I wanted to start with four new songs that have been blasting out of this room over the last week or so, and we end with a song that sums up my views on the coming election. Between them we go on a Pete Zonked! led nostalgia fest to the years 1988 and 1989.
JOYCE McKINNEY EXPERIENCE and VISIONS OF CHANGE were two excellent bands from that late ‘80’s Hotbed of Hardcore activity Lemington Spa… there was definitely something in water there. Both bands stuck out some ace music and were always great live. Suspect Device favourites THE INSTIGATORS were really hitting their stride touring and recording in ’88, they were literally everywhere… in zines, on comp. tapes ‘n records, and ripping it up on a stage somewhere. The ‘Full Circle/Sleeper’ 7” was a real high point for me. I first saw SNUFF open for Heresy and Japan’s Rose Rose at The George Robey, London in October ’88. I’d no idea who these chirpy Londoners were but they were instantly memorable. Over the next 12 months I’d see them loads and saw their stock rise. A wild set by SNUFF at The Richmond, Brighton in October ’89, was the last gig I saw in the UK before I headed overseas a couple of days later (for a couple of years) As time marches on, the memories get a little hazier, but I do clearly remember a lively Saturday lunchtime set by HDQ at The Richmond, and it was whilst listening to their “Sinking’ album recently that I started pulling a few more ‘88/89 records off the shelf, setting this podcasts theme in motion. And Tony was willing to fire up the Flux Capacitor and send us back 30 years. What a Champ. Brighton’s own IMMOLATO TOMATOES used to put on a great show, but like so many bands back then never even got anything down on vinyl, so top job Aston at Boss Tuneage who compiled their demo’s on to a CD a few years back. Unusually for me I cannot recall where I saw FILLER, possibly a support slot at The George Robey? Who knows! Their first EP contained their first demo, the results were raw, but the quality of the songs cut thru, and ‘Hurt To Say’ is a killer track. Nottingham’s HERESY were a total fireball live, but rarely captured that energy on record, their album being a monumental let down. They bowed out in style though with the cracking “Whose Generation?” EP and “Everyday Madness Everyday” is a song that still sounds amazing to me… 2:26minutes of crazed ‘n furious precision. Total Powerhouse.
Pete Zonked! (November 2019)
It didn't take long for me to go with Pete's idea of choosing some songs from 1988/89, I have a lot of great memories from seeing these bands and buying their records. EXIT CONDITION sent me their 'Impact Time' demo and those songs still sound so urgent now. I traded letters with drummer Richard Stanier for quite a while after that, which is another thing that made the late '80s/early '90s such a memorable time. Friendships were formed through sharing music on cassette and writing letters. Each day the postman was eagerly awaited, and in those pre-privatisation days, the post came early. Meantime Records released a lot of great stuff, and the F.U.A.L album was one of the best, it has remained a favourite throughout the years. When Ian Armstrong, Meantime's head honcho, sent me the SOFA HEAD LP to review, the postman folded it to get it through the letter box. And it didn't snap! I returned after work to find it on the mat in a U shape. I tried my best to flatten it our under piles of books, but I could never get the opening track of each side to play. I bough myself another copy and gave the faulty one to Gaz, I think he still has it, it's such a great record. WAT TYLER were always fun, and Sean was, and remains, a friend. He helped us with the early SD Record releases, and to this day he will buy each issue of the zine. As the Southampton DIY punk scene came together, one of the first bands to come out of that burgeoning scene were Suicide Pact; they morphed into NOX MORTIS, who's demo is a thing of anarcho punk beauty. The tracks found their way on to two Meantime Records releases, the 'Shall We Dance' four band split 12", with one track on the 'Spleurk' compilation LP. Not Mortis were a great band. I would later go on to be in Portiswood with guitarist Paul. I was a little late to Dan and had to buy their first two albums retrospectively, but they were a fine band who I still listen to periodically today. CULTURE SHOCK really stuck a chord. I'm not sure if it was because we all missed the Subhumans so much, and this was a way to still enjoy Dick's wonderful lyrics and delivery or if we all just wanted to dance! Gaz and me were big fans, and they played a couple of great gigs in Southampton. THE STUPIDS don't really need an introduction, and although the 'Jesus Meets The Stupids' album may not be as well remembered as their first two, but it does include some great songs.
Five of the bands that Pete chose would have been in my sets if he hadn't already nabbed them.
