My Computer (band)

My Computer are an indie pop band from Manchester, England. Formed by Andrew Chester and David Luke, their music has been described as "a bold, fearless approach to pop music",^[1] "bleak at times",^[2] and "a perfect snapshot of modern British life".^[3] Their second album, No CV (2005, Gut), was produced by John Leckie.^[4][5]

My Computer were named after that little computer that used to sit in the top left-hand corner of early versions of Windows. The name has absolutely nothing to do with Radiohead. Andrew Chester was sat at job club in the year 2000, after 13 years on the dole and thought it would be a good idea to show the world what his computer could do. Andrew had been in two Manchester bands prior to starting My Computer. Those bands were Hulio Ridiculo and Kid Dynamo, who turned into One Lady Owner and signed to Creation Records in 1997. Shaun Ryder's dad Derek knocked on Andrew Chester's door one night and asked him to write some songs for a film being made by Tom Bruggen, who had made the rockumentary The Grape Tapes. Andrew met Derek when he was running a venue in Manchester and Derek bought a band called The Orch that he was managing to get a gig there. Andrew recognised Derek as being Shaun's dad and asked him to manage Hulio Ridiculo.

Hulio Ridiculo couldn't get a record deal, neither could Kid Dynamo. Andrew and Derek would sit in The Black Grape office and listen to demo tapes that were sent in. One tape came in called The Buicks and Derek and Andrew agreed to give it the nod. Derek sent the tape to Alan McGee and Andrew convinced Kid Dynamo to learn The Buicks songs over five rehearsals, when he heard that Derek had arranged a London showcase with a top London record label.

Alan McGee signed the band after five rehearsals and the London showcase, but he didn't like the name. Andrew had suggested the name Pavarotti's Management, after he heard Antony Murray, Derek's partner in Hot Soup, on the phone to them about a sample that Shaun had wanted to use on a Black Grape track. When Anthony got off the phone, Andrew asked him who he was on the phone to and was told Pavarotti's Management. Andrew burst out laughing and suggested to Derek, that The Buicks be renamed Pavarotti's Management. That is the name that Derek put on the tape and sent to Alan McGee.

Steve Dougherty, the songwriter of The Buicks didn't like it though and after a friend of Andrews called Neil Kellett, suggested One Lady Owner from an Auto Mart he was reading in Hot Soup, the band were renamed and signed to Creation.

Two years, one album, three singles, six toilet tours and festival appearances at Glastonbury, Reading and T in the park later, One Lady Owner ran out of petrol.

So Derek knocked on Andrews door a year later, asked him to write some songs for a Tom Bruggen film and three songs later, My Computer were offered a publishing deal by Caroline Elleray at BMG.

A year later Vulnerabilia was finished and a year after that, it finally came out on 13 Amp in 2002.

Discography

Albums

• Vulnerabilia (2002, 13 Amp)
• No CV (2005, Gut Records)
• No Computer (2008)
• Death of a Duo (2011)
• eViL sPaNiSh (2011)
• Sirens (2012)
• Regular Money (2014)

References