I look forward to reading the rest of the story. The blog link below gives a fan's version of the Medium Cool story, which may interest you.

http://fireescapetalking.blogspot.com/2006/12/medium-cool.html

my dear andy

i'm so glad to see this - all this c86y thing has got me all nostalgic too and a random google brought me here.
whatever went wrong you put out some smashing records.
there's fliers for loads of the cool trout stuff here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmygoodgawd/
get in touch if you like.

ally payne

Ally,

us Northerners are the best hoarders in the world - Loved all your flyers and the rusting MC badge!

We had some great times at Portlands and I'll never forget all the support you and Trout Fishing gave me with the label especially amidst all the bitching bands!

I was in Toronto just before Xmas and met up with Kevin from the Raw Herbs. We were both reminiscing and remembering you.

Hope you're well - couldn't find an e-mail address for you on Flickr but mine's mail@mediumcool.info so do drop me a line...

Andy

However fuzzy it is they will make most people's memories look pale and uninteresting.

Your label was the envy of many, your bands magnificant - well the pop guns, the dolies and the mighty waltones and you, well my memories are always very fond and full of admiration.

Medium Cool as F*%k

Hi Andy,
Great to find this site.
Thank you so much for
giving the world the
Raw Herbs. "Don't bury
me yet" remains to this
day one of my favourite
songs of all time.I even
have the sleeve framed
and wall mounted.
Best wishes, Ian.

Ian / Guy,

thanks for your comments and support. I've now finally put all the release pages onto the website - click on the catalogue numbers to get more info - and now intend to get on with the story on this blog.

I'm sure The Raw Herbs will be over the moon that you've got their sleeve on your wall! One of my favourite designers of that time was Andy Royston who did most of the Pink / September covers and I have to admit I've got McCarthy's This Nelson Rockefeller framed in our spare room. I'm sure there'll be a lot more about these labels on this blog...

Hi Andy,

Just stumbled across the site, which brings some back great memories.

MC was the coolest label at the time, and we caned all of your releases at the DJ and Gig nights that me and a couple of mates used to put on at Synatras in Brum.

The Herbs played there at least once, as did the Pop Guns, and lots of other decent bands of the time, including Bob, the Caretaker Race, etc.

Medium Cool, along with Sombrero, and the label that the Caretaker Race & Kill Devil Hills were on (the name escapes me today) were 'the' best labels of the era, with most bands very under-rated.

I suppose at the time, it was all Creation this, Subway that, Sarah the other, etc, etc, and all the bands on MC were totally overlooked.

I sort of liked that though, as it kept the label a bit more underground, and underdog.

I was in a band at the time - Steamtown - and we supported the Herbs and the Sidd's at the Cool Trout Basement at Portlands, a gig put on by David Payne who used to do the Trout Fishing In Leytonstone 'zine.

Those were the days hey?

Nice to hear DBMY on the CD86 recently, and great news about the Waltones Cherry Red re-release. I have to say that I think they were my faves of all on MC, and the aforementioned labels, so I'm looking forward to their CD.

Looking at the brochure covers pic, I have a feeling I have in my collection every single release on the label, including the first few flexi-discs. If there isn't yet a discography on the site (and i'll look again in more detail now) then it would be great to see one?

Anyway, the site's now well and truly stored in my Favourites, and I'll be taking a regular peak over the next few months for any developments.

Well done for bringing the Medium Cool name and music back to life again, and all the best with the site.

AndyT

Hi Andy,

Great to see Medium Cool in the cyber age at last. I used to put on the Surfin Fantastic night @ Synatras in B'ham, with Andy T (aka Andy Pops!) & Sim. We put on pretty much all of the MC acts over a period of time. I was then lucky enough to move to Brighton, where I started The Apple Orchard with Jem, & repeated the process all over again!

MC was the soundtrack to an amazing 18-24 months of my life, that I feel pretty much shaped what/who I became. ie Taking on life & its many curveballs, with a smile on my face & BIG guitars ringing in my ears!

If I had to choose, I would say the Raw Herbs were my fave act of pretty much all time. Excatly how BIG could they have been with the aid of modern trickery such as MySpace?? I recall seeing them in B'ham, wishing it were a kodak moment that I could tuck into my inside pocket, only to pull it out & climb back into, when life & responsibilty became all too much! Quite simply, life couldn't get any better. However, 6 months later in Brighton IT DID. They launched into 'Holland' & immediately I realised that Derek in those 6 months, had become the finished article. Snarling & posturing all over the stage, throwing Cash-esque shapes all over the show! The hairs on the back of my neck still stand up just thinking about it (the ones on my head would struggle!)

Anyway Andy. I'm glad that Adam @ Cherry Red appears to have pursued my suggestion further (I used to work with him, & badger him every so often re all things MC & Waltones) Heaven knows we all have a Punk Rock itch that needs scratching from time to time!

All the best with comp, site, etc.

Davey

Medium Cool was such a good label!
1986 was one of those great years (like 1977) and it gave me some direction for the kind of music I wanted to play. I saw the light then...
I can't think of a "bad" band on Medium Cool. That can't be said of Creation or Rough Trade for instance.
It's great to be able to read about this label.
Cheers,
Ph.

Hi Philippe,

Thanks for taking the time to post such a great comment. Without knowing it your message has just saved the Medium Cool website! The URL is up for renewal and I really was about to let it slide until I read what you'd written.

I'm always amazed at how far and wide such a small label travelled and how many people's lives it touched and even influenced. I checked out your myspace site and it's really good that you're still doing stuff. Even better was finding the Hurrah link. I may have said this before but it was Kitchenware that inspired Medium Cool all those years ago.

So thanks to you the MC website (www.mediumcool.info) will be renewed for another two years and you never know, I just might get the story of the label finished and posted!

Andy

Mr Wake

I hope you are well
I remember you once told me that drunken youths used to come back drunk from clubs find a phone book & through their guffaws used to ring you up & ask "are you AWake" when you kindly agreed to help with UAPP
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fruitier_than_thou/624822718/

I found an old cassette of a you flogging MC to local (to me) radio in Reading.. I reckon it was around the start of 1988
I have loaded ... Its about 67Mb but maybe of interest

http://rapidshare.com/files/135665372/Andy_Wake_Radio_210_1988.mp3

Moscow

Dave
END OF MESSAGE

Mr Driscoll,

Lovely to hear from you! I still treasure both those cassette compilations you put out and remember the radio interview well. I did it with Clive from The Rain and I think we got to play some records too.

I'll give it a listen and drop you a line over the weekend,

Andy

PS Here's a gratuitous plug for my new label V-Sign - http://v-sign.blog.co.uk/