THE ASSASSINS(OF HOPE)

One band missing from Ian Glaspers excellent The Day The Country Died are THE ASSASSINS OF HOPE. The year 1981 the place London, the music anarcho-punk. This is their only recording and it is rougher than a badgers arse, but great with it. Their musical influences ranged from; The Clash, The Mob through to Theatre Of Hate and Del Shannon, not that you'd know it listening to Slowmotion Suicide. Other influences included the punk scene, the angry brigade, seeing the Anarchy centre at Wapping work and a disillusionment with being on the football terraces. Somewhere along the line they lost their two singers; Peat and Chantal and the Hope. They found a new singer, and another guitarist and became THE ASSASSINS; musically they changed but lyrically and ideologically they remained the same and you could hear more of their influences in their sound The Ruts spring to mind. They recorded one demo and also a planned single Hell is for Heroes, which was never released. Not only were they a great band in both guises but they were top people. I remember going with 'em (when they were the assassins)to a gig in Oldham where they were supporting The Varukers. The band, the equipment and friends all crammed in the back of some box truck with no windows. They when't down like a lead balloon with the mohawks. Then there was the time they supported Mercenary Skank and a punk theatre group, also not forgetting a gig they did with The Stingrays. Anyway enough reminiscing. Here's the music, I've done 'em as two separate downloads: Slowmotion Suicide and Demos/unreleased single. Hopefully this post will plug a hole in the history of the anarcho and underground punk muzik scene of the 80's. Enjoy.

STEVENAGE CALLING #1

Hey Ho Lets Go ! right then here's the first of the Stevenage Calling posts, I will be adding bits to this one and further years gigs in future posts, so keep on reading.

1980 It’s a Brand New Age. - UK Subs

‘My god is Rock’n’Roll it’s an obscure power that can change your life.’
- Lou Reed

Jan 1980 FILTHY HABITZ / OPTIONAL X-TRAS / CHRONIC GENERATION
This is were it all started, on a Thursday upstairs at Bowes Lyon House, with two Punk bands from Stevenage and one from Hitchin, promoted by local fanzine V-Sign. Prior to this after the punk explosion, bands had played at Hitchin College SCRITTI POLLITI and ACME SEWAGE COMPANY (6/7/79) and The Leys Youth Club in Letchworth, CRISIS. The Leys also promoted several free gigs as part of the Weird Tales/Fuck Off Records tours.

???? PATRICK FITZGERALD / THE REEKERS
East end Punk poet, supported by local garage punks The Reekers, who did actually practice in their parents garage, when it wasn’t full up with the T-Shirts they produced for bands.

???? CHRONIC GENERATION / ORANGE DISASTER

???? THE PACK

???? ATHLETICO SPIZZ 80 / OPTIONAL XTRAS
Where’s Captain Kirk ?, whose Spizz ?

???? DANGEROUS GIRLS / CARDIAC ARREST

??? THE NIGHTINGALES / JANET AND THE JOHNS
The sight of a piano on stage was just too much for some people. The Nightingales lead singer Robert Lloyd had previously been in Birmingham punk band THE PREFECTS.

Sept 18th CRASS / POISON GIRLS / THE SNIPERS / ANNIE ANXIETY
Violent atmosphere, a skinhead was glassed by the singer of CONFLICT for harassing his girlfriend. Steve Ignorant, Crass’s lead singer jumped over the heads of the crowd to help out. A fight at Stevenage train station after the gig resulted in arrests being made, one being ROB NEWMAN, who recounts the events on his live video.
Uncompromising anarcho collective, less rock’n’roll more party political. A whole underground movement developed around their political and musical stance. Parallels can be drawn with the 1970’s free festivals. The atmosphere at gigs was intense, a fanaticism, verging on fascist. Not helped by Crass dressing in a military style ‘uniform’. Crass’s Politics were open to constant criticism, but politicised a generation.

