Complete Disorder / Insane Youth
Every heard a record that shocked you so much. that eventually you realised that it must have been something quite special to have done so?
The first reaction on putting on this record when getting back to my home from Small Wonder was confusion and disappointment…Punk records were meant to be mid paced like the Pistols, Crisis or Chron Gen, I believed at the time, Discharge were extreme enough but accepted, as were Crass, but this?
Disorder were some thing altogether different. At the time could not put my finger on it…and ignored this release for several weeks / months. Punks Not Dead magazine came out (one issue only, via Sounds magazine I think) and amazingly Disorder were featured as ‘up and coming artists’.
I put the record on again loud (when my mum went out, Punk innit!). I realised that this band did not sound like anything else before, and obviously the inspiration to attempt to play quite a racket as this, could be seen as an art form itself ! I loved it to bits overnight…
The band were formed early 1980 in Bristol squats, which I seem to remember, on the small amount of print I read about the band were always being turned over, poor sods had to keep stealing / borrowing / buying new equipment every other week!
One member of Disorder, Taff, was the bassist of The Review (All The Madmen release by The Review on this site if you search for it) which I found out many years later on. Taff was not on this recording though, he joined a little later on I think. The other original members or other different line ups I know nothing about, or have forgotten.
Disorder for the first two singles at least, were totally original, either by luck (bad musicians) or by genius (engineering the sound the way it came out).
Whether you agree or not, I feel Disorder are one of the handful of bands that belong in a box marked ‘inspirational’. They completed the material they wanted to produce, not caring whether anyone liked it, and without knowing it at the time, actually started off a genre of punk that still continued through the 1980’s with bands like Chaos UK, God Told Me To Do It, Sons Of Bad Breath, Blower, Extreme Noise Terror, Napalm Death (Hi Nic!) and Eat Shit.
Whether these bands mentioned above, or the scene they were a part of, are appreciated or not is not really a concern. What is a concern is the history of other inspirational bands like The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, NYD, Sex Pistols, Crass etc that all went along the same path, and to a greater or lesser degree influenced a generation of kids.
Maybe I am over analysing it, but I still love this record and the second EP which will be on soon, so cover your ears!
Chris Low
January 13, 2008 at 7:07 pmStrangely, given that some of my favourite recordings from the ‘crass stable’ are things like the Sucks ‘3’ track, Sinyx etc on Bullshit 1 (not to mention one of my all time favourite acts being Whitehouse) I still find this, and their subsequent releases practically unlistenable. While i loved, and still do, Discharge & Rudimentary Peni, I could never – and still can’t – find anything in any way remotely interesting or appealing in the punk ‘thrash’ sound and even less in the whole ‘crusty’ scene. Ugly music. Ugly fashion. But that’s just me…each to their own I s’pose. And as you say they were doing something different and without any great precendent which is something positive at least 🙂
Nic
January 13, 2008 at 7:10 pmAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! One of my all-time favourite Hardcore Thrash singles!
I love the minimalism of the song structures, ugliness of the guitars, the Rotten-esque sneer to the voice, the nihilistic tone to the lyrics…
In fact, some GREAT lyrics:
“Riot, Aggro, Get stoned, Fucked up: Complete disorder! Complete disordarrrghhh! Hippies, Long hair, Pub bands: hate them! Complete disorder! Complete disordarrrghhh!!!”
or how about:
“They don’t like the punks – that’s what they fucking say…It’s just because we’re a threat to society…We all know we are – but who gives a fuck? I don’t fucking care,. because they’re going to get blown up!
Today’s world is now – punk is here today! If you don’t like our way, well – fucking go away!”
The 2nd EP was a corker too: total thrash of an intense and heavy kind…
(the demo just before the 1st EP is good: slower versions of the songs wit ha much more Rotten-styled voice which makes it all sound more ‘punk’ 😉 )…
I loved it from the minute I heard it when it came out, especially as I had not really engaged with the 3rd generation of ‘Crass-bands’ (like Conflict, DIRT, and so on)…
Disorder (along with Discharge and Chaos UK) opened up a possibility that fused the directness of Punk with the noise of Throbbing Gristle, and also seemed to convey a little more anger and hate than the usual ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ structures of the majority of punk bands. I loved their amateurish and inept approach as well…
I saw them play a lot of times between 1980 and 1986, and also played on the same bill as them many times…
Taf (ex-Review) joined about 2 years after this record: funnily enough, he is still with the band (the only one who still is)…
You’re definately not over-analysing it, Pengy…
They were very influential, particularly in the period between 1980 and 1982 (after which people started hearing more Thrash from around the world thanks to the ‘Tape Trading’ scene)…
And, yeah, Pengy – they certainly did influence Napalm Death…
I left the group (my own group! hehehe) after recording the 1st side of the 1st LP (as I felt they were ‘selling out’): if you listen to those songs, the majority of the ‘fast riffs’ are very similar in structure to ‘riffs’ written by Discharge and Disorder (and by bands from abroad which were influenced by those groups like Rattus, Kaaos and The Wretched) – except that ours were faster! 😉
Nic
January 13, 2008 at 7:15 pmChris – you should have stayed off the Disco Biscuits, and got on the Scrumpy and Thixofix 😉
Here’s a video of them from 1983: Taf on the bass, but new singer (Boobs) who first appeared on the 3rd ep…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1IQry4e2Bw
Chris Low
January 13, 2008 at 11:43 pmnae chance. Give me a dove and a bit of THIS any day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfv3kV5dTIM
Chris Low
January 14, 2008 at 2:37 amNic, here’s one of Larry ‘Mr Fingers’ Heard’s acid tracks – THIS is the stuff i was telling you about – IