For anyone who knew me in the early 90’s, you knew I planned to marry Gavin Rossdale. This wasn’t completely unreasonable, I believed. I, too, was a musician, and smarter than my peers, and who cares if I was only 12 years old and one of millions of girls with the same dream? I was special.

Though to be fair, I had a secret crush on Dave, the band’s bassist, too. But shush.

Fifteen years later, there’s an opportunity for that 12-year-old girl to revive. Bush, my favorite band for at least seven years in a row, has declared a reunion. New album, tour, the works. I’m ready to crack open the piggy bank for a concert ticket, dig out one of many 15-year-old Bush t-shirts shoved in the back of my closet (yes they still fit, and yes I still have them). But then I read the article, and my beloved bassist isn’t included in this reunion. Neither is Nigel, the guitarist, for that fact.

So basically, their reunion includes Gavin and Robin, drummer extraordinaire, and some other people who were not part of the original lineup. Can this be considered a proper reunion? I’m almost prepared to put down my imaginary hammer and leave the piggy bank alone. It’s great and all that they had this idea, and I won’t disagree with it, but it’s like attending a high school reunion for the class you didn’t graduate from. You’re still there, but there’s something not authentic about it. It feels kind of fake.

I almost knew, before I read the article, that Nigel wouldn’t be a part of it. He was the first to leave, after all, before the band officially disbanded. Became a family man. So yeah, I don’t blame him. But what’s up with Dave? He totally disappeared off the face of the earth.

You know I’ll still buy the album, just like I bought Rossdale’s solo album (that I didn’t actually like much). I’m hoping it’s reminiscent of my high school days, those glorious days of wide-pocketed JNCO jeans and being the first of my friends to own a pair of Airwalks. I know they’ve grown up and all, and want to try new things, but I’ll be a very bitter fangirl if I don’t like the album. And you don’t want to disappoint your biggest fan, after all.

Tuesday, 27 July 2010   ♦   music