Oct 16th UK DECAY
1st visit by UK Decay, always a popular band when they visited Stevenage. They had a distinctive sound, Spon their guitarist only had five strings on his.
UK Decay’s take on first wave punk (check out Siouxsie and the Banshees and Adam and the Ants.) would later mutate into what became known as GOTH, The photo on the front cover of their Black Cat e.p provides testement to this.

Nov 8th THEATRE OF HATE / OPTIONAL XTRAS
The return of Kirk Brandon and his new band. Boy George paid a visit, along with UK Decay, Theatre of Hate broadened Punks appeal, some called it positive or post punk.

Dec 12th THE EPILEPTICS / THE ERATICS / THE SINYX
An Essex Punx showcase of sorts.

1981

Jan 4th UK DECAY / WAXWORK DUMMIES / THE STATICS / PNEUMANIA

Jan 18th THEATRE OF HATE

Jan 31st WASTED YOUTH / BLAK FILTAIRE / THE GOOD BLOKES
Drugged up Velvet Underground, Lou Reed stylee. Eastend lads Wasted Youth, The Good Blokes were fronted by Simon Kelly who had previously sung for original local punks THE BLEACH BOYS.

Feb 15th MANUFACTURED ROMANCE / THE ABDABS / CHRON GEN
According to SNOTRAG fanzine ‘Manufactured Romance created a bit of a stir with their danceable, jumpable punk.’

March 8th UK DECAY

March 29th CHELSEA

April 5th BLEACH BOYS / SLAUGHTER HOUSE 5 / THE ABDABS
Re-formed Bleach Boys return for a night of 77 Anarchy.

April 12th THEATRE OF HATE

April 26th MANUFACTURED ROMANCE

May 3rd THE GREAT ROCK ‘N‘ ROLL SWINDLE (FILM SHOWING)

May 10th THE STRAPS / VICTIMS OF THE PESTILENCE / FALSE CONCERN

May 17th DISCHARGE / SUBHUMANS / THE MOB
Only the Subhumans second gig outside their native Wiltshire and their first with a ‘name’ band, big PA and a crowd of over 100. To right, the gig was rammed. Leather, studs and soapy spikes. This is probably my all time fave gig at Bowes, 3 of the best bands from the anarcho/squat and street punk scenes. Hugh crowd. Top gig

May 30th FLUX OF PINK INDIANS / HORNSEY AT WAR / VINYL AND THE EMULSIONS / CHAOS

June 7th ANTI PASTI

June 14th CHELSEA / ALTERNATIVE T.V / VICTIMS OF THE PESTILENCE
Punks Not Dead as two stalwarts; Gene October and Mark Perry front new line-ups of old bands.

June 28th THE ADICTS / WAXWORK DUMMIES

July 12th SPLODGENESSABOUNDS

July 18th NEW ROMANTIC NIGHT

Sept 19th THE WALL

Sept 27th UROPA HULA

Oct 4th VICE SQUAD / ERAZERHEAD / DEAD LOSS / THE SOLUTION

Oct 18th BASKING SHARKS

Oct 21st NAKED LUNCH

Nov 8th THE EXPLOITED / INFA RIOT
Hundreds of skinheads, red doc martins and green flight jackets.

Nov 19th UK SUBS

Nov 15th ETERNAL SCREAM

Nov 22nd THE PARTISANS

Nov 25th CUDDLY TOYS

Nov 29th BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

Dec 13th THE EXCITERS

Dec 19th CHRON GEN

1982

Jan 24th ZOUNDZ / NULL AND VOID /SPECIAL DUTIES / THE ERATICS
‘Null and Void played to a rather empty hall, The Eratics songs collapsed half the way through, Special Duties played fast raw punk. Local band Dead Loss played one song before Zounds came on. Zounds played a really good set and managed to get everyone dancing.’ This is how local fanzine Subversive Society described the gig.

Feb 7th JOHN COOPER CLARKE / DEATH IN JUNE / VERTICAL HOLD
The gig was filmed by the BBC, for a documentary on John Cooper Clarke, who ‘had recently drifted to Stevenage to take drugs’, so the sleeve notes to ‘And Here is The Young Man’ a compilation of tracks produced by the legendary Martin Hannett. John did his bit for the local music scene by doing the gig for free.

