New interview with Would-Be-Goods plus tips for songwriters from Jessica

Would-Be-Goods in Paris, Sept. 2025. Photo: Ian Greensmith

Happy release day to WOULD-BE-GOODS! 
When Peter Momtchiloff interviewed Jessica Griffin for chickfactor 13 in Y2K, we wonder if he knew he would become partners with Jessica in music and life? Either way, we are happy the Would-Be-Goods restarted as a live and recording pop group in the early 2000s and have played at many of our events, releasing a number of fantastic (albeit) underheard albums on the Santa Barbara label Matinee Recordings. During the pandemic, Jessica wrote a song a day clocking in at 173 songs in total, and just today the wonderful Tears Before Bedtime has been released on vinyl and CD via Skep Wax Records. The current lineup of Would-Be-Goods is Jessica Griffin, Peter Momtchiloff (Heavenly, Railcard), Debbie Greensmith (the Headcoatees), and Andy Warren (Monochrome Set, Adam and the Ants).

Out today! On Skep Wax Records – available via Jigsaw in the US

chickfactor: Is it just me or did the entire UK media just discover the Would-Be-Goods? BBC radio! How does it feel to finally get some press in your home country? It’s about time!!
Jessica Griffin: It’s exciting but also a bit strange. It takes me back to the él Records days, when the Would-be-goods got quite a lot of media attention in the UK (although I think we sold more records in other parts of the world).

The upcoming tour dates seem like the biggest tour you’ve done in ages or ever. Are you excited to hit the road?
Very. I’m a travelling player at heart, and I love being on the road with the band. We’ll be doing shows in parts of the country we’ve never played in before, as well as going back to some of our favourite places. (I’m thinking of Glasgow…)

You became incredibly prolific during the pandemic, writing 170 songs or something. Did that carry on? How regularly do you sit down to write? Do you have a schedule or ritual? Where does it happen?
I’d have carried on happily but after 173 songs I thought it was time to take a break and release some of them as EPs on Bandcamp. That meant doing quite a bit of work on the original demos to turn them into something I felt happy about sharing. It’s hard to keep switching between editing mode and writing mode—one requires tight focus, the other needs the opposite.

I haven’t done much songwriting since then as we wanted to finish the studio album. Then I had to sort out the artwork, make videos, do interviews and so on. But I’m sure I’ll start writing songs again soon—the melodies that come into my mind (especially when I’ve just woken up) are becoming rather insistent! I’ll probably use the same strategy as I used for my song-a-day project, i.e. sleeping on a title and giving myself a tight deadline to finish the song. I usually write them in my head as I’m pottering round the house or walking around the neighbourhood, stopping to record my ideas as voice memos. I get quite a lot of the lyrics this way but at some point I have to write them out so I can look at them and see what needs changing. Then I make a rough demo on Garageband with a programmed drum track and a guitar track.

Jessica, London, 2025.

 How was recording this album different from previous ones?
It took much longer, not only because of the pandemic but also because other members of the band were busy and Debbie now lives some distance away. It wasn’t easy to find times when we could all get together to practise and record the songs.

We approached recording in a different way this time. Usually we’d put down guide guitar (to a click track) and guide vocals, then we’d record the instruments and vocals in layers, starting with bass guitar and drums, but for this album the whole band went into the live room and Jon recorded us playing the song together. We’d do a couple of takes to make sure we had good bass guitar and drum tracks. Other guitars, vocals and overdubs would usually have to be redone or added afterwards. This way of recording captures more of the energy of the band, I think.

Another difference is that I recorded most of my vocals at home, something I learned to do during my lockdown project. I’m more relaxed when I’m singing on my own and the result is more intimate, which people seem to like.

Would-Be-Goods in Paris, Sept. 2025. Photo: Ian Greensmith

How has band activity changed since Mr. Momtchiloff retired?
Peter’s new-found freedom meant we could finish the album more quickly, as he was now free to go into the studio with me on weekdays. He’s been very busy with his other bands too, recording albums with Heavenly and Railcard. 

What kind of potions or elixirs do you use to soothe your singing voice?
I don’t have any secret formulas! Hoarseness hasn’t been a problem for me since I took some classical singing lessons and learned how to support my voice properly, using my abdominal muscles. (I was surprised to learn that I’m actually a soprano, although I don’t tend to use the upper part of my range for the Would-be-goods.) The only potion I drink is tea, which isn’t the best thing for the voice as it’s quite acidic. I make sure I drink plenty of water the day before I have to sing, I never drink alcohol before a show and I’ve never smoked. 