Tony Suspect
Click to downloadJOYCE McKINNEY EXPERIENCE and VISIONS OF CHANGE were two excellent bands from that late ‘80’s Hotbed of Hardcore activity Lemington Spa… there was definitely something in water there. Both bands stuck out some ace music and were always great live. Suspect Device favourites THE INSTIGATORS were really hitting their stride touring and recording in ’88, they were literally everywhere… in zines, on comp. tapes ‘n records, and ripping it up on a stage somewhere. The ‘Full Circle/Sleeper’ 7” was a real high point for me. I first saw SNUFF open for Heresy and Japan’s Rose Rose at The George Robey, London in October ’88. I’d no idea who these chirpy Londoners were but they were instantly memorable. Over the next 12 months I’d see them loads and saw their stock rise. A wild set by SNUFF at The Richmond, Brighton in October ’89, was the last gig I saw in the UK before I headed overseas a couple of days later (for a couple of years) As time marches on, the memories get a little hazier, but I do clearly remember a lively Saturday lunchtime set by HDQ at The Richmond, and it was whilst listening to their “Sinking’ album recently that I started pulling a few more ‘88/89 records off the shelf, setting this podcasts theme in motion. And Tony was willing to fire up the Flux Capacitor and send us back 30 years. What a Champ. Brighton’s own IMMOLATO TOMATOES used to put on a great show, but like so many bands back then never even got anything down on vinyl, so top job Aston at Boss Tuneage who compiled their demo’s on to a CD a few years back. Unusually for me I cannot recall where I saw FILLER, possibly a support slot at The George Robey? Who knows! Their first EP contained their first demo, the results were raw, but the quality of the songs cut thru, and ‘Hurt To Say’ is a killer track. Nottingham’s HERESY were a total fireball live, but rarely captured that energy on record, their album being a monumental let down. They bowed out in style though with the cracking “Whose Generation?” EP and “Everyday Madness Everyday” is a song that still sounds amazing to me… 2:26minutes of crazed ‘n furious precision. Total Powerhouse.
Pete Zonked! (November 2019)
It didn't take long for me to go with Pete's idea of choosing some songs from 1988/89, I have a lot of great memories from seeing these bands and buying their records. EXIT CONDITION sent me their 'Impact Time' demo and those songs still sound so urgent now. I traded letters with drummer Richard Stanier for quite a while after that, which is another thing that made the late '80s/early '90s such a memorable time. Friendships were formed through sharing music on cassette and writing letters. Each day the postman was eagerly awaited, and in those pre-privatisation days, the post came early. Meantime Records released a lot of great stuff, and the F.U.A.L album was one of the best, it has remained a favourite throughout the years. When Ian Armstrong, Meantime's head honcho, sent me the SOFA HEAD LP to review, the postman folded it to get it through the letter box. And it didn't snap! I returned after work to find it on the mat in a U shape. I tried my best to flatten it our under piles of books, but I could never get the opening track of each side to play. I bough myself another copy and gave the faulty one to Gaz, I think he still has it, it's such a great record. WAT TYLER were always fun, and Sean was, and remains, a friend. He helped us with the early SD Record releases, and to this day he will buy each issue of the zine. As the Southampton DIY punk scene came together, one of the first bands to come out of that burgeoning scene were Suicide Pact; they morphed into NOX MORTIS, who's demo is a thing of anarcho punk beauty. The tracks found their way on to two Meantime Records releases, the 'Shall We Dance' four band split 12", with one track on the 'Spleurk' compilation LP. Not Mortis were a great band. I would later go on to be in Portiswood with guitarist Paul. I was a little late to Dan and had to buy their first two albums retrospectively, but they were a fine band who I still listen to periodically today. CULTURE SHOCK really stuck a chord. I'm not sure if it was because we all missed the Subhumans so much, and this was a way to still enjoy Dick's wonderful lyrics and delivery or if we all just wanted to dance! Gaz and me were big fans, and they played a couple of great gigs in Southampton. THE STUPIDS don't really need an introduction, and although the 'Jesus Meets The Stupids' album may not be as well remembered as their first two, but it does include some great songs.
Five of the bands that Pete chose would have been in my sets if he hadn't already nabbed them.
Tony Suspect
Playlist:
BRATAKUS - The Hearse Song - from Ghouls Just Want To have Fun - Bandcamp
EAT MY FEAR - Fight Back - from Taking Back Space EP - Refuse
COSSED KEYS - True To You - from Saviors 12” - Hellminded
BOMBARDEMENT - Wheel Of Destruction - from s/t - Symphony Of Destruction
JOYCE MCKINNEY EXPERIENCE - Alone - From Boring Rock 7” - Heath Robinson
VISIONS OF CHANGE - Visions of Change - from s/t LP - Firefly
INSTIGATORS - Full Circle - from 7” - Double A
SNUFF - Not Listening - from 7” - Workers Playtime
HDQ - Falling - from Believe 7”- Looney Tunes
IMMOLATO TOMATOES - Split in Two - from third demo - self released
FILLER - Hurt to Say - from Goodbye To All That 7” - Fourth Dimension
HERESY - Everyday Madness Everyday - from Whose Generation 7” - In Your Face
EXIT CONDITION - Twisted Tracks - from Impact Time demo - self released
F.U.A.L - 20 Years On - from Fuck Up And Live LP - Meantime
SOFA HEAD - Greenhouse Days - from Pre Marital Yodelling LP - Meantime
WAT TYLER - No ID - from Contemporary Farming Issues 7” - Rugger Bugger
NOX MORTIS - In Memorium - from Spleurk! LP - Meantime
DAN - Blind Ignorance - from Mother With Child And Bunny! LP - Workers Playtime
CULTURE SHOCK - Pressure - from Onwards & Upwards LP - Bluurg
THE STUPIDS - Skid Row - from Jesus Meets The Stupids LP - Vinyl Solution
STRIKE ANYWHERE - I’m You’re Opposite Number - from Iron Front LP - Bridge Nine
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