Feb 21st SUBHUMANS

Feb ?? THE OUTCASTS
The Outcasts were due to play but pulled out due to recent death of drummer in road traffic accident.

April 18th DISCHARGE / ANTI SECT / THE WAR GAME (FILM)

May 5th ERAZERHEAD / ACTIFED / DRESDEN FUN
Incidents with drunken followers of the the east ends answer to the Ramones and Lurkers.

May 16th G.B.H / DEAD MANS SHADOW / PARAMEDIC SQUAD

June 26th FLUX OF PINK INDIANS / SHATTER / ASSASSINS OF HOPE / THE SYSTEM / THE DESTRUCTORS
Interview with Allen Adams(Bass Player of The Destructors) on www.punkoiuk.co.uk Q. What is the highlight and what is the lowest point in the bands history? The GBH tour "attacked by rats" (with Abrasive Wheels and The Blitz) and Stevenage Bowes Lyon House with Flux of Pink Indians are the highpoints. The lowest point was the bands break up in Cambridge (24/09/83).
In Ian Glaspers excellent book Burning Britain The History of UK Punk 1980-1984 Gizz the bands guitarist, who later joined THE PRODIGY, also recalls this night. "We supported Flux of Pink Indians at the Stevenage Bowes Lyon House....when we played the whole hall explodedinto life. The bands came out and danced to us too. That was a moment when the hairs went up on the back of my neck. Flux were really cooking and the whole night was magical."

June 6th PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES / THE BURGLARS / ABH
Keep Britain Untidy

Sept 19th THE ADICTS / NEWTOWN NEUROTICS / STATE ENEMIES

Oct 3rd UK DECAY / SEX GANG CHILDREN / FIELDS OF FLAME

Oct 17th SCREAMING DEAD / BRIGANDAGE / THE VERDICT / UXB

Oct 31st DISORDER / AMEBIX / CHRONIC OUTBURSTS
West Country punk, scummy and scussy. The dying fly disorder and fans.

Nov 28th POISON GIRLS / RUBELLA BALLET / RIOT/CLONE

Dec 12th THE METEORS / 4 MINUTE WARNING
Wrecking Crew, psycho Billy, no really psycho.

OH SHIT, HERE WE GO!

Well....It's been a few months since the good people of Great Britain voted to leave the European Union, they fell for all the bullshit and propaganda, since then both the Labour and Conservatives had/have leadership issues and party’s have become divided. The result of the referendum was a democratic decision, but it has left Britain with another unelected Prime Minister. Racial tension is growing across the globe; trigger happy US Cops gun down Black people, Black people gun down cops. There is a very real possibility that Donald Trump could become the next American president, The referendum result has seen the rise of hate crimes in Britain, thanks to the anti immigration sentiments promoted by certain sections of the leave campaign; UKIP and Britain First. The Austrian people elected a Right Wing president and the Le Penn dynasty in France are always there All that is solid melts into air as a spectre haunts Europe – the spectre of Fascism!

Another day another death, carnage on the streets of somewhere. Terror attacks Total war Muslims V's Christians

Independence Day, Armageddon or Apocalypse Now! Project Fear becomes project reality, only time will tell, but the workers, disenfranchised and the dispossessed will still get the crumbs.... That's if we do actually leave.

Turn a negative into a positive? Glass ½ empty, glass ½ full, or glass smashed on the floor?

My brain is starting to hurt through trying to keep sane in this crazy world, where death and destruction appear to be a daily occurrence across the globe and nearer to home.

People stare at screens while I write in my note book.

Anarchy in the UK....In the days that followed the Brexit 'victory' the government were in meltdown; there was nobody driving, and whose gonna rule when governments fall? Not the Labour Party that's for sure, because they were (and still are) in a mess and are a defective opposition against an undemocraticly elected leader; Theresa May. Once again our democracy is left wanting.