Let’s talk ageism. You are at the top of your game like many women of a certain age so why does society treat us all as if we are invisible?
I don’t know. The older women musicians I know are far from invisible—they get plenty of appreciation and respect. I’ve always had good examples of strong older women in my life and make a point of seeking out good role models now.

What’s on your reading table? What art shows have topped your list lately?
I’m reading ‘The Art Cure’ by a London-based academic who has spent her life studying the effects of making and experiencing art (including music, dance, all forms of visual art, and more) on our minds and bodies. It makes you realise how short-sighted it is of governments to make cuts in the arts as if they’re a luxury, when they really are fundamental to our happiness and wellbeing. 

Our last art show was ‘Radical Harmony’, an exhibition of neo-impressionist paintings at the National Gallery). What really stood out for me were Seurat’s drawings and the luminous portraits of Dutch-Indonesian artist Jan Toorop (who later went full Symbolist and became a massive influence on Gustav Klimt). 

Jessica in London, Brief Lives shoot, 2001. Photo: Gail O’Hara

Can you cook? What’s your specialty? Peter’s?
I’ve cooked since I was a small child – I think it’s an essential life skill. In those days it was mainly baking (bread, scones, cakes, etc) but now I make pretty much everything. Peter is a very good, instinctive cook but his New Year resolution was to cook from recipes. I gave him Fuchsia Dunlop’s book on Sichuanese cooking for Christmas and he is working his way through that (to my great delight). 

Any new cats on the horizon?
Jessica: I’m very tempted but my last cat had health problems which stopped me from travelling for years. I want to enjoy a bit of freedom before succumbing again.
Peter: I’ve told her she can get another cat when she’s 70.

If we came to your neighborhood for one day, what should we do?
I’d recommend a stroll along Golborne Road and the north end of Portobello Road. There are still some interesting independent shops, cafés and restaurants. Further north, next to Regent’s Canal, there’s a lovely little place called Meanwhile Gardens, created many years ago on waste land by volunteers. A walk eastwards along the canal towpath up to Little Venice is a nice thing to do on a sunny day. Portobello Road on a Saturday is much too crowded for me but if you go during the week, I’d recommend popping into Books for Cooks on Blenheim Crescent, a specialist cookery book shop which has a test kitchen at the back, serving very good-value lunches from Tuesday to Friday. (Get there well before 12 and be prepared to queue outside!) There’s a lovely little Swedish bakery, Fabrique, on Portobello Road, and a good Malaysian restaurant called Makan under the Westway flyover. 

Would-Be-Goods. Photo: Mike Jones

Who is the comedian in the Would-Be-Goods?
Peter, Debbie and Andy are all very funny. Andy loves word play (especially puns and anagrams) and all three are good at witty ripostes. I don’t have that quick wit in conversation – I can only think of the perfect come-back long after the moment has passed.

Talk us through your stagewear protocols.
It’s usually a last-minute decision: ‘stripy or black?’ We branched out at last year’s Paris Popfest and wore black trousers with white shirts. I thought we looked rather chic but one French reviewer said Debbie and I (who both wear glasses these days) looked like kindly librarians from a fictional English country village. Actually, that’s not a bad look. 

What’s it like being on Skep Wax?
It’s great. I don’t think there can be a label that is more enthusiastic about its artists and bands and which works harder to get their music out there. I think being veteran indie musicians themselves gives them a huge advantage. 

Jessica in London, Brief Lives shoot, 2001. Photo: Gail O’Hara

What is your favorite London pub and why?
Jessica: It would have to be the Betsey Trotwood in Clerkenwell, epicentre of the London indie scene. The owner and staff create a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, the beer is good (I’m told), and the ground-floor bar is the perfect setting for informal afternoon gigs as well as the occasional party. 

Peter: I also like the Lexington of course, the musical hub of London. A fine old-fashioned pub for social drinking, if there are not too many of you, is the King Charles I in King’s Cross. And in young people’s London, I think of two pubs which are great music venues but also great for a social: the Cav in Stockwell and the Victoria in Dalston.

Do you pay attention to popular music? If so, any songs you enjoy? Or other bands/albums by anyone currently?
Jessica: These days I don’t get to hear much new music unless it’s by bands and artists we know in real life. It’s not that I’m not interested – I keep meaning to listen to the radio more but I go to bed very early these days.

