I have not uploaded any Apostles material for ages, so thought I would put this up tonight. For the guy who asked for the U.S. released LP by The Apostles entitled ‘Hymns Of Pan’, I will upload that up in the post 86 section at some point soon. There may well be another four Apostles LP’s uploaded in that section soon, as only the first two were released before the end of 1986, so keep checking. I own thirteen demo cassettes, six singles, seven LP’s and three ‘personal’ cassettes by this band, so plenty to be uploaded!

Actually, saying that, the singles may be re-released at some point on CD so they will not be uploaded on this site, unless the CD release falls through.

The first five demo tapes are up already, also uploaded are the first two LP’s if you use the search function you will find them. 

Side One: Random older tracks possibly some unreleased

Side Two: Live At The Recession Club / Visions Of The End

The uploaded cassette above was given to me in the mid 1980′s by Andy Martin, one of several I own, each with a picture of me (what I looked like at the time) on the sleeve! This cassette has unreleased versions (I think anyway, Chris, Nic?) of older tracks on the first side.

On the second side he put the more experimental work on. Firstly the Recession Club gig which has a wonderful climax in The Apostles version of Simon and Garfunkels ‘I Am A Rock’ which goes straight into ‘Splitting In Two’, the old Alternative TV anthem. These two songs seem to have been written specifically for Andy Martin, and he gives a very moving and respectful rendition of them both. 

Originally these tracks came out on a cassette release by Protect And Survive Products.

The second selection on Side 2 is entitled ‘Visions Of The End’. Interesting stuff on this session, I like the ‘monks going to pray’ style backing vocals on some of the tracks. Some tracks reminiscent of the harder edged Psychic TV noise (bits of Terminus or the second part of Breakthrough by PTV spring to mind). Has this ever been released officially? I can not recall seeing it at any time, but I may be wrong (Chris, Nic?). Anyway something for everyone on this cassette.

Side One

Side Two

The tape above, as far as I am aware is not released but I may be mistaken, it was given to me in 1986 by Andy Martin, perhaps other friends and acquaintances of his also received copies at this time, and possibly released it without my knowledge.

Andy and Dave from The Apostles trying out some fully experimental material in the practice room at 108 Brougham Road, Hackney, London, E8 and the results are not that bad at all. I like it anyway, but perhaps I may be of the minority!

My photographs of Dave Fanning’s old bedroom artwork in 108 Brougham Road, Hackney, London, E8 above. Please note: the corner artwork is of an Indian peace sign used for many hundreds of years in and around the Indian subcontinent. It is NOT a Nazi Swastika…

Andy Martin and Dave Fanning are still well and happy and performing in the band UNIT.

Check UNIT out here and here

Bigger view here

Bigger view here

Thanks to Vince for bringing some samples of artwork to Penguin Towers in North London, for me to upload onto the site.

Vince Vomit original bassist for D.I.R.T. pictured above at Wapping Autonomy Centre, ex-Schwarzeneggar and Rubella Ballet guitarist, now involved in the most excellent Earth Culture (check them out in post 86 section) has a hidden talent as a absolutely brilliant cartoonist. 

Held within the Vince artwork section in the photo gallery option, you will find a complete Rubella Ballet comic, never released to the public, and a Supergaz strip lampooning Gary from D.I.R.T.

The Rubella Ballet project was going to go to print in 1990 when Vince was with the band, I think it was a cash issue the reason it has not been professionally printed and bound. The scans are from Vince’s original cut and paste sheets. I have lowered the resolution slightly, just in case Zillah (who knows of this site) arranges with Vince a professional limited edition print run to take on some future tour. I am sure Rubella Ballet fans will love it in Japan or U.S. even if it is 18 years old!

Rubella Ballet John Peel session is here if you fancy. An old recording, a bit hissy, always great though.

When entering the photo gallery (photobucket) expand the screen to full size, then choose Vince artwork section.

Press on the chosen page it will open up in the smaller view mode. THEN press on that page / picture ONCE more so it opens up to full size. This will make all the writing much easier to read. Then press on the page / picture again to smaller view mode, then choose next for the next page to view, and continue.

Say hi to Vince here if you wish, and support his band Earth Culture if they ever get out and tour!

Some Of Shelly’s Hang Ups / God Has Gone Wrong Again / Corialanus / Chevy Chase / Blow The Man Down / Bind The Kings In Chains / Bricklayers Arms / The Rookery / Caligula / The Mermaid / John O Gaunt / Emmanuel / Probably Going To Rain / Smoke From Cromwells Time

Sorry got into the 1985 Blyth Power spirit, so here is another post, the second in a matter of days, featuring said band. This time a mixing desk tape of a gig set in the Labour Club (Red Rose), halfway along Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park.

