Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 08:45

I was new to the Roses about 4 years ago. I remember my friend hunting desperately for a copy of Fools Gold in a second hand record shop in Sheffield. We found it and it didn't leave the turntable for weeks. Then I heard very little of their stuff until 1994. I remember all the excitement surrounding the release of Second Coming. i bought it imediately and loved it from the start, more maybe then a lot of the earlier stuff. It is still the album I listen to most, even after 2 years.

The highlight has to have been seeing the Roses in Bridlington last November. Everything was perfect. No support, who could possibly be good enough. No naff lighting effects to take away from the music and the performance - who needs them, if you're good enough at peforming why spoil it. No communication with the crowd, just track after track of genius. It all came to an end too soon. But, I still remember the feelings I had that night, the gig, the club afterwards playing plenty of Roses and then the bench by the sea front that was my bed for the night. We couldn't afford a B&B.; We didn't mind.

I was in the 'States when they split up. I had just come back from hitch hiking to Florida and back. I checked my e-mail to find all these messages about the split. Why, I though, it was only a few months ago since that perfect night in Brid. What had gone wrong. And since then we've had all these theories about a re-union. It wouldn't be the same now. Most people have got used to the idea of the split. I'll hold forever the memories of that first taste of the Roses, hunting down Fools Gold. And that night in Brid, the feelings I had when I heard about the split. They'll never die. So many emotions from something so simple (ie music), there will be more...

EnjoyDaniel