pete/Johnny/x/Gofton here, speaking to youse the day after the night before. i can't actually remember large parts of the evening (re: the astoria ), but others have attempted to fill in the blanks. its episodic at best, but here goes anyway; im writing in response to several things i've both seen and heard in the past 12 or so hours. as far as i can recall, we made no firm statement about our future last night at the LA2. what lauren (and possibly myself) said onstage was hazy. however, i can say that there are no future plans for kenickie at the moment. contrary to what some music biz scumbags (who are responsible for this state of affairs,and know who they are)have been spreading,we (the band) are as close as we were before the unpleasantness.
the reasons behind all of this shit are manifold;
where do i start? ok, fuck all people bought 'get in' but so what? my favorite band of all time is slint,and they sold fuck all, split up, only gaining kudos after their dissolution. if this was about selling records,'get in' would sound like 'at the club', only more refined and with bigger choruses. maybe then the people who like shite like suede and mansun would have bought it, as they did the first album. i know there's some people out there who will say "why didn't you do the album like that?", the fact is; 'get in' and 'at the club' are statements of intent. they are nowhere near being the albums they were supposed to be. both are compromised, delivered as close as we could realise how they are supposed to sound. due to record company and management politics, and our own naivety and lack of wherewithall of the rock industry(i.e 'you scratch my back and you'll have blanket air play on the chris moyles show" and shit like that),we failed in 'music biz terms'. we didn't sell enough records to be considered a 'cash cow', and given the time to grow as a band. we had to make our statement within the two albums. to us, this was a shitter, but you can only work with what you're given.anyway, this whole 'we wanna be popstars' angle is completely overplayed. i look at that chicks band now, and realise the inanity of those sentiments. we were an aquired taste, which is perfect for me, my favorite bands sold in insignificant numbers. we would never split due to the sales of records. it's a stupid, pissy little thing to be upset by.
a couple of words about the gig itself; initial reports have the gig as being shambolic. a word of advice kids, alcohol and a cold don't mix.
i'm told i was great, but to all the people whose evening i ruined - sorry. spraydog and velocette where both sooperb (as they have been the whole tour),and i thank them for making good show every night.
another rumour about the gig was our 'apparently half-arsed attempts to smashour gear up. in this case, the only person doing the smashing was me, and i entered into it fully-arsed. anyhoo, thanks to the people who liked us for what we were, not what we were supposed to have been.
and the moral of this story is;-
never sign to a major label (pete, you were right)
trust no-ones intentions but your own,
and finally,
never compromise. ever.

thankyou and goodnight.

The news from NME.com:
KENICKERS TO THIS!
KENICKIE announced last night at their gig at London WC1 Astoria that they were breaking up and going their separate ways. After a shambolic set that involved the band half-heartedly attempting to trash their gear, Lauren closed the set by announcing: "We were Kenickie, a bunch of fuckwits!"

Recent press interviews with the band gave the impression that they were planning to split. Insiders say that the break-up was reasonably amicable, having more to do with disappointing sales of recent singles and the band's second album 'Get In!'.

"The general feeling was that they had gone as far as they could go," one source close to the band told NME.

Lauren is currently working as a presenter on The Alphabet Show, a music and comedy programme on BBC Choice, the new Digital TV service. The others have no immediate plans, though it is likely that they will still continue in music.

Some fan tributes:

I'm sooo depressed about it, cos I love them so much, sigh. Get In has made me cry in the past, y'know.
Love Jo
xxxxxxx

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message Kenickie's Dead, Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

They were my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood. For nothing now can ever come to any good.

R.I.P. Kenickie From Mark

I've been crying for the past ten minutes - pathetic, yes, but also sincere. I've got that feeling you get when you find out someone's died.
Claire

personally, mere words cannot express the grief i feel. they can try... emptiness, despair, fear, and other nicky-wire-style-teenage-angst-words like that. but i truly feel absolutely terrible. i cried myself out last night, but tears have pricked my eyes several times, and i have a feeling that at about 10:20 2nite (ha!) it might happen again. also, listening to the entire back catalogue three times does not help. i tried.
robbo

I'm crying. Sad yes, but sooooo damn sincere. I can honestly say that I've not felt this passionate about any band ever and Kenickie are never gonna die my friends, they'll just not be around for us to admire. We shouldn't fell sad though, but fell glad that we've been lucky enough to experience the Kenickie experience, even if the closest we ever got to them was listening to them in our bedrooms. They made my life better (I had way bad depression a couple of years ago and I listened to ATC everyday for months) and I love them for it. Sniff.
We must let them know how much they meant to us, I can't bear to think that they don't realise how wonderful they are . . .
Love Jo
xxxxxx

Kenickie are gone, and part of my life is gone
- A very sad Mylene -

I won't deny that I am in tears.
I fell in love because of Kenickie, I laughed because of Kenickie, I stopped being a little moany shit because of Kenickie, Kenickie upped my confidence, Kenickie's music was my best friend, Kenickie helped me through sets of exams and when I was having a rough time with the people I was meant to depend on, and they've practically shaped the last 2 years of my life. I never got to see them live. I have one t shirt which I bought 3 months ago that is currently falling apart
nessa
---

My Heart is with all of You.
Peter.(NZ)

I was devastated to hear Kenickie have split. Who else will add such glitter and attitude to our music? They'll always hold a special memory for me as my (now) husband proposed to me while watching them play at Reading '97. Come out 2Nite and Punka are modern-day classics. Kenickie, I salute you.
Emma McAllister

The world has just become a sadder, duller place.
Ian Pointer
----------
"There is a light and it never goes out"
- Kenickie RIP

I nearly cried when i heard...
at least i've got good memories of the 3 gigs ive been to..the last
manchester one being the best. t'is a sad sad day.
Elizabeth

Oh God. This is exactly what I didn't want to hear. At least they've left us with two fantastic albums and a brace of B-sides that run from punk-pop thrashiness to aching beauty. That's something, anyway. Thanks for everything, Kenickie, it's been great.
"Kenickie, we love you"
I have only recently become a fan of Kenickie (its strange as I am from Sunderland and noone up there has heard of them). It was a sad blow when today I learnt that they were indeed splitting up. Goodbye to an excellent band and to the best thing to come out of Sunderland ever.
My sad regards to all fans of this wonderful group.
Michale Hughes

I thaught they were going to be the rebirth of pop music. Like Little Richard, and the Sex Pistols. Instead they were the rebirth of pop music, like The Stooges. Look at reviews of new bands. Kenickie are mentioned. Theaudience probably won't be mentioned by halfway through next week. Kenickie could afford to practically throw away songs like the untitled thing from the Mark Radcliffe session. Songs that most bands never, ever manage to come close to.
I had a thoroughly good time. Thankyou, all concerned.

Posted by philippa on October 16, 1998 at 14:33:14:
i've been crying all afternoon over the phone to my best mate. very sad but that's how much i love(d) kenickie. i'm so glad i finally got to see them live after 2 years of brilliance and classiness. my life just doesn't seem worth living now..............
xxx

Kenickie Main Page

© 1997 xdk42@dial.pipex.com

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page