Peter: Strangely, my two favourite albums of last year were by men from Kent: the High Span and the Penrose Web.  I also liked Baxter Dury’s record and, getting a bit closer to Chickfactor territory, Former Champ from Glasgow, whose melodic punch and conciseness reminded me of a less lairy Guided by Voices.

Would-Be-Goods tour dates:
Feb. 21: The Water Rats, London
Feb. 25: The Just Dropped In, Coventry
March 5: Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate
April 3: The Gate Arts & Community Centre, Cardiff
May 29: The Central Bar, Gateshead
May 30: Glad Café, Glasgow

Early Would-Be-Goods

10 tips for budding songwriters by Jessica

1. Feed your mind. Read – not just contemporary fiction. Listen to music from different times and places. Watch old films. Go to art galleries. Everything you experience will combine and ferment and something strange and new will come of it.

2. Keep a notebook of words and phrases that appeal to you – the title of an old film, a chapter heading in a book, a fragment of a poem, a scrap of conversation you’ve overheard. Take the notebook to bed, pick something out before you turn off the light, and sleep on it. Your brain will get to work on it overnight. 

3. Try different ways of sparking musical ideas. Strumming chords on a guitar or piano doesn’t work for everyone. Try taking an intro from an old song and imagining a different course it could have taken, or borrow a bar of a melody and see what you can make from it. 

4. Make yourself write a song every day for a month. It can be a very simple song, even a silly song – it doesn’t matter. The important thing is just to produce something. It’s the best antidote to perfectionism, which leads to writer’s block.

5. Don’t have rigid ideas about the sort of songs you should (or shouldn’t) be writing. Accept whatever comes up and work with it. 

6. When you’re in songwriting mode, go for long walks by yourself. A large park is ideal but city streets are just as good. (Take care when crossing, though!)  I find the rhythm of walking helps my thoughts flow.

7. Record all your ideas, no matter how small: snippets of melody on a voice memo, a line or two of lyrics in a notebook. You think you’ll remember them later but you won’t. This applies especially to ideas that come to you first thing in the morning when you’re half asleep, which are sometimes the best.

8. Sing your lyrics aloud from time to time as you write them – what sounds good to your inner ear might sound clumsy when you’re actually singing it.  

9. Be careful about who you play your songs to, especially when you’re just starting to write. It can be discouraging if the response is lukewarm, or if they love what you’ve written, you may find yourself writing to please them rather than yourself. 

10. Never compare your songs to other people’s. It can discourage you, or lead you astray. Just keep doing what you do and feeding your mind, and your songwriting will get better. 

Would-Be-Goods circa 2004 (Peter, Jessica, Debbie and Lupe Núñez-Fernández) in London, Brief Lives shoot, 2001. Photo: Gail O’Hara

Tears Before Bedtime – out today! 

01 The Gallopers
02 Dr Love
03 Tears For Leda
04 The Back Of Your Bike
05 The Tears Of Cora Pearl
06 The Rose Tattoo
07 Don’t Come Crying To Me
08 Witch Hazel
09 Old Flame
10 Carmilla
11 The Bride Wore Black
12 Madame X
13 Away With The Fairies
14 The Moon Doesn’t Mind

Finally We Interview Wendy Pickles from the Popguns

The Popguns in recent years, via their FBK page

Wendy Pickles from the Popguns
There are not that many songs that make me stop working and start lipsyncing and playing air drums like a crazy person: “Bye Bye Baby” is such a song. Brighton’s Popguns were on our radar back when our zine started back in the early ’90s and the fact that they’ve never played a chickfactor party is a massive oversight. I’m pretty sure it was Mike Schulman who put a Popguns record in my hand at Vinyl Ink Records in Silver Spring, Maryland, around 1990! The band formed in 1988 and are still making very good music and playing shows. At long last we are thrilled to share this new interview with Popguns singer Wendy Pickles! Interview by big fans Gail O’Hara & Gaylord Fields

Listen to the Popguns on Bandcamp
Listen to the Popguns on Soundcloud
Listen to Wendy’s solo thing
Get records from Matinee in the U.S. 
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Wendy on drums at their Christmas gig last year; photo courtesy of the Popguns

chickfactor: What are you up to today? Does the country feel different post-election? Did you watch the Euro final?
Wendy Pickles: Trying to stay cool today—hottest day of the year so far in the UK! Sadly, I have no ice cream in the freezer.

