Another considerable component contributing to the New Continental’s continuing rebirth was the building of the Preston Guild Wheel in 2012 which runs right past the pub. One of the Preston’s finest ever inventions, the Wheel is a 21-mile dual cycle and walking route around the city, with perhaps 15 miles of it on off-road tracks and river pathways, though its introduction didn’t save another riverside pub the Shaws Arms from going bust.
Me and my pal Steve Banister used to regularly cycle the route after work in the summer before retiring for a well-deserved refreshment in our usual seats in the Conty. The issue that then presented itself was that I had to cycle home and there were some vicious little hills contained within that three-mile journey! My personal best for completion was 1 hour 34 minutes achieved when I was cycling regularly and I have once walked the Wheel in its entirety, a trek of around seven hours.
In August 2013, Wire visited the venue. Formed in London in 1976, they have been cited as hugely influential of subsequent heavyweight acts Big Black, Minutemen and Sonic Youth. In my view, they produced intelligent complex music, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
Six months later I saw the female fronted art punk band from Amsterdam called Labasheeda, they were supported by India Mill, an interesting band from the local town of Darwen.
In March 2015, I had my first experience of the remarkable Lovely Eggs, the slightly demented two piece from Lancaster. I had previously seen Holly Ross at the Adelphi in Preston when she was in a band called Angelica. It was a very sparse crowd in comparison to them now playing Manchester Apollo. They were quirky and terrific fun; my personal highlight was ‘Have You Ever Heard a Digital Accordion?’ which also has the accolade of having ‘Beef Bourguignon’ as a rhyming couplet! They were supported by Zvilnik.
There was a novel event in February 2017 that piqued Gill and mine’s interest by showcasing an 80’s indie triple bill. First up were The Suncharms from Sheffield who were formed in 1989, recorded a couple of EP’s and undertook the obligatory Peel session before disbanded in 1993. They reformed in 2016 before finally after a very extended gestation period released their debut album in 2021.
The middle act was The Chesterf!elds, formed in 1984 in Yeovil. Their debut vinyl release was a joint flexi disc with legendary and much missed Shop Assistants, by heck even just the mention of a flexi disc takes me back! Their members had interplay with bands of that era such as Loft and Blue Aeroplanes. They split in 1989 but were reformed in 2014 following a comeback set at a C86 event at the 92 Club in London. They remain active and have recently issued a new album and played the Talleyrand down the road from me in Levenshulme recently, but I wasn’t available to attend.
The third band was the Orchids, who sprung up from Glasgow in 1985 and their early recordings were on the famous Sarah Records based in Bristol. The label was primarily a C-86 hotbed with other like-minded artists Field Mice and Sunny Day in Glasgow being on their roster. Despite a brief hiatus at the end of the 90’s they remain in play and have recorded new material this year. It was a fine night of indie jingle-jangle with my personal favourite being the Suncharms.
Later that year I saw a double bill containing White Hills who are a psych rock band from New York, I had seen them before but didn’t enjoy their set as much on this occasion. Also on the bill were a band called Cavalier Song. It was a chaotic end to the night involving cancelled taxis resulting in an absolute soaking when we had to trog back into town through the park.
Since the move to Manchester, I was unsure whether I would have an opportunity to attend the Conty again, but a slot opened in November 22. The previous night to my attendance the noisy monkeys Part Chimp played there who I had seen supporting Mogwai at Amsterdam Melkweg nineteen years earlier.
On the day of the gig, I watched PNE lose 4-2 to Millwall prior to a chippy tea and a couple of beers before heading down to the venue. It was a punk event and I saw a few old stalwarts down there. On the bill were the P45’s from Blackpool, Preston’s Pike, and the headliners 999 from London with their most famous track ‘Homicide’.
This unexpected attendance allowed me to reach another random stat landmark. It ensured the Conty became the 20th venue where I have attended at least 10 gigs, with Deaf Institute scheduled to become the 21st venue next year meeting this accolade.
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