A Jon ‘Fat’ Beast night, big bellied and bearded sound engineer for The Red Rose Club, The Crown And Castle in Dalston, Chats Palace in Homerton.

Went onto do the sound at the Three Crowns (now a Tapas Bar) in Stoke Newington, The White Horse in Brixton and most famously ‘The Timebox’ nights at The Bull And Gate in Kentish Town. Even more famously he promoted and engineered Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine gigs in these venues and became their extra member world wide when the band became more popular. More than likely still engineering them if that band are still performing around the world.

This gig on a wet night in Finsbury Park was another blast of metaphorical sunshine on an otherwise dreary day, even though I am pretty sure All About Eve did not perform as advertised.

Use the search function for more Blyth Power.

Looking Through The Window / Organise / Out Of Site / Coming To Get You / M25 / Togetherness

Collectivise / Telling It Like It Really Is / Our Community / For Those Concerned / It’s Happening Now

I know little of this band except seeing them support other bands on a couple of occasions. Stuck it up for John Eden really, hope it brings back some memories. I thought I got this tape after a Blyth Power gig in St Albans in 1985, I was mistaken, as the date on the cassette sleeve states 1988, so think I got it at a Karma Sutra gig at Stevenage Bowes Lyon House around that time, with Medical Melodies in support.

This tape is one side live at the glorious Canterbury Arms, an above average music venue, which unfortunately was right opposite the Brixton Plod Station, the other side seems to be studio recordings. A bit like the Cardiacs, but that may be a little bit of lazy journalism because I am well knackered. Pretty sure I remember most of the band in white lab coats painted with various slogans, stomping about the stage with the old DM’s on…I have no idea what happened to the band or even if they had any thing released apart from this tape, maybe John Eden could enlighten us?

I have been in search of lost landscapes… and written another 10 000 words on the Galloway Levellers Uprising of 1724. Only another 10 000 to go.

AL Puppy

I Need Somebody

8 Teen

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

GONE MISSING

One (1) x AL A

Ex-left field scribe on various eclectic magazines, Kill Your Pet Puppy, Punk Lives, Zig Zag, Encyclopedia of Ecstasy, and others. Ex-Proprietor of All The Madmen Records. Rubber specialist.

Age – roughly about a hundred (100)

Need information on AL’s whereabouts, we at KYPP online control base are very worried that AL may have been buried under some collapsing hardcover books whilst studying for a 100,000 word essay on the Jacobite Revolution,  the new way to spread Marmite on a biscuit, for the ill informed amongst you. Most of the words that AL uses are quite long so it probably means the books will be quite heavy to fit those same words in. He may be trapped under these heavy books with one outstretched hand grasping desperately onto his feathered quill.

He may be caught in a snow drift on the Scottish borders with only a Mark Stewart CD for company.

Kidnapping is also a concern for the KYPP online control base. If anyone comes forward with a ransom demand we, at KYPP online control base, will of course be prepared to negotiate. Please be aware that we would like to pick up Nectar points on any monies transferred for the safe release of AL.

His site Green Galloway has not been amended since 03/03/08. The AL section on KYPP has not been amended since 28/02/08. We need our AL back.

Any one with information on the whereabouts or any sightings of AL please let us know in the KYPP online control base, via the comments function. 

While you search in your local areas for any sightings of AL the KYPP man of words, please enjoy the early 1960′s buzz of the strangely named U.S Heads, ? And The Mysterians, whose big hit ’96 Tears’ I do not own, so this one will have to do instead. Freaky band.

The Astronauts- Friends / Books / Gothic Rooms / Blues / Terraways / Getting Things Done / Following Orders / Gold At The Top

Blyth Power- God Has Gone Wrong Again / Corialanus / Chevy Chase / Under The Sea Wind / Blow The Man Down / Bricklayers Arms / Hurling Time / Probably Won’t Be Easy / The Mermaid / John O Gaunt / Junction Signal / Bind Their Kings In Chains / Smoke From Cromwells Time 

A very good month was December 1985, I witnessed Blyth Power five times performing in Brixton, Stoke Newington, Tufnell Park, Welwyn Garden City, and this performance in St Albans, the only one I recorded unfortunately…I wish I took the recorder to the Stoke Newington Blyth Power and Astronauts performance with Zos Kia and Psychic TV…oh well, never mind…

A crystal clear crowd recording of both sets, played well by both the bands. All the way through 1985 Blyth Power seemed on top form and towards the end of the year they seemed even more on the ball. All the gigs that year seemed like genuine celebrations, and well worth the effort to attend, and I attended a lot of them!

