‘After gigs, we’d drop off our drummer to do his paper round’: how Inspiral Carpets made This Is How It Feels

‘The Inspirals were seen as the runt of the Madchester litter but history has been kind to us’ … from left, Clint Boon, Tom Hingley, Craig Gill, Martyn Walsh, Graham Lambert. Photograph: AJ Barret/Retna/Photoshot

Clint Boon, songwriter, organist

I used to stand in front of my mirror pretending to be Elvis. Then punk came along in 1976 and I saw the Sex Pistols at the Electric Circus in Manchester. The Clash, Johnny Thunders and the Buzzcocks were also on the lineup. The ticket cost £1.50! It was my road-to-Damascus moment. I thought: “I don’t have to dream. I can do this.”