Flowers In The Dustbin – Adams Arms, London W1 – 24/11/83

 

Last Tango In Vietnam / Stuck On A Stick / Cowboys And Indians / Love Is A Bastard / Covent Garden / Aim For The Sky / Journeys End / Pocketful Of Gold

Absolutely storming set by one of the more underated bands of the era.

Recorded in the crowd at the Adams Arms pub, a stones throw away from the Post Office Tower, this was a great gig…

I absolutely adored the (sometimes) chaotic performances by this band, the lyrics were a match for The Mob in my opinion, and the vinyl output (one 12″ and two 7″ singles on three record labels) are among my favorites of the 1983 -1986 period.

All Flowers In The Dustbin material is available on this site (including the ‘lost’ LP that was never released) if you use the search function.

Flowers In The Dustbin featured Gerard on the vocals, Gerard today is working hard behind the scenes as the KYPP computer genius (you would not expect myself or Tony Puppy to know what the hell we are doing without some kind of guidance would you?). Gerard also uses the name George Berger for his various literary offerings, ‘The Story Of Crass’ being the most recent book, available via Omnibus Press, a well researched read indeed, and worthy of having on your shelves at home.

I used to write to Gerard a fair bit, and always looked forward to his replies which (like Andy Martin’s letters) were works of art. The amount of time spent on each letter written by Gerard (and Andy Martin) must have been a fair bit longer than my five minute scrawls that I had sent in the first place…Thanks to Gerard (and Andy Martin) for making ME write with a little more care. Sometimes little things are important too!

Flowers In The Dustbin website

82 comments
  1. Scotti
    Scotti
    September 20, 2013 at 10:08 pm

    Reading this thread is quite hilarious, funny to see Jako, Anton and Bruno posting (me and Bruno kinda fell out because I was a bit of idiot in those days and treated him pretty badly…sorry for that pal).

    Anyway if anybody wants to know anything about the Punk scene in Madeley from 1976 to 1984 I can certainly enlighten you all, I also have pictures of LTD Talent and The Stoned Rayzens in concert. As for the album it was funded by Telford Development Corporation and dedicated to Shaun who died when hitching from Shifnal to Madeley with Jay, that’s way too sad to remember fucking tragic actually. Billy Bannister works for the BBC, no idea what happened to Fletch, Dave or Sarah (I miss them dearly). Last saw Skitty about 10 years ago and really that’s about it for people I’ve seen or know of.

    I ditched Britain when Thatcher introduced Poll Tax and have been living in the Colonies for the last 23 years, I do return nerly every year and would be delighted to hear from anyone…..So sorry to hear about Crabby he was (is) a great kid (many happy memories).

    Punk will never die (takes the odd vacation now and again though), all you old Punks grow old gracefully and remember Punk was all about creating something new and doing what we wanted to do, if your not doing what you want sucks to be you!!

  2. Bic
    Bic
    October 3, 2013 at 8:05 pm

    Blimey. Thats a trip down memory lane. Ive bumped into a lot of you from time to time. Most people seem to visit occationally. Jays still alive and kicking and living in Wolves. Skitty still around in Wellington. The last i heard of fletch was that he bought a caravan in skegness after his missis won the bingo. The Gemini is now a furniture shop but the stage is still there. Theres still the odd punk gig which a few old faces turn up.
    Theres a free 2 day punk and Ska festival each year the first week of July. Maybe we should all meet up and see who has lost the most hair

  3. Bic
    Bic
    October 3, 2013 at 8:06 pm

    Any one on facebook?? I’m on as Bic Bickerton

  4. Scotti
    Scotti
    October 4, 2013 at 10:53 pm

    I’d win that competition we should form our own band for that

  5. Bic
    Bic
    October 5, 2013 at 12:39 am

    Limited talent!! We need you…

  6. Scotti
    Scotti
    October 6, 2013 at 7:10 am

    We’ve got a singer and a drummer, no bass or guitar….any offers????

  7. Fletch (lead singer of ltd Talent)
    Fletch (lead singer of ltd Talent)
    October 9, 2013 at 8:21 pm

    Going to enjoy The Flowers Of Romance again. thnx. Hello to all and sorry to the people i offended.Great Times!

  8. Rick
    Rick
    October 29, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    Wow, what a blast from the past – lots of names I’d almost forgotten about. I was on the tail end of that Telford scene, as we (Contempt) moved over there in the summer of 84 from Wolves. I remember a miner’s benefit at the back of the Hill’s Lane club where just about everyone from Wolverhampton and Telford played. Then there was the trip to Belfast with Contempt, the Barstewards and Limited Talent… Happy Days!

  9. joggon
    joggon
    June 29, 2014 at 4:40 pm

    Picked up a copy of FITD’s ‘Lick my crazy colours’ for 2 quid recently,did they all come with that A4 Cartel headed insert with the information that the band were in Afghanistan filming? Must have been when the Russians were there, glad you all made it back(?)

  10. gerard
    gerard
    July 2, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    Hi Joggon – no, they didn’t all come with that insert. Indeed, I don’t even remember that insert!

    We were never in Afghanistan, that was just some bollocks we made up for reasons that escape me now.

  11. joggon
    joggon
    July 3, 2014 at 11:02 am

    wonder why the cartel insert came with it?lyric insert is with it as well,the records in near mint condition for a nearly 30 year old 45.didn’t think you’d been to Afghanistan,didn’t the Angelic Upstarts go there though?

  12. gerard
    gerard
    July 3, 2014 at 10:54 pm

    I think it was a press release so maybe you got a copy sent to a journalist?

    Re: Upstarts, no idea I’m afraid. They did a song about it didn’t they… I wonder how they feel about that now?

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