(All the above was written prior to US election result.)

The election of Donald Trump as US President is a piece in the jigsaw, a picture of a New World Order that gets it's support from people basic primal instinct; self interest and self preservation.

Playing with the pieces means you don't see the whole picture.

Militarised Police Forces Robo-Cop storm-troopers the defenders of the state against what it defines as terrorism. Descent will rise as people on both sides of the political divide get let down and lied to. “Ever get the feeling you've been cheated” United they stand divided we fall. They want build walls/fences instead of bridges across the divides that they keep creating, both physical and mental.

Medicate feelings through state prescribed drugs.

Half the Americans are in therapy or on anti depressants, it's no wonder they voted for President Trumpery Trump! Perhaps the right to vote wasn't such a good idea! Universal sufferage, yeah....and universally everyone is gonna suffer. The only thing that's gonna save the World is an assassins bullet. Extreme? Maybe.... but a President that didn't denounce the KKK's endorsement of him, well that just scares the shit outta me. Still at least it's gonna give Putin someone to have a fight with over another piece in the jigsaw....The Middle East! Then there's the Balkans and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Or will Trump withdraw the US military from the world, he's not keen on NATO, is that the sound of a future European Army marching.

9/11 another piece. The Taliban the Americans friends when they were fighting the Russians in Afghanistan. US UK special relationship Cruise missiles and Greenham Common. Orgrave, Battle of The Beanfield, the Poll Tax, Criminal Justice Bill, more small pieces. Anti terror laws, stop and search armed police 24 hour CCTV Universal coverage and all to protect our freedom. Democracy; smoke and mirrors one person one vote.

Brexit and Trump have been described as “democracy in action.” Yeah right....one based on division and deception. British Prime Minister Theresa May is unelected by the British people! More voted against the Conservative Party than voted for it, and more people voted for Clinton than Trump.

In regard to Brexit, Theresa May is refusing to let Parliament have a say and decisions as to how it happens. High Court judges decided that they should, but May is appealing against this ruling. A parliament that is made up of MP's from all parties who were voted there by the people. So how exactly is democracy in action if she doesn't believe that these MP's who represent the people should have a say about what the people have decided. There is an acceptance that despite the blatant lack of truth on both sides of the in/out brigades, the immediate going back on promises in regarding the NHS and xenophobia and right wing rhetoric on the leavers side that Britain will leave the EU, it is how and when this happens and what it will mean to the country that's what our MP's need to have a say on, without that we will be living in a Totalitarian Fascist state not a democracy.

The first foreign politician Donald Trump meets is Nigel Farage! Where's a suicide bomber when you need one?

If all things come in Threes then next year will see the election of the far right leader Marie LePenn as French President.

Emotional Fascism! Don't tell me what and how to think. Get over it, move on don't be a sore loser stop winging. FUCK OFF!....don’t try and deny peoples feelings or make them feel that it's not acceptable to question the rules of law and the results of so called democratic decisions. Disobey all orders!

