I didn't know Nelson had been linked to another project besides Kip Keino and Surfquake. Very nice surprise to learn something new. And here I thought I was up to speed on the majority of NMA alumni side projects after following NMA for 31 years. Thanks again flodhaest! 
Nelson had a couple of side projects in the mid-90s while Robert's medical problems were restricting NMA activity - one was his punky rock band "Nelson's Column" who I saw once (at the Queens Hall, IIRC), but his other, longer-lived band was the three-piece folky cover band "Trip & Stumble". They gigged extensively around West Yorkshire in the mid-90s, I saw them many times around Bradford, Leeds, and Hebden Bridge back in the day, especially at MacRory's in BD7, within easy staggering distance of Nelson's house on the corner of Dirkhill and All Saints Road (the fabled "It's a Mean Old Scene" was on the wall opposite). They did an eclectic variety of songs, like "Copperhead Road", "Hunting Tigers out in India", the "Ovaliteenies song" and "Spirit of the Age"; on the latter Micah (forgotten surname, sorry mate!) played a home-made theremin which was built into a helmet made of a colander with tea-strainer eyes, and he used a zebedee glove puppet on the controller hand. As you can tell, I've got a lot of fond memories of the band, I'd love to find out what happened to the video footage I remember them shooting at one of the last gigs before Nelson moved out of Bradford. They released one tape, "Plums and Bitter" which is now available for sale as a download through Bandcamp - https://tripstumble.bandcamp.com/merch/plums-bitter. Still have my copy of the original tape, and thinking about it the promotional lighter you got with it too!
Wow!! Winterwulf, you are AMAZING!!
So cool, all of that insight, all those little details you've thankfully remembered over the years and then, being so kind as to share them here with those of us interested in these sorts of things. They're fantastic bits of NMA-related trivia. How
incredibly wonderful and
generous, of you Winterwulf.
Really, thank you SO very, very much for adding to these pages and passing onto us your insightful treasures, stories, and recollections. I would have never know
any of this, if you hadn't been around here, posted! I'm pleased you're here and that you've made and taken the time to post and enlighten us. It's folk like you and virtual gestures like that, that make surfing and posting here... educational, fun, and totally worth it. Thanks so much for this.
I'm going to be ordering "
Carnival -
Redux" along with a number of NMA-related items sometime in the next couple of weeks. I don't have the funds right now, but when I put in the NMA order I'm going to purchase the digital download of Trip and Stumble's "Plums and Bitter". Cheers for posting the bandcamp link, just bookmarked it. Looking forward to listening to it and discovering more of all I missed. Out of Nelson's three musical projects, that I have heard - Kip Keino, Surfquake, and now Trip and Stumble - I find Trip and Stumble the most interesting. I still think Nelson has a great solo album hidden somewhere deep within him. He wrote some truly beautiful pieces while working with NMA. He definitely has one in him. I have this strange sense that Nelson's going to surprise us all, one of these days, with a really great one. Really hope so. We'll see.
By the way, only noticed now, that you're new to these parts. I'd like to extend a warm welcome to you, to this, the official NMA forum. You've already enriched at least one person's NMA forum experience = mine, via your exceptional post. I live for the little things in life. They're always THE best things. Take care Winterwulf and happy posting!
