A number of gigs up and down the country with new chums Popup and a and a very enlightening sound desk recording of a show in Aberdeen, the band come to an important point. David had become increasingly dissatisfied with his poor song writing, particularly the lyrical naivety and increasingly over-heavy guitars, whilst the band have become alarmed at his recent output. David gets a haircut and shuts himself away and writes and half-writes a number of songs that will eventually turn into "Smash Hits", "Couldn't Dance" (that lay half finished for almost two years), "Missing Me" and "So close to Beautiful". Suddenly feeling fresher, lighter and comfortable in their more poppy direction, the band excitedly prepare for their first appearance at the third Fence Records Homegame Festival with a bizarre gig in the corner of Firewater in Glasgow.
After the warmest gig in the world at Paisley Student's Union the band pop into CaVa studios in Glasgow, where quite a few of their musical heroes have recorded in the past (and still do), to record "Smash Hits", "So Close to Beautiful" and "Soft Margin". Alarmed by the fact that too many of their songs begin with the letter 'S' and the fact that it is total garbage, the band conveniently misplace the recording and any knowledge of the song "Soft Margin". The band assures me that it is the song that was "complete pish" and not the recording.
Kid Canaveral land a spot at "La Fete de la Musique" at Oran Mor in Glasgow. They're second top on the bill to Popup and play to a few hundred people and journalists. They play the best gig of their lives to date. Their lighter and, well, better sound goes down well with Paul Whitelaw of The Scotsman describing them as "a much needed antidote [to the band on beforehand]. Juicy, chewy pop kids to savour, proving that life still twitches in this Indie Guitar-pop business." Wow!
A memorable performance and interview with the BBC at the Wickerman Festival follow and saw the Kids get even more excited about everything. The BBC even use "Tony Hancock" as the opening tune for the documentary they film. Which is surprising as it isn't very good.
With plans to release "Smash Hits" as the bands debut single and, in David's words "try to erase any trace and/or memory of our first two releases", the BBC pick up on the song and decide to make a video for it, for the second series of the Music Show. Kid Canaveral appear, glaiket and unsure what to expect at the 13th Note Cafe in Glasgow for a days filming. The results are quite amusing. Luckily they're meant to be. The video is broadcast on BBC 2 in November leading to a number of textual and telephonal inquiries to the band along the lines of "How the [expletive removed] did yous [expletive removed] get on the telly?" Alcohol is consumed, smiles are broad and mothers are proud, yet slightly disappointed that the song contains two "sweary words". The year is rounded off with more gigging around Scotland and scratching of heads and chins trying work out how and when the record is coming out!