I haven’t noticed a particularly different feel post-election among people I talk to—it feels as though everyone has been slowly ground down by 14 years of Tory reign so that cynicism and distrust prevail. I hope Labour can come good on some of their promises, but it’s all about the power and the money, the money and the power

I did watch the Euros final, at home with family and a tonne of snacks. I was on the Amaretto, which sweetened the blow a little.

What were you like as a child? A teen?
I was incredibly shy and self-conscious, studious, law-abiding. I spent a lot of time reading and listening to/playing music. I reinvented myself in the summer between school and sixth form, ditched my glasses in favour of contact lenses and moved from incredibly square and uncool to incredibly square and a little less uncool.

What kind of rituals does the band have (on tour, in the studio, in general)?
We have an unwritten rule that whenever we make a stop in the van everyone has to go and come back one by one, just to be as inefficient as possible with our time. Greg & I invented “soundcheckercise” – we do squats/lunges/jumps to the beat while Ken is whacking his drums during the soundcheck. We like to have a sing on the way home from a gig – “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” is one of our faves, along with “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”. We play studio bingo – phrases include “less is more” and “that was perfect … let’s just try one more”.  We have plenty of sayings and in-jokes gathered throughout the years – some wouldn’t stand the woke test and many, naturally, are taken from This Is Spinal Tap. Simon & I watched it just the other week and it really is the funniest film ever made.

Are you from a musical family?
No trained musicians, but plenty of singing and a little guitar playing on my mum’s side of the family. They liked to sing old London music hall songs at family gatherings – “On Mother Kelly’s Doorstep”, “My Baby Has Gone Down the Plughole”, that kind of thing. Music was on all the time when I was growing up—either on the radio (always Radio 1) or on the turntable (mostly Elton John!).

The Popguns in Nottingham, 1990. Photo: Jim Bethell (sent by Wendy)

Did it seem like the Popguns got their due back in the day?
I’d say no, because I think if more people had had a chance to hear our music they would’ve liked it. Is that too obvious a thing to say? We fell into a bit of a guitar-based music gap between C86 and Britpop—baggy and rave were the in thing, and we were neither! The songs are strong, even if the production wasn’t always up to scratch

Was the band treated well in the press? What was the weirdest thing someone wrote about you?
Some people liked us, some didn’t. I was just looking through some old reviews and many of them were quite flattering (eg “Come in Debbie Harry, your time is up” in Sounds 1991 – pretty good, eh?). At least we GOT reviewed and were given a few inches of interview space. I think the weirdest was Robert Yates in the Melody Maker, who said in a live review “To chance upon her in a back-street Brixton pub is to catch Cleopatra buying half-fat milk in Tesco’s”. Can’t decide whether it’s flattering or creepy!! Of course they didn’t just write about me, but inevitably a female frontwoman in an otherwise male band becomes a focus.

Who is the comedian in the band?
Greg is the wittiest. Pat is the silliest and loves wordplay. Simon does funny things (not always intentionally!). Once during a power cut, he came out of the loo with his trousers on back to front (I promise, it was hilarious at the time!). Ken has a slew of bad jokes, best not repeated. I have a wicked tongue, but I try to hide it.

The Popguns in Nottingham, 2023. Courtesy of the band

Do you have any band rules about stagewear and banter?
Never let Simon near the mic. We’re always trying to persuade (drummer) Ken to wear a vest. Once Simon accidentally pocket-dialled Pat during a song, so I guess we should really ban phones onstage.

If we came to Brighton for a day, what should we definitely do?
Pick up a Happy Maki sushi wrap and eat it in Pav Gav (young person’s speak for Pavilion Gardens). Wander through the North Laines, being sure to visit Resident Music and to buy something colourful from Lucy & Yak (dungarees recommended). Play ‘Toad’ at The Hole In The Wall pub (toad table custom made by our friend and some time driver Garold). You should probably get some squishy donuts from the pier and sit on the beach with the thousands of other tourists. Finish off with a rock ‘n’ roll pint at The Albert (home of our annual Christmas shindig).

If you could choose any well-known musician from Brighton, past or present, to join the Popguns, who would it be, and why?
Dave Gilmour would be fun! And not at all intimidating. I like to sing a little Leo Sayer at karaoke, though strictly speaking he’s from Shoreham, just along the coast.

