Peru - Archie's Luck Is In (Archdeacon of Pop)

In 1992 I found myself on the dole right in the middle of a recession. Stranded in Grimsby with no qualifications, I decided to take my chances and move to Nottingham with a girl from my hometown who was studying at Trent Polytechnic, as it was called then.

At around the same time Peru were starting to play their first few gigs. I remember seeing posters for their gigs around Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, but never ever got around to seeing their shows. Their fire burned pretty brightly, but briefly in the East Midlands - the high point probably being a support slot to Heavenly in Derby.

Doesn't sound all that, does it? Well, indiepop in 1992 wasn't so great. I'd turned to shoegaze and fell under the spell of Suede in the absence of anything jangly and awkward. Peru and I just didn't quite hit it off.

Fast forward 20 years (gulp), and finally Peru and I are in love. 'Archie's in Love' is like Haircut 100 playing McCarthy song, and if that sounds terrible, then you have tits for ears. There's also a bit of The Loft in there, too. It fair takes you back.

Peru are playing live again. I'm still in Nottingham, but they're in Bristol now. Time for a homecoming, perhaps.