I meant to write 'MBV' rather than 'MYV' in my posting above. I'll get my coat.

Oh, jayz, Spleen Cringe, why did you have to mention Kingmaker, a veritable blot on the city of Hull, and Senseless Things too?

Others I've subsequently remembered include The Wildhearts, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Mansun, Babybird, Catatonia, My Life Story, Dubstar, The Supernaturals, The Jazz Butcher, the utterly wretched Travis, The Sundays, Cranes, James, Slowdive, and Curve.

That's more than enough.

Part of the reason all these names have stuck in my memory is that I worked in a mate's record shop in Islington in the 1990s and we were awash with CD singles which he'd buy in job lots from NME reviewers. I also had a fling with an agent which mainly involved visiting the tacky-carpeted back rooms of music pubs in the hope of discovering nascent 'superstars'. She always remained remarkably hopeful despite all the aural evidence to the contrary.