It’s fascinating (to me, at least) when a group records two unrelated songs with the same title. What inspired the Popguns to do an original called “Bye Bye Baby” as well as cover the identically named Four Seasons song?
I was a huge Bay City Rollers fan, so I loved that song. We actually had a Four Seasons album on cassette when I was growing up and I loved their music – but it didn’t have that song on it, so I didn’t know at the time that it was a cover. We were invited to contribute a track to an album of ’70s Number 1s for an Anti-Poll Tax album put together by a friend, and it seemed a fun idea to cover a song with the same name as one of ours – we ilke to confuse!!

Simon, your husband and bandmate, writes the songs that you then give voice to. How autobiographical are the songs when it comes to either your life or his?
Annoyingly autobiographical – what am I going to write about for my solo project?

How did you both determine which songs would be Popguns songs and which would you and Simon record for your other shared musical project, the Perfect English Weather?
It’s usually obvious: one, there is a distinction between indie rock and indie pop and TPEW definitely falls in the latter category, so they tend to be the lighter songs; two, TPEW songs are on the whole more personal to us as a couple; three, the Popguns reject it!

What advice would you give groups that contain a creative partner who is also a romantic partner so they don’t end up like Fleetwood Mac? Or perhaps they’d do well by following Fleetwood Mac’s example?
It’s not always a recipe for a successful relationship, is it? Weirdly, we don’t spend a lot of time working on music together at home. Simon writes the songs, then the rest of us contribute in the rehearsal room and studio – that goes for The Popguns and The Perfect English Weather. Maybe that’s why it works?

How did you get on with the other acts who recorded for your early ’90s label Midnight Music, or did you not interact much?
We didn’t really know any Midnight labelmates, but we got on great with The Waltones, who were on Medium Cool with us.

Who came up with calling the group the Popguns, and were you all surprised that no other band seemed to have come up with a name so basic yet essential before you did?
Well we’ve never been happy with it, we just couldn’t agree on anything else – it was a case of picking a name that no-one was happy with! Glad you think it works!

The group took a break lasting more than a decade before forming again. What have you found to be the biggest adjustment in making music in the 2020s, for better or for worse?
The studio is so much easier to use – not that I ever need it ;), but dodgy notes can be straightened out in seconds! And all those sounds at your fingertips – fun, but also potentially extremely timewasting. And so much can be done at home, which I think is a good thing, though Simon does have a habit of spending days locked away in his room doing remixes. The music making side is great, the social media side not so – not a natural world for us boomers/Gen Xers.

Has the Popguns’ musical catalogue been featured in any adverts, films, or TV shows? Do you have any problems with the concept of “selling out,” whatever that means to you?
It has! A highlight for me was “Second Time Around” on BBC’s “Homes Under The Hammer”. We also featured in a 2018 Netflix series (“Everything Sucks!” – sadly didn’t get past Season 1) and a 2020 film, “Pink Skies Ahead”, which rather excitingly had Henry Winkler and Michael McKean in its cast. There must’ve been a late ’80s/early ’90s indie revival! No ads that I’m aware of, and I would definitely want to have a say in that respect. I am a VERY ethical person!

Let’s say for some odd reason you found yourself in the need to recruit someone to impersonate your singing voice (please don’t ask why, just play along, if you may). Which singer do you think would be able to do the job?
Natalie Merchant please!

How has existing in older bodies changed how you go about touring, as opposed to 30 years ago?
Oh my God, it’s knackering!! Definitely no more than two nights in a row. And much lighter on the booze. And Greg now brings salad as a snack

The Popguns often perform A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It.” When and how did you realize that you had the mad flow needed to rap credibly?
Haha! I trained by learning the intro to “The Lone Ranger” by Quantum Jump. That and “Cool for Cats” by Squeeze

Which one Popguns song would your fans express strong unhappiness if you were to leave it off your live set list? And, in general, how accommodating are you to playing fan favorites when planning what to perform at shows? Is it a “one for you, one for me” situation?
You’d have to ask them, but I’m guessing “Bye Bye Baby” or “Waiting for The Winter” – they’re the biggest singalong songs. We make occasional exceptions, but as some of us (me included) are quite bad at remembering the songs we mostly have to stick to the set we’ve been practising. We do try to mix it up though!

