PLH
21 Jan 2020:

Hi Chris-- You said you don't often check your email these days, so I thought I'd try contacting you via Messenger.

I'm going over some Nova Mob shows from the winter 1992-93 Europe tour, which is when you joined the band, and was wondering which was your first gig. 

I have a video recording of Nova Mob at Underworld in London, on or about 16 Dec 1992. During the course of the performance, Grant mentions that this is the band's last show as a three-piece, and that Chris Hesler, currently in the Netherlands, will be joining the lineup at the next show. As far as I can determine, the next gig was at Vaartkapoen in Molenbeek, Belgium on 18 Dec. Does that sound right for your Nova Mob debut?

I also have a video recording of the Heidelberg show from 30 Dec 1992, at which you are clearly present!

Hope all is well with you.

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CH
22 Jan 2012

Hi, Paul. I was thinking about that very show yesterday. It took place in Leuven, Belgium, just outside Brussels, of which more later. Prior to this tour I'd done a swing through Canada in the fall of '92, I think. Anyhow, the first European dates I was going to play were in the UK. Due to a paperwork snafu I was interrogated and denied entrance. From Heathrow I was sent back to Schipol, where we'd initially cleared Customs. I spent three days in Hengelo, NL, at our sound engineer's house and then took a train to Brussels to meet up. The venue's name escapes me but it was a deep and somewhat narrow room resembling a large gymnasium. The stage was high, and after our first song ["Come, Come"?] I remember an interval of total silence from the audience that made me uneasy. Then there was a brief flurry of applause and more silence, all eyes on the stage. Not the usual North American response.

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PLH
22 Jan 2021

Thanks, Chris. I have virtually no documentation of any UK dates on that European tour. I found evidence of a BBC Goodier Session recorded on the 12 Dec, but that's it, aside from the London video recording. The only UK newspaper I could find that mentions Nova Mob dates at all was The Guardian, and there coverage of the music scene was pretty sparse. Nothing from this period.

The Canada swing you mentioned is also poorly documented.  All I have from that is a couple of audience recordings of back-to-back WInnipeg dates. Was Marc Retish drumming at those fall '92 Canada gigs?

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CH
23 Jan 2021

Yes, Marc was on the kit all the way through the ensuing tour in Europe. The Winnipeg shows were my first with the band (Royal Albert Arms). We also played Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary. The show in Vancouver was scotched in favor of a date at the Entry a couple of days hence. Early '80s Husker might have managed to play them both but we were not equipped!

Chris sent Today at 5:16 AM
The '92/'93 European tour eventually brought us back to the UK, by which time my working papers were in order. There was at least one date in London (Garage? Camden Underworld?) and probably a couple more in the provinces. And I may be mistaken about Leuven: maybe that was an address I picked up after the show.😉Molenbeek sounds plausible. I'd love to see the Heidelberg footage! Best as always, Paul.