Steelcase Enclosure / Rise And Fall
The second 7″ single released by a decent band from San Francisco, a band that improved just in time for the ‘Dehumanization’ LP on Corpus Christi Records released a year later in 1983. In the U.K. we had the ‘Anarcho Punk’ genre (courtesy of Dave Tibet). In the U.S. these bands were mainly described as ‘Peace Punks’. Crucifix along with Reagan Youth were certainly among the better examples of the genre.
Very popular in Europe and the U.K. in particular, when they toured with the grindmeisters Antisect and Amebix.
Nic
April 28, 2008 at 1:47 pmGreat peace-inflected hardcore sound, and definitely one of the American bands that caused a blip on the consciousness…
Their UK tour in 1984 was with Antisect and MDC: unfortunately MDC were barred from entry to the country on that occasion…
I saw the concert in Nottingham which was a great blast…
Members went on to play in Loudspeaker (circa 1990) who did some nice guitar-heavy singles…
Simon
June 13, 2009 at 9:40 pmCan anyone remember the dates for the Crucifix tour? I think they played Southampton but i’m trying to find out where
cheers
Grant
June 15, 2009 at 1:12 pmI saw them too in Nottingham which was the second of four nights in a row that I followed them around. I remember that it was on a thursday. The day before (wednesday) was in Leeds, Birmingham on the friday then at the Old Ambulance Station Squat on the Old Kent Road in London on the saturday evening which was definately the best of the four as it was their last gig of the tour.
Don’t know about Southhampton but they definately played Brighton because i have a great quality live tape of the gig (mixing desk) which might have been the first one of the tour although i’m not too sure about this.
anon
June 15, 2009 at 6:39 pmSimon
I saw them when they played Brighton on 2/2/84 and Bristol on 4/2/84. I don’t recall a Southampton date (I would surely have gone) but if there was one in February it makes sense that it would have been inbetween those. Possible venue: I would take a guess at the University (The Refectory?). I saw quite a few punk/hardcore bands there in the early-mid 80’s.
That any help to you?
durruti
July 11, 2009 at 11:15 pmCrucifix tour poster, 3rd March 1984
I helped put this gig on. The band and some of their friends stayed at my mum’s house afterwards and made full use of the hot water facilities! She still talks fondly of them all.
I’ll have to see if I can dig out or track down any photos of that night – I’m pretty certain Rob (Polemic bassist) took some, and we’re still in touch.
durruti
July 11, 2009 at 11:19 pmSorry, I should have said that this was the Southampton gig.
Simon
July 12, 2009 at 7:21 pmHi Durruti.
Many thanks for this. St Matthews hall. Is this the place which later came the West Indian club? I bet this was a hell of a gig. Would love to have been there.
If your friends have any pics, be sure to post them as i’d love to have a look.
Cheers
Simon
durruti
July 13, 2009 at 6:21 pmSt Matthews Hall and the West Indian Club were two halves of the same building. A handful of gigs were put on in the hall, but the WI club was a better space (and it had a cheap bar!) and became the main gig venue for a while. There were some great gigs at the WI, but my favourite was probably Napalm Death. I seem to remember spending the night afterwards talking amphetamine-fuelled bollocks with Shane Embury while he played my mates’ Cardiacs tapes non-stop.
Marvellous.
Simon
September 15, 2009 at 1:19 pmFantastic,
Thanks for posting that info. I saw Napalm Death as well…….wasn’t that support to Neuroot (wild guess here)?
Loved that venue. Saw quite a few shows there – Generic, Vernon Walters, Verbal Assault, Bad Beach etc, Scream etc.
Cheers again
markdavess
January 21, 2014 at 11:22 pmI think I still have this record.
A little piece of trivia – the patch I got with mine was different, with a kind of rising sun with ‘Crucifix’ I think at the top and ‘care’ therefore (I think) at the bottom.
I had a ‘callous non-materialist’ phase between mid-90s and mid-00s (I still think maybe I was just saner then, though I regret some of what I sold or threw away), so the bag that had this sewn onto it, though still in good nick, was dumped (callously, in the trash) at some point.
I won’t mention all other things I chucked out or sold, for fear of upsetting some people.
I was lucky enough to see Crucifix 4 times, staying with them in Vauxhall Grove after their Stratford gig and taking the van with them to Bristol too. My enduring memory of that van trip is listening to Grandmaster Flash as we drove through London. Scrumpy at the venue was a major element of the day too, though I think that caused more problems for Antisect.
I missed the Brighton gig to see Crass in Epping the same night. Crucifix were well pissed off to have to miss that. The final Ambulance Station gig was a blinder.
Jaymz
February 5, 2014 at 11:32 pmCrucifix–weren’t they great? Lovely bunch of lads, and I think they must have been the first Californians I met. They looked quite “hardcore,” and were loud Americans but the first thing they did at Vauxhall Grove was to bake bread–so sweet!
They were so organised, getting it together to fly all the way from Cali to tour the UK and Europe. Really impressive unit.
That Ambulance Station gig was a blinder, they were an absolute joy live–tons of energy, very fast very tight, lots of attitude.
Interesting Crucifix–David Tibet connection (see the article): Tibet, living at Vauxhall Grove at the time, paid the Crucifix lads to personalise a bunch of Current 93 records with pages of the bible and whatnot stuck on the sleeves which he then sold as a limited edition.
Happy days.