What are some memorable live shows you played in the old days and recently?
Plymouth Cooperage 1990? 91? is a fond favourite for its stage invasion. Shelly Arms in Nutley (similar time?) for its bonkersness. More recently, Hamburg in 2016 and Athens in 2019 due to the unexpectedly large and enthusiastic crowds. Every Prince Albert ‘home’ Christmas gig is lovely—so many familiar faces in the audience. Last year’s Albert gig was fun as Ken & I switched places for one song – me on drums, him on vocals. And earlier this year we played at the wedding of two of our biggest fans, which was incredibly special and moving. Oh, not forgetting Mike Joyce playing “Rebel Rebel” as our intro music at the 100 Club in London – pretty cool!

Do you have any horror stories?
Can’t really top Greg falling from a second floor window in Plymouth and breaking his wrist (a lucky escape). I don’t know, I tend to get shielded from all of the bad stuff – I’m still that square and not-very-cool girl at heart!

Have you ever played in the US?
Yes! We played New York Popfest in 2014. It was an odd one—we loved being there, but we had a late (headline) slot on the Sunday night and not everyone stuck around to see us. Of course we had to use other people’s gear and Pat borrowed a bass guitar from a very generous but very small person. The bass was a perfect fit for its owner, but hilariously tiny on our Pat (who is not a very small person!). Much chuckling ensued!

OG Popguns, courtesy of the band

Favorite place to play?
It has to be The Albert. Be nice to play Brighton Dome though. Or Glastonbury!

Do you have day jobs, pets, kids?
I was teaching pop singing to teenagers, which I loved, but stopped when the pandemic hit. Currently trying to do my bit to combat the climate crisis. I’ve started a climate choir, which is lots of fun. I completed a Masters in Songwriting last year and am now considering doing a PhD in something environment and music related. Dr Wendy! Simon still works part-time as a computer programmer. Pat and Ken are proper businessmen with their own companies. Greg works in IT at Brighton & Hove council. That’s not very rock ‘n’ roll is it, maybe scrap that answer!!!

Simon & I have two children, both now graduated from Uni. Anna is living and working in London and is a committed environmental champion, Thomas has only just graduated and is figuring out what to do next. They are of course wonderful human beings, are both very musical and have impeccable taste! We have two young, adorable cats – one ginger, one black. Not great for my environmental credentials as we feed them meat and they bring in many, many little dead bodies 🙁

Wendy says: “The Mean Fiddler poster is a bittersweet memory as it proves Pulp supported us back in the day, which is fun, but of course our careers took wildly different paths!!”

What are you reading, watching, cooking, eating?
I have a stack of environment related books to get to, but I’ve been distracted in the last week or so by the discovery that I can successfully complete a difficult killer sudoku. Maths was never my strong point, so it is a big surprise! I prefer baking to cooking – my signature dish is vegan almond macaroons. We get a weekly organic veg box so I’m often trying to work out what to do with kohlrabi or padron peppers – any ideas?

Anything else you’d like to add? News, shows, new releases?
We’re looking forward to playing with The Frank & Walters at 229 in London on 28 September. Apart from our usual Christmas gig at the Albert that’s it for the current tour schedule. Very soon we will be returning to the studio, so new material will be out in 2025.

Records Wendy cannot live without
There are a handful of oldies I always go back to –
“Swoon” by Prefab Sprout
“Liberty Belle ..” by The Go-Betweens
“Captain Fantastic …” by Elton John
any Smiths/Beatles/Jam/REM
“Young Americans” by Bowie
“Behaviour” and “Very” by Pet Shop Boys
“The Clock Comes Down The Stairs” by Microdisney
“Nilsson Schmilsson”
Mostly quite predictable. Currently though, my go-tos are the upcoming Fontaines DC album (“Favourite” is an instant indie classic!), also “A Hero’s Death” by Fontaines, “If My Wife New I’d Be Dead” by CMAT (she is AMAZING!), “2020” and “The Hermit” by Richard Dawson (almost my favourite artist in the world), “Illinois” by Sufjan Stevens, “Seeking New Gods” by Gruff Rhys. “American Dream” by LCD Soundsystem. I realise there is a distinct lack of female musicians in that list – oops! I love Laura Marling and Pearl Charles!

Popguns set list from Nottingham, 1990.
Popguns set list from Nottingham, 2023
The Popguns in Lego made by a fan. Wendy says: “I’m in the middle with short brown hair (before I grew out the grey) and our sometime backing singer Kate is the blond singer on the left. Pat’s permanent grin is well represented and then-drummer Tony has drumsticks large enough to cause injury! They also caught Simon in his (now thankfully passed) trilby-wearing phase ;D”