Every year I seem to go through a nostalgic phase when something pops up to remind me of a TV comedy, a film or a band that I really liked in my teens and I go on a hunt for all of the albums or episodes that I used to have on poorly copied audio cassettes or video tapes recorded from the TV.

A few years ago it was tracking down the Who video that changed my whole view on what being a bass guitarist meant, the Sugar album Copper Blue and Bandwagonesque by Teenage Fanclub. Then it was getting the sci-fi series V on DVD. Last year it was buying up stuff by the Boo Radleys (bizarrely released by my own former record label) and now this year, the song Away From Here by The Enemy reminded me of Mega City Four. That’s how indie rock should sound. So I decided to go buy some Mega City Four stuff and while I was at it I tracked down Trains, Boats and Planes by The Frank and Walters.

The Frank and Walters had just released Happy Busman and were on Channel 4 show The Word, the week before I went to my first ever concert – The Inspiral Carpets at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, supported by Airhead (anyone else remember Funny How?) and the Franks themselves. I was deaf the next day.

A few months later I saw Mega City Four and they were excellent, however I was shocked to discover tonight that lead singer Wiz died just before Christmas. Shit. More eloquent words fail me.