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"Before Alanis and Tori showed up on the scene...before Courtney and Liz, Fiona, Tracy and Jewel got a taste of the limelight...there was 16-year-old Tanya Donnelly. She played guitar alongside her half-sister Kristin Hersh in the Throwing Muses, writing some of that band's most engagingly tuneful songs, and helping to break the ground upon which so many women in rock now walk. Then there was Tanya Donnelly as the trusty accomplice, joining Kim Deal in 1990 to help launch the Breeders, another trailblazing landmark in the genre soon to be know as alternative rock. And yet again, only three years later, Donnelly made another inspiring piece of rock history by following her pop instincts into the spotlight as the leader of her own band, Belly. She took home her first gold record, earned a Grammy nomination for her efforts, and successfully completed the journey from underground hero to mainstream success without compromising her unique musical vision."

It was in '93 that I heard Feed the Tree while studying with some mates. This was a pivotal moment in music for me, as it was round about this point I got into the 4AD record label. It was at this point I started really listening to alternative and rock music. It was this song that more or less shaped my music taste into what it is today.

So although sadly Belly disbanded after their second album, I was fortunate enough to see Tanya Donnelly last night. And I fell in love with her and her music all over again. It was a great gig from start to finish. It was at University of London Union and was a real student affair. Fitting considering I was a first year when I first heard her. There where lots of cute student types in the audience, and everyone knew Tanya's stuff (no one really goes to a gig like this if you don’t know the singer). In fact I got the email address of girl who I sold a friends ticket too who couldn't make the gig. That in itself is a successful night for me. The venue was really small (couple of hundred people I guess) and we (My friend Dan and myself) where pretty close to the front. Its nice to go to gigs where you get a really good view of the artist you want to see. Both support acts where really good (which is unusual) and the first support act (can't remember her name) also played in Tanya's band. And Tanya did a duet with her in the beginning which I thought was really cool.

Tanya played two or three old Belly favourites and stuff from both her albums. She played her song "The Storm" which has the most awesome lyric which goes "I'm not finished yet, I'm under construction" which just rocks. I didn't know a lot of her stuff as I haven't got the new album yet (cause it came out while I was away) and I didn't by her first album (party cause it got a bad review by someone (I was stupid) and partly cause I was miffed that Belly broke up), Needless to say I will be getting both albums. Oh and she was as cute as anything, with a great smile. Lots of stage personality which was great. She chatted to the audience a lot and made jokes and smiled and talked, which is what I like about decent gigs. Its not like just throwing on the latest CD. One of the best gigs I have ever been too (up there with The Stones and U2). So I am in love with Tanya again. Its not a bad thing me thinks.