MERCENARY SKANK - The Best Band You've Never Heard

The 80’s. Thatcher’s free market economics seemed to unleash a free market of music. From yer anarcho punk, Oi, New Romantics, Goths, Rockabilly, Glam Rock, Post Punk and Power Ballads. You name it and everything was up for sale. How did Mercenary Skank fit into the picture? Well unfortunately they didn’t really, which was/is a real fucking shame and travesty, cos they were/are one of the great lost bands of that era/error. From Rhyl in North Wales to London, they came marching with a mission to blow the city away with their fire brand Rock’n’Roll. The mainstays of the band were Vocalist Scratch, and Guitarist Andrew Tunnicliffe, and they meant business with every song they wrote; Andrews music being inspired by Scratch’s poetry, if there was any justice their partnership would have been recognised as the Strummer/Jones of the 80’s. The band only released two 12” singles No More Dancing and Work Of Giants, both brilliant pieces of work, that defied any genres. I saw ’em live a couple of times, once with anarcho upstarts The Assassins and another time with Rock’n’Roll Glamsters The Dogs D’Amour, other bands like Sigue Sigue Sputnik and The Stone Roses found themselves opening for the skank and their live experimental chaos. The band recorded a couple of BBC Radio Sessions and a TV appearance for HTV’S Rock Solid, one of the radio sessions didn’t go down well with the producers, who were expecting a performance of the bands new, but never released single Ghosts; a slick, haunting , and brooding love song, but instead they got a track called Gulliver’s Thunder Machine; an uncompromising lyrical attack on state power , musically it’s a guitar wall of sound, (similar to some of Primal Screams Xterminator album, but 20 years earlier) Their TV appearance wasn’t without controversy either, with the band only being allowed to play one song due to Scratch causing a security alert by waving a replica 3.8 revolver on stage and the band being wasted on speed and whiskey. That was then and this is now, and just recently a shoe box of old Mercenary Skank recordings and memories surfaced on the South coast of England. A myspace page was set up and the past has now become the present. The songs are all there for you to download and enjoy, but just for a sample here’s four of the radio session tracks, including the afor mentioned Gulliver’s Thunder Machine, a beast of a song, which like the rest of ’em hasn’t dated one bit, they’re the most positive songs of hope and despair you’re gonna hear for a long time, they still sound fresh and relevant 20 years later. If Mercenary Skank were up for sale they could have been the skuzziest stadium rock band ever, but alas we got U2 instead, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again “It’s a funny old fucked up world” and it always has been! Will it continue to be? Well that’s up to us! In the mean time do yerself a favour click here for the Radio Sessions and take a trip to the Mercenary Skank myspace page for the singles and more unearthed, unreleased recordings. You wont regret it!

Gulliver’s Thunder Machine

Man on the news with petroleum eyes /Grins like a maniac whilst all around him fries / Down through the ages-tell you what I’ve seen /Total control with the Thunder Machine / Used it in Belfast, used it in Iran /Send thanks to the government man / Call out the riot squads to vent their spleen / And don’t forget to bring your Thunder Machines /We do it fast, we do it clean / Everybody runs from Gulliver’s Thunder Machine /New methods for the LAPD / Heard about them on the BBC /Imagine Dirty Harry in Soho Square /Blasting away without a care / We do it fast and a little bit obscene / Everybody runs from Gulliver’s Thunder Machine / Daily Mirrors keep reflecting The Sun / Telling people go and have some fun / White regimes keep the newsreels clean / No time to lose fetch the Thunder Machines / Last pit in the valley is closing down / Better cordon-off the whole damn town / Put all the trouble-makers behind a screen / And give them a blast of the Thunder Machine / Protect your home and the neighbouring hills / Cures all ailments, it cures all ills / Clears the air like nothing you’ve seen / No time to lose bring the Thunder Machines / We do it fast, we do it clean / Everybody runs from Gulliver’s Thunder Machine / We do it fast and a little bit obscene / Everybody runs from Gulliver’s Thunder Machine//

MERCENARY SKANK - Work Of Giants (12" Vinyl rip)

Over at PHOENIX HAIRPINS, Curious Guy posted the first Mercenary Skank 12" No More Dancing, so in order to complete the collection of Skank releases, thought I'd post their second one Work Of Giants. Both are essential listening for anyone with a love of all things 80's and alternative, when indie meant indie and Thatcher meant she would make sure there was 'no such thing as society' There's a lot more I could say about Thatcher, but not a lot more I can add about Mercenary Skank that CG didn't say on his post, and I aint gonna re-invent the wheel. What I can add is that I saw 'em live once, and from what I can remember they were bloody good. But my main memory of that gig was an altercation that took place between the Theatre group and The Assassins over something and nothing, while Mercenary Skank looked on bemused. Anyway enough of that here's The Work Of Giants 12" scratches'n'all, no cover art cos I can't get to grips with scanning and pasting stuff using whatever software, a bit like removing crackles and pops, cos when I do that it seems to sound worse, more muddy. I dunno, computers, who'd have 'em. More than likely a user error though.