Love and Pride by King

I used to go and see King all over the place. Me, Shazbop and Claz would tour the countryside watching this (in my view) hugely under-rated band. They were the subject of a huge amount of record company hype so unfortunately no-one took them seriously. They were really good though, one of the best bands I’ve ever seen.

Why was Love and Pride so important to my life? Well, it was King’s anthem – their biggest hit and the thing that I imagine anyone who recalls them will remember.

As with any band that you see regularly, you get to see the same faces over and over again – it’s how I’ve met many of my closest friends as I’ve said before. King had a couple of girls of around my age who used to go and see them all over the place, just like us. I can’t remember the exact details of where they came from, or their names but they used to journey up the M4 from either Bath or Bristol to see the band.

We’d often chat to them while waiting in the front row for the band to come on stage and after the show in the dressing room.

One day, they’d been to Camden Palace to see the band and we’d spoken to them as usual. On their way home, they broke down on the M4 and pulled onto the hard shoulder to await a recovery service. They stayed in their car. A lorry hit them from behind and they were both killed instantly.

So, Love and Pride (and going to see King) changed my life forever. It made me realise that we are all here for a very short time (some terrifyingly short, every time I think of this I am reminded of Nikiti Desiree, Teresa’s young daughter) so I resolved to live every day as though it is my last, to embrace life and to live it to the full.

To fill my days with ‘Love and Pride’ is what I try to achieve – to surround myself with people who love me, who I love in return and to take pride in the things I do. I’m taking life by the throat and trying my best to make sure that when I go out of it I’m happy and fulfilled. It sounds sugary (and maybe it is) but let’s face it better a bit of sugar than being cynical or bitter.

last year I was twitching!