July
2003
The Ride of Mark's life |
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| Ride
reunion: Mark Gardener (left) links up with Andy Bell at The
Cellar in March. Pic by Gez Wood. |
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Mark
Gardener was the face of the band that put Oxford on the international
music map in the 1990s.
Jeremy Stern spoke to the former Ride singer about the glory days
and his solo plans. |
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Ride
website
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Some bands
battle for years to get to the top, but Ride rocketed there.
Months after getting together at college in Banbury, there followed
a cascade of Top Of The Tops, NME, Smash Hits and sold out tours.
"Absolute chaos," is the verdict of Mark Gardener - the
face of the band, with his floppy hair and schoolboy good looks.
"We
never expected it to go off like it did. Playing in front of 50,000
people at the Reading Festival was an amazing experience. I have fantastic
memories."
Sadly Ride's downfall was almost as swift as their rise as the band
failed to capitalise on the success of their first three albums Smile,
Nowhere and Going Black Again.
They
weren't the only band to be obliterated by the emergence of Oasis
and a well-publicised fall-out between Mark and fellow guitarist/singer
Andy Bell didn't help.
"It was difficult at the end as we were all pulling in different
directions. But the air has now cleared."
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| Ride
in their heyday. |
The
band is still in contact but their individual fortunes have differed
since the split.
Drummer Loz Colbert went to music college and is now teaching, bassist
Steve Queralt is in retail, while Bell has gone on to enjoy mega
success as the bassist in Oasis.
Gardener
travelled around India and spent a year renovating a property in
France. Now he's plotting his way back into the big time.
Recently he completed a two-month tour of America and has been in
the studio recording new tracks like Beautiful Ghosts and Turn.
It's brilliant for Andy [Bell] and brilliant for Oasis.
There's no envy - I'm happy doing what I'm doing. |
| Mark's
take on his former bandmate's global success. |
He's
enjoyed the musical freedom of playing his own songs on acoustic
guitar but he's also teamed up with some familiar faces recently.
There was reunion with Bell and Colbert at the Cellar in March and
he's accepted Goldrush's offer to be his backing band.
He'll also headline the Truck Festival at Hill Farm in Steventon
on July 19/20.
"Maybe if Ride had been a supergroup I wouldn't have the hunger
but I feel there's work to be done.
"It was great being out on the road again and it's whetted
my appetite for more."
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Write:
BBC Oxford,
269 Banbury Road,
Oxford,
OX2 7DW
E-mail:
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Phone:
08459 311 111 |
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