Not Easy To Smile

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Senseless Things singer and guitarist Mark Keds dies, aged 50.

https://www.nme.com/news/music/sense...ied-50-2853971

[Bored Of Education]

Odd one this. I had a lot to do with him and the Senseless Things when they were starting out around the same time and place as my band at the time - playing gigs together, same manager, same record label, occasionally sharing band members, releasing records around about the same time and getting Peel sessions at the same time . I quite liked them in a pop-punky melodic Buzzcocks way and they started to evolve into something else. Mark was the sole songwriter - certainly then - and, of course, co-wrote The Libertines' good song. They gigged a lot more than us and , like fellow contemporaries Mega City Four, achieved a lot of success through that (as well as a lot of people loving their songs, of course). I think the last time I saw them was at Reading Festival in the 90s and, although I had somewhat lost touch with them and their music, it was still quite a thrill to see them on that stage. However, while I have kept in touch (or, at least, renewed acquaintance on Facebook) with the other three, I never saw eye-to-eye particularly with Mark and our last exchange was frosty to say the least. Ben Harding, the guitarist, has posted the official announcement and has been honest about Mark's drug use over the years (although there has been no indication which we all knew about and, I think, made it hard for a lot of even very close friends to deal with him. However, many people including mutual friends have also posted very touching messages about the positive side to him so it was obviously was a personal issue between us. If I was to eulogise him now, it would be hypocritical but he was obviously a talented guy, 50 is no age to go and it feel very sad for those that I know who were close to him. Personally, I felt a bit the same as Johnny Thunders died - on a personal level - in that it isn't a shock exactly but it's a terrible waste.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Thought you might know him (or at least know of him) from previous mentions of bands you knew/played with. I was quite into them early on, I must have seen 'Too Much Kissing' on one of those late night indie shows, and stayed relatively interested (seen them a couple of times supporting others, can't clearly remember ever seeing them headline though may have).

Back in the days when festivals happened, Oxfam did a tent at Leeds where they sold old band t-shirts amongst other things, and last time we were there I found a 'Pop Kid' t-shirt and bought it out of sentimentality. Probably paid more for it than I could have got it for back in the day, but still.

[Greenlander]

I can't say that Senseless Things have been one of those bands that have stayed with me over the years but 'The First Of Too Many' will always remind me of the year I lived in Coventry and whenever I dig out the photos from my trip to Australia and New Zealand in 93 I'm invariably wearing a red, long-sleeved 'Pop Kid' t-shirt.

RIP.

[Jah Womble]

RIP. The only time that I ever saw them was opening for the J&MC and Pale Saints at Brixton Academy on my birthday in 1989. (From what I can recall, Mark Keds was quite aggressive and threatened an audience member. Who probably had it coming.)

Quite liked a couple of their tunes.