No I.D. / Hops And Barley / Heavy Metal Vivisector
We Pledge Our Alliegance To Satan / Coming Home
Wat Tyler’s and Rugger Bugger Records debut release.
Masterminded by Sean ‘Gummidge’ Forbes, this band grew out of Aylesbury area as Four Minute Warning turning at some point into Wat Tyler where they performed many songs in many genres on any subject, as long as it wound up the uptight, right on, Anti this and that lobby. Many a time ‘Sweet Child Of Mine’ was heard in amongst the anarcho bands at the George Robey and other similer hovels to the dismay of the anarcho populus watching!
Only Sean could pull this off, because of his utter, non fake, obsession with all genres of music, and his sincere gentleness and good natured vibe that always was around him.
The band played hundreds of gigs over many years, a lot of times with Dan, Snuff, Thatcher On Acid and Blyth Power. The band could easily chop and change genres of music at a drop of a hat, and were generally quite amusing on the stage during a performance.
Sean was working at All The Madmen Records, and gave a younger Penguin a break with some unpaid employment there.
Indebted to him for that, Rugger Bugger released several LP’s, 12’s and plastic bag 7″s, all worth checking out. He has been at various Rough Trade shops for many many years now, and continues to release records on his DEMO TAPES label.
The photos above from a performance in Brighton April 1st 1986, a good three years before any records were released!
Nic
July 30, 2008 at 7:52 amThanks Pengy – I haven’t heard this for years…
We had a few singalongs to ‘Hops and Barley’ over a few liveners when this came out (and the ultra venom stylings of ‘We Pledge…’ as well)…
🙂
back2front
August 1, 2008 at 5:13 pmThey still make me laugh – and Sean is a true gem! The key to taking punk seriously is not to take it seriously.
Nic
August 2, 2008 at 1:26 pmBack – got any information about Wat Tyler T-Shirts or ancient mutterings?
😉
Penguin • Post Author •
August 4, 2008 at 5:04 pmWhat you on about Nic mate? Not sure what you are getting at old bean. No Wat Tyler T-shirts as far as I know, maybe wrong. Dunno…Ancient mutterings? What are those? Smiley winky face back atcha…
Nic
August 5, 2008 at 12:29 amDon’t panic, Penguin, don’t panic…
Just (gently, and with warmth) taking the piss out of back2front for his postings on the Crass forum on the Southern site (he mentioned the “ancient mutterings” of Crass over there)…
Have another winky…
😉
Penguin • Post Author •
August 5, 2008 at 8:37 amOK dokey, all clear now, except I still can not fathom ‘ancient mutterings’ in any ‘band’ concept! Will give it some thought through the day. No doubt will draw a blank though!
Lee23
August 14, 2008 at 8:48 pmthe photos look like the show at brighton art college basement club with blyth power and hysteria ward, i seem to remember an all the madmen posse coming down on a coach for a night out at the seaside…
Penguin • Post Author •
August 14, 2008 at 8:51 pmCorrect Lee, we went all around the seafront and on the funfair, everything like that. Good fun and a great gig.
Grazza
August 27, 2008 at 9:55 amAhhh Sean and Wat Tyler. Yes there were Wat Tyler t shirts, but not many. I had an I’m forever blowing bubbles shirt. I think I gave it away.
So anyway, now Sean and Ben are making the big bucks with Hard Skin…who would have thought.
Chris
February 3, 2011 at 8:49 pmI have a copy of Contemporary Farming Issues with “Shimon from Shnuff is a ferry(?)” Was this normal for the record, I cant find an other copy for a comparison. Cheers.
Penguin • Post Author •
February 3, 2011 at 10:38 pmNot heard of that, I helped distribute the 7″ and can confirm these are the original tracks on the one and only pressing from 1989. Maybe Sean rereleased it later on with a different track listing but the copy uploaded is the original pressing.
Chris
February 3, 2011 at 11:47 pmMeant to say it is written by hand, very shaky handwriting, it is the original pressing as I got it in late ’89, wasm lost in the loft for many years!!
Maybe written on it as a joke?
Kate
March 17, 2011 at 3:50 pmHi,
If anyone see Sean say hi from me. I was briefly in the band in the early days. It’s Kate from Luton.
Penguin • Post Author •
May 9, 2011 at 9:18 pmHi Kate, Sean works for Rough Trade in Talbot Road W11, and sometimes in the Brick Lane Rough Trade store. Surprise him by emailing him sean@roughtrade.com. Website here for some other details; http://www.roughtrade.com/site/about.lasso
sw2boro
July 6, 2011 at 8:46 pmMany thanks Penguin – I bought the 7″ of this at a gig of theirs at the Middlesbrough Empire pub (not the nightclub now going with the same name), no doubt in 1989, and still dig it out to play now and again.
Oi Oi
December 9, 2013 at 10:22 pmNever realised when Bus Station Loonies put out their record that Hops and Barley was a cover! great version here!
Roger
February 16, 2020 at 9:58 amI was wondering if you could help me check and see if I’m going insane or not.
I believe back in 1988-89 someone gave me a cassette of what I think was a Wat Tyler demo tape. I remember some of the songs on it were Life in the Big Apple, Directive, Who’s Game?, and possibly a few others. I think there was a lyric sheet in there too with some drawings. I also remember the songs were more serious and less tongue in cheek than later versions.
Since it’s been 30+ years now, I’m not sure if this is at all accurate or if it’s all just a figment of my imagination. I’ve scoured the internet and YouTube and I’ve seen nothing of the sort, so now I’m seriously doubting my sanity.
Was there such a Wat Tyler cassette?
Penguin • Post Author •
February 17, 2020 at 1:08 pmThat cassette does exist on Sean’s own 69 Tapes imprint – it was the last in the series just prior to him starting Rugger Bugger Records. Search on-line for it I guess. The Monk is the title…
No.1: Blyth Power – Live At Bricklayers Arms
No.2: Hagar TheWomb – Increase The Pantimime
No.3: Dan – Human Beings The Size Of Amoebas
No.4: Chumbawamba – History Luddite
No.5: The Wickermen – Nineveh
No.6: The Mousehounds – Live At The Timebox 22-10-86
No.7: A.P.P.L.E – Neither Victims Nor Executioners
No.8: We Are Going To Eat You – Four Heads Feast
No.9: Wat Tyler – The Monk
D
April 8, 2020 at 8:58 pmWe Pledge Our Alliegance To Satan was a house anthem at our Maury Road N16 Squat.. Stopped the Jehovah’s Witnesses from bothering us as well as Venom played loud.. Why they had our souls down for saving I have no idea..