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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}<br />
{{refimprove|date=September 2017}}<br />
{{Infobox song<br />
| name = The First Big Weekend<br />
| cover = Thefirstbigweekend.jpg<br />
| alt =<br />
| type = single<br />
| artist = [[Arab Strap (band)|Arab Strap]]<br />
| album = [[The Week Never Starts Round Here]]<br />
| B-side = Gilded<br />
| released = 1996 <small>(UK)</small><br />
| recorded = [[Chemikal Underground|MCM Studios]]<br /><small>[[Hamilton, South Lanarkshire|Hamilton]], [[Scotland]]</small><br />
| studio =<br />
| venue =<br />
| genre = [[Indie rock]], [[post-rock]], [[spoken word]]<br />
| length = 4:52<br />
| label = [[Chemikal Underground]]<br /><small>CHEM009 (UK, 7")</small><br />
| writer = Aidan Moffat<br />Malcolm Middleton<br />
| producer = [[Paul Savage (musician)|Paul Savage]]<br />
| prev_title =<br />
| prev_year =<br />
| next_title = The Smell of Outdoor Cooking<br />
| next_year = 1996<br />
}}<br />
<br />
"'''The First Big Weekend'''" is a song by [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[indie rock]] band [[Arab Strap (band)|Arab Strap]]. It was first released as a 7" single limited to 700 copies,<ref>[http://www.arabstrap.co.uk/discography/html/first.htm "The First Big Weekend"] on [http://www.arabstrap.co.uk/ arabstrap.co.uk]</ref> then later on Arab Strap's debut album, ''[[The Week Never Starts Round Here]]'', both released in 1996 on [[Chemikal Underground]].<br />
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== Recording and lyrics == <br />
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“The First Big Weekend” is, for the most part, a [[monologue]] spoken by [[Aidan Moffat]] while bandmate [[Malcolm Middleton]] plays guitar and a [[drum machine]] accompanies. The lyrics revolve around the events of a weekend in [[Glasgow]] and [[Falkirk]], including going out to [[Nightclub|clubs]] and [[Bar (establishment)|bars]], watching [[association football|international football]] and ''[[Another Simpsons Clip Show|The Simpsons]]'' and trying to pick up girls. Towards the end of the song Middleton sings the lines "Went out for the weekend, it lasted forever/got high with our friends, it's officially summer"; these are the only sung words in the song. <br />
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Fans have worked out that the titular weekend must have started on Thursday 13 June 1996, as the game where "the English had won 2-0" references the [[UEFA Euro 1996 Group A|Euro 1996]] [[England–Scotland football rivalry|England v Scotland]] match that took place two days later. <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/53aw4z/arab-strap|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605005625/https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/53aw4z/arab-strap|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 June 2019|title=How Did a Beardy Scottish Folk Duo Write the Best Song About Going Out Ever|last=Baines|first=Josh|date=18 July 2016}}</ref><br />
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== Reception ==<br />
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The song received considerable airplay on [[BBC Radio 1]]'s Evening Session show. The show's host, DJ [[Steve Lamacq]], described the song as the “best of the [[1990s in music|decade]]” and “the most perfect pop song ever”.{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}} <br />
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=== Legacy ===<br />
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An instrumental version of the song was used in a 1997 "statistics" [[Advertising|ad]] for [[Guinness]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/draught-guinness-tv-push-cites-statistics/19681|title=Draught Guinness TV push cites statistics|website=Campaign|date= 6 June 1997}}</ref><br />
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The song was placed at #187 on [[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]’s “Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s” list in 2010. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7854-the-top-200-tracks-of-the-1990s-200-151/?page=2|title=The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 200-150|website=Pitchfork|date=30 August 2010}}</ref><br />
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A rework of the song was released in 2016 to celebrate its 20th anniversary, produced by [[Miaoux Miaoux]].<br />
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== Track listing ==<br />
Songs and lyrics by Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton.<br />
* '''7"''' <small>(CHEM009)</small><br />
#"The First Big Weekend" – 4:52<br />
#"Gilded" – 2:40<br />
<br />
== Personnel ==<br />
* Aidan Moffat – vocals, drums<br />
* Malcolm Middleton – guitar<br />
* Paul Savage – producer<br />
<br />
== Notes ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
*[http://www.last.fm/music/Arab+Strap/_/The+First+Big+Weekend "The First Big Weekend"] on [[Last.fm]]<br />
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{{Arab Strap}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:First Big Weekend, The}}<br />
[[Category:1996 singles]]<br />
[[Category:1996 songs]]<br />
[[Category:Arab Strap songs]]</div>imported>GreenC bot