THE SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS - Bikini Red (Re-Post)

A welcome return for Bikini Red, the second album by one of Britain's most underrated bands ever The Screaming Blue Messiahs. Why their albums haven't been re-packaged and re-released with bonus tracks by some record company is beyond me. If you didn't grab this first time around, here's another chance, if you've not heard The Screaming Blue Messiahs, now's yer chance. What can I say about the Messiahs that I've said before; "Pedal to the metal, full throttle, high octane rock’n’roll, the drive of yer life / Pure, ferocious, frantic and fun, with a dark edge / A mutant Rock’n’Roll hybrid of Punk, Rhythm and Blues and Rockabilly. Howling and hollered vocals, guitars chopping and slashing with destructive abandon over the thumping, threading bass and machine gun attack drums / 20+ years later they still sounds fresh as the smell of recently burned rubber on tarmac //!"

SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS - Live @ The Paradise Club, Boston 6/4/88 (FM Broadcast)

One of Britain’s great long lost bands. The Screaming Blue Messiahs were a mutant Rock’n’Roll hybrid of Punk, Rhythm and Blues and Rockabilly. Howling and hollered vocals, guitars chopping and slashing with destructive abandon over the thumping, threading bass and machine gun attack drums.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything by them, so here we go with a FM Radio Broadcast of a show they did at The Paradise Club in Boston USA on 6th April 1988. The band had been booked to do two shows at the club and were expecting a relaxing couple of days there. On the way to the gig they were told it was in fact two back-to-back shows that night. This is the second of the two, and what a show….Enjoy!

THE SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS - Bikini Red

What more can I say about the Messiahs that I haven’t said in previous posts, without sounding like some crazy fucking obsessive. Seriously though, this their second album is the bollocks! There are no comparisons; The Messiahs were out there on their own on the lost highway, and 21 years later it still sounds as fresh as the smell of recently burned rubber on tarmaq. Pure, ferocious, frantic and fun, with a dark edge to it. Don’t just take my word for it, here’s what Anne Scanlon had to say about it in Sounds magazine:
“Sometimes good guys don't wear white but, fronted by Bill Carter, The Screaming Blue Messiahs come across like the meanest and darkest of them all.
Back, after a long silence, with dual openers 'Sweet Water Pools' and 'Bikini Red', the Messiahs appear to have fled the madness of the city and taken refuge on safe and starlit beaches. But that's on the surface only. The post-'Gun-Shy' Messiahs are as obsessed as ever with concrete, cars and homicide only this time their psyche is more deranged, their delivery more manic. Take the dance destruction of 'All Shook Down', the slow grind of 'Big Brother Muscle' or the effortless rock 'n' roll of '55 The Law' which features Michael Ryan and Jerry Lee Lewis in a suburban breakout: "I didn't like my neighbours so I blew them all away, didn't like my neighbours on such a nice day". 'Too Much Love' and 'Sweet Water Pools' both reek of a similar desire to escape and annihilate, but 'Bikini Red' reveals a sharp sense of humour as well. This is drawn out on the combat Clash crunch of 'I Can Speak American' and more immediately on 'I Wanna Be A Flintstone' and 'Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge'. That said, the song this record is most likely to be remembered for is a distinct departure from anything the Messiahs have done before. It's the closing 'Waltz', a eulogy for Carter's mother and a fine testament to love and life. The Screaming Blue Messiahs might never get round to wearing white, but their hearts are still beating in all the right places.” Anyway if you fancy a blast you know what to do!

SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS - Live @ The Mean Fiddler, London 2/9/88

This ones for all you Screaming Blue Messiahs worshippers, and I know there’s a few of you out there. Once again thanx to Grant at Blue Heaven for the recording. Rather than me babbling on about this gig, I’ll hand you over to Grant and he’ll tell you all about it.
The second of two nights at the Mean Fiddler. My favourite gig of all time. And the very reason I'm doing this website. The guitars sound awesome (at times completely drowning out the vocals) as it was recorded in the mosh pit right under Bill's guitar monitor. But this gives it a mean, over-the-top vibe all of its own. Kicks off with a drunken, swaggering 'You're Gonna Change', then straight into a storming freight train-like "Sweet Water Pools'. The real stand-outs are an early version of 'Watusi Wedding', with truly evil fuzz guitar licks and surreal rantings, and epic, down and dirty versions of 'I Want Up' and 'Tracking The Dog'. The only disappointments were my drunken flatmate yelling "Oh, Yeah!" into the mike all night and the tape failing during an awesome 'Jesus Chrysler'. So good it blew my tape deck all away.
Right then, it’s me again! Just to say I’d love a live recording of a gig of theirs I went at The Marquee, not my favourite gig of all time, but one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen! All that’s left to do is to tell you where to go……………….if you want a piece of Messiahs action!