Other bands performing on this night in St Albans were The Shout who I remember as being quite Clashy, and Medical Melodies, a band dressed up in white coats sounding a bit like The Cardiacs…

A selection of photos of Blyth Power earlier in the year 24/08/85 at the Idiot Ballroom, Broadway Bar, Clarenden Hotel, Hammersmith, W6, cos I took none in St Albans…Notice to JOHN EDEN – Simon Norris (PTV lackey) back of head bottom left!

Use the search function for more Astronauts and Blyth Power.

Nice Job For The Lad / Laburnum Walk / New Musak

People Laugh At Me Cos I Like Wierd Music / John’s Vacuum Cleaner / Peter Pants His Fence 

I have not put any slice’s of Streetlevel Studio recordings up on the site for a little while.

Here is the debut Deleted Records release by The Instant Automatons from 1980, which was recorded at Streetlevel and fits in quite nicely with the D.I.Y. ethic from that studio, at that period of time. This single release by the Automatons especially reminiscent of the material being recorded there by Mark Perry and Nag for various projects, nicely de-constructed via the mix by either Kif Kif or Grant Showbiz.

Plenty of eclectic sound and variations on this record, performed by Mark Automaton and the wonderful Protag, who was the face behind the mixing desk at many squat and club gigs from the early to mid 1980′s, and of course, the soundman with Grant Showbiz for the bi-annual summer all day music festivals at Meanwhile Gardens, Westbourne Grove, which lasted from 1976 until 1987 or thereabouts…

From the mid 1980′s Protag was the bass player for Alternative TV, a couple of years later on, the bass player for Blyth Power, and nowadays I think, he is performing in Zounds.

If you are interested in all things Streetlevel, please enter that word into the search function. You will find many related items in music download or text format, music wise you can find gems from Zounds practises to 012 demos and live performances by The Mob and The Astronauts. Also many rare, and hard to find, Mark Perry related studio sessions and live material from various bands he was involved in at that time, are one this site.

Check both the sites below for extra information on The Instant Automatons and for a complete Streetlevel Studio discography. 

Will get the Instant Automatons, Blue Midnight and Hamburger All Stars split LP uploaded at some point in the future.

Official Instant Automatons site here

Official Streetlevel Studio site here

Rainy Day

From You And Back Again

Formed in a Scottish outpost near Aberdeen in 1979, going through the stages of new wave in the early years, A.P.B. created a much funkier sound towards the release of this single, the fourth that the band had released on local label Oily Records. After this record and several sessions for late evening and late night Radio One, the band discovered they were quite popular in the undergound clubs of New York. This was the direction they eventually travelled towards.

Public / Metamorphosis

Zen / Blood

Third single from this Icelandic band, a band that eventually metamorphosed into KUKL and then The Sugarcubes. All early Icelandic singles are very rare, this 12″ being no exception. Recorded in 1982, there is a slight Killing Joke feel to the sound on all these tracks, not surprisingly as Jaz Coleman and Geordie from Killing Joke were constant visitors to Iceland at this time, and early supporters of the Icelandic music scene. Peyr and Jaz Coleman went onto record material under the name Niceland which was not released. 

The sleeve depicts Wilhelm Reich, a psychiatrist, psycho-analyst and writer, who was labelled a Communist Jew by the Nazi Party, so he escaped from Germany in 1934 to settle briefly in Scandinavia. During the Nazi period of German history all of Wilhelm Reich’s books were destroyed, and subsequently banned. The writer made it to the U.S. in 1939.

In 1947, following a series of critical articles about orgone in The New Republic and Harper’s, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began an investigation into his claims, and won an injunction against the interstate sale of orgone accumulators. Charged with contempt of court for violating the injunction, Reich conducted his own defense, which involved sending the judge all his books to read. He was sentenced to two years in prison, and in August 1956, several tons of his publications were burned by the FDA. He died of heart failure in jail just over a year later, days before he was due to apply for parole.

It must be noted that the Peyr sleeve artwork has not got a swastika on it. The armband shown on the cover contained the symbol of the orgone physics, which represented duality and its origins in unity, referred by Reich as functionalism.

Peyr had a two LP’s and a handful of singles released in the band’s lifetime, these are no longer available as far as I know.

Use the search function to hear the debut KUKL single, also Crass, KUKL and other Icelandic bands perform in the ‘We Are The Future Festival’ held in 1983.