popguns

The Popguns"drinking wine behind the tower block/ with someone you really like/ doesn't mean that they're in love with you/ just because you;ve known them half your life"

Who?Bearing in mind back at the turn of the last decade, one of the Popguns threatened to beat up a fanzine editor for making the connection between them and the Wedding Present, we'll stick to the more salient points. A Brighton band, back when that was a rarity, depsite the best efforts of BBC Radio Sussex's Turn It Up show to create a scene. The female vocals - male three piece backup was set to become a standard feature of indiedom, but in 1988 it was still a rarity. Like the Boo Radleys and Catatonia, Wendy brought an intensity to the performances that would have made it impossible to guess that she was singer a co-worker's lyrics.

Essential?Eugenie, the mini-album that gathered together their first three singles for French label Midnight Music, including 'Waiting for the Winter'; Landslide is also pretty much needed. If you find a copy of Alvin Lives In Leeds, grab it, too - a Poll Tax protest album, featuring Lush doing chirpy chirpy cheep cheep and the popguns doing Bye Bey Baby. There'd be your I heart the 70s, young man

Yes, Anna, they were from...Brighton

Popstars in Reduced Circumstances?According to one of the websites listed on the right, as recently as '98 they still held a record deal, but had fallen into a drug-addled vat of inertia.

In a nutshell, then:Sea-salt bitter, ocean beautiful indie guitar pop

Never mind the music, give us trivia:Their favourite stretch of water was the Channel at the top of Holland Road, just down from the Caffyns dealership in Hove.

In more depth:We found two fan sites

Neither updated since 1998

Try these, too...Wedding Present
Lush
Bleach
The Charlottes
Fat Tulips
Heavenly
Tallulah Gosh
Blow-UP (the brighton band who did 'Pool Valley')
The Primitives
Eves Plum