Lardpony beached

Downstairs at Cabaret, Nottingham, on a screaming hot summer day in June 2005 and Lardpony take to the stage, supporting Milky Wimpshake and Mirah. Later, Vanessa would get so drunk that she'd fall off her stool during an extra-quiet Mirah moment, and about 100 people would turn around and gawp at her, as she struggled not to show everyone her pants. But now it was time for Lardpony.

I can't remember where I first came across Lardpony, but I think it was some time during 2004, when I heard the majestic 'I'm in Love With a Noxious Gas'. I'd seen them live a few times, and they'd never really managed to recreate the effervescent sound they got in the studio. Until that gig supporting Mirah, when - for me - it all started to make sense.

That day Lardpony very nearly managed to blow Milky Wimpshake away, which is something not many bands can do. Tom, beardless for once, managed to fight the shyness and sing his heart out; Pod and Nathan were tighter than a gnat's nether regions, and at last - at last! - you could hear Mandy's keys.

Thus began a run of putting Lardpony on whenever I could, simply because they made me smile, and they had fantastic songs. It was a run that ended earlier this year, when they decided to call it a day because of people growing up and having kids, and the general pressures of life when you have to worry about more than where your next pair of jeans is coming from.

Perversely, Lardpony exited stage left in peculiar circumstances at the horrendous Bodega Social in Nottingham. Mandy's keyboard wouldn't work, and they played their final gig as a three piece. Of course they were still brilliant But after seeing the band over a dozen times over the last seven years, it was a weird way to end, and singer Tom seemed genuinely upset by everything. Well, of course he was.

Things carry on, of course, and Nathan is slapping his bass in a macho fashion in The Making Of, who feature members of Mascot Fight amongst them, and Kristian releases stuff as Waar. Tom continues to make music on his own as Vom Vorton, and as part of the Deirdres/Lardpony supergroup, Of Mice and Mental Arithmetic, who, not surprisingly, sound like The Deirdres covering Lardpony songs. Such a precious thought.

Anyway, the reason for this belated obituary is to tell you that Lardpony have made their final load of songs available for free, under the title of Seaside in Painless. You can download it here.

They've obviously never been to Mablethorpe.

Listen to 'I'm in Love With a Noxious Gas' and weep with pleasure.