WEDNESDAY WRECKORDS!

I’ve posted The Pack and Theatre Of Hate, so now here’s a bit of SPEAR OF DESTINY, with The Traveller, taken of their 1987 Outland album, the single was originally released in a box with lyric sheet, car window sticker and a patch; that’s 80’s marketing for yer. Another band who aint strangers here, it’s those THE SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS once again, with their hit single I Wanna Be A Flintstone, a fun knock about track, something for yer children’s birthday parties, it's “yaba, daba do time” the b-side on the other hand; Jerry’s Electric Church is yer usual scathing and screaming messiahs fare. Last but no means least we have JOHN MOORE AND THE EXPRESSWAY with Out Of My Mind. John Moore was one time part time drummer/guitarist with Jesus And The Mary Chain, and this was his first solo single, and surprisingly enough there’s some JAMC mixed in with a dose of Iggy Pop. Great stuff, the b-side a harmonica driven ditty Live From Death Row is equally as good. Enjoy/Destroy, but remember to keep a song in yer heart.

THE SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS - The Last Scream of The Blue Messiah (Live @ The Subterania, London 5/6/90)

Here’s a live recording of The Screaming Blue Messiahs, not just any old recording, but their last ever gig, and what a stonker it is, an audience recording that captures the sheer power of the Messiahs. This is pedal to the metal, full throttle, high octane rock’n’roll, the drive of yer life. But hey don’t just take my word for it, lets see what Cathy Unsworth from Sounds magazine thought of ‘em that night in 1990
“The eyes are bulging, but Bill Carter's expression is one of wonder rather than his usual BSE simulation. Before him is probably the politest audience he's ever witnessed.
'Mega City One' and 'Sweet Water Pools' have just ravaged the atmosphere with delicious brutality, and the response resembles a Saturday Night Fever workout. Snorting like an indignant bull, Carter slams his fingers against the frets as sparks of ravaged, thunderous blues course out. Heads down into 'Watusi Wedding' and the adreno-therapy is beginning to work.
Yet Carter retains his nonplussed air all night. As the bopabout turns into a sizable ruck to the mental rhythms of 'Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge', 'Gunfight', 'Bikini Red' and 'Here Comes Lucky' the man remains bemused, letting his fingers do the mauling, sometimes hardly bothering to sing at all.
'Happy Home' scrapes the skin off a few skulls and 'Twin Cadillac Valentine' rubs the salt in. They're back for one encore, then disappear, leaving a pile of steaming bodies gasping for more. Mission accomplished, but they could have been sleepwalking.” So if you fancy a drive step on it! I’m indebted to Grant over at BLUE HEAVEN for letting me share this with ya, If yer into the The Screaming Blues take a visit, it’s a great resource for a great band, this post also goes out to Markydread at CHEAP EMOTIONS, a colourful and well crafted blog, featuring some top recordings, including another Live Blue Messiahs one.

THE SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS - Smash The Market Place (12" vinyl rip)

The Screaming Blue Messiahs were a ferocious band, with the imposing figure of Bill Carter; suited and booted, bald head dripping sweat, and spitting out the words with venom and passion, had the pleasure of seeing ’em live a couple of times at The Hope and Anchor and The Marquee, now I bring you the pleasure of this 12” single that’ll blow the dust of your day away. Smash The Market Place is a scathing attack on Thatcher’s yuppie Britain. Released in 1986 and taken from their brilliant Gun Shy album, it rocks like The Folk Devils and The Redskins rock, as does the b-side Just For Fun. Also included is a non album track The Power Glide, which if yer familiar with The Messiahs you’ll recognise as being a Stars on 45 mega mix style instrumental version of several of their top tunes. If all you know about The Messiahs is their only hit I Wanna Be A Flintstone, forget that and get this, cos some records are vital and some aren’t. This is! What ya waiting for….SMASH THE MARKET PLACE!