24 comments
  1. betab
    betab
    April 17, 2008 at 8:14 pm

    They were wonderful. Never got to see them live due to various cancellations and things. Most bizarre turning up to a gig and finding splodgenssabounds had replaced them on the bill – couldn’t quite see the equivalence
    Does anyone have the Fences 12″ to post ?

  2. Nic
    Nic
    April 18, 2008 at 8:44 am

    I saw them live once (in 1983 at The Mermaid in Birmingham with The Nightingales and Ted Chippington)…

    I believe that Heff (Sax and Vocals) had moved up to Birmingham to attend university…
    She had previously been a member of Exeter band Metro Youth (aka Sanction) who were heavily involved in the political milieu of Exeter and environs…

    No luck on the 12″, I’m afraid, betab…

  3. johng
    johng
    April 18, 2008 at 10:01 am

    think i seen them at amongst other venues ambulance station and the farringdon(upstairs in a pub?).they did seem to play a lot of gigs all over the place.

  4. richpassivity
    richpassivity
    April 18, 2008 at 5:19 pm

    Good band.
    Saw them play at a squat gig in Bournemouth circa 1984.

  5. chris
    chris
    April 19, 2008 at 2:31 pm

    Brilliant name.

  6. Nick
    Nick
    April 19, 2008 at 11:44 pm

    They lived in Moseley, Birmingham, saw them at a festival in (I think) small heath park..remembering them scoff at a leather jacketed Discharge fan on the bus back (not to his face!) Visited them a couple of times, nice people, I think one of them ended up performing in a travelling troupe. May have the 12″ but not the means to post it

  7. Carl
    Carl
    April 22, 2008 at 4:40 pm

    Nic…Ted Chippington. I remember going to see him in Lancaster , supporting Marc Riley and The Creepers ( I think! ) and he got the entire audience to turn away from the stage so he could start his act..as he claimed he was too shy..

  8. pete
    pete
    December 30, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    I put Toxic Shock on a couple of times at the 1in12 Club in Bradford. Great band and great people. Good to hear them again as my copies of their two 12 inchers have long since been borrowed and never returned by some person somewhere.

  9. chris
    chris
    December 31, 2009 at 8:51 pm

    “remembering them scoff at a leather jacketed Discharge fan on the bus back (not to his face!) Visited them a couple of times, nice people, I think one of them ended up performing in a travelling troupe”

    they sound great.

  10. Omnipuscle
    Omnipuscle
    February 27, 2010 at 10:16 pm

    Response to betab – I have Fences 12″ but not the equipment or ability to post it. Do you want a tape of it? I saw them once in 1985 with The Nightingales and Omega Tribe and they were jolly good.

  11. DavidM
    DavidM
    February 28, 2010 at 4:32 pm

    Label mates with Fuzzbox as I remember with said 12″ being released through Vindaloo Recs. Called A Dubious Deal no? Sadly missed their show here at Aberdeen’s 62 Club with The Nightingales and Omega Tribe. Not heard their sounds since, and gotta say it’s just so great to hear these songs again and after so many years. Brilliant.

  12. mikeyG
    mikeyG
    March 6, 2010 at 8:25 am

    Absolutely brilliant! I saw them a few times, blew me away. Thanks for the tape upload, my copy went amiss years ago, and it’s great to hear them again 🙂

  13. Ruben
    Ruben
    March 14, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    Anyone have the eight songs demo by Sanction, which featured Heff on sax/vocals?

  14. Chris L
    Chris L
    March 16, 2011 at 11:38 pm

    @Reuben: I had that. Wrote to them after their appearance on Bullshit Detector II and they sent me a copy plus a demo of the band they became after Sanction (name escapes me) . Fuck knows what I did with it – probably flogged it on Ebay a while back – but I *MAY* have put a couple of tracks on a comp tape I was going to release in 1982 which never got released (also included No Label, Blcakfields, Napalm Death, Political Asylum, Apostles and others I can’t remember) . I’m sure i’ve still got the master so will try to hunt it out and get it to Penguin if so. Watch this space 🙂

  15. Ruben
    Ruben
    March 17, 2011 at 7:31 pm

    Alright then. I appreciate your help.

  16. Trunt
    Trunt
    March 17, 2011 at 9:16 pm

    Sent you an email Ruben, will get the Sanction/Metro Youth demo out to you mate.

  17. Ruben
    Ruben
    March 18, 2011 at 3:32 am

    Thanks. I just replied.

  18. Reverend Howl
    Reverend Howl
    June 22, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    First saw Toxic Shock in Swansea University with Mary Perry and the Poison Girls in 1983/4. I had my leg in plaster and was on crutches and they tried to protect me from the rough dancers. I was gonna thank them when the band finished and ask Heff where she got the really nice medallion/necklace she was wearing but they disappeared before I had a chance. Then they reappeared with Heff’s sax fixed on the “medallion”. They were great. I blagged my mate to drive me to Hereford to see them again a couple of days later. Saw them again at Hood Fair in Ashburton Devon in 1985, maybe that’s where I picked up a copy of the tape. Lost it years ago but still sing some of the songs. Thanks loads for filling this much missed gap in my music collection.

  19. Des
    Des
    June 23, 2011 at 2:03 am

    Saw Toxic Shock supporting Omega Tribe at Bridgwater Arts Centre ’85 (? – around the time of Its A Hard Life)

    Good times.

  20. oddie
    oddie
    August 26, 2013 at 2:15 pm

    Toxic played nottingham a few times – great to dance to while snowballing at Chilwell / Menwith / Moleworth etc

  21. Michael Johnson
    Michael Johnson
    January 8, 2014 at 7:44 pm

    I saw what must have been one of the last Toxic Shock Syndrome gigs, at the Bull & Gate in London in 1992. Support from the Voodoo Queens, playing their first ever gig – they only had three songs, one of which they played twice.

    John Peel was in the audience, and I remember Toxic Shock Syndrome had some sampled voices playing through the PA between songs. One of the samples was a snippet of John Peel’s voice, recorded off the radio. As it boomed out of the PA everyone turned to look at Peelie, who looked extremely embarrassed!

    Interestingly, after that gig the Voodoo Queens were invited to record a Peel session. Toxic Shock syndrome….weren’t.

    Mick Mercer was also at the gig. His photos are now available in book form:

    http://www.lulu.com/gb/en/shop/mick-mercer/toxic-shock-syndrome-photo-book-a4-edition/ebook/product-17471586.html

  22. Another Dave
    Another Dave
    January 10, 2014 at 9:51 pm

    Michael, the Toxic Shock this post is about (who released a tape called Syndrome) are not related to the Toxic Shock Syndrome band from the early nineties that you are referring to. I know, I’ve seen both bands.

  23. paul davies
    paul davies
    January 29, 2014 at 11:23 am

    i’m also after fences… ?

  24. Andy
    Andy
    November 26, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    Christ, I’ve been trying to get hold of a copy of A Dubious Deal on and off for years, my own having disappeared/died a death along the way. Saw Toxic Shock supporting Poison Girls at the Ambulance Station in 83/84 and they blew me away, particularly by starting the gig singing Fences from the audience. What a way to make people feel welcome and part of something truly exciting. Anyway, if anyone does ever upload mp3’s of A Dubious Deal please point them at me. Cheers. (wanders off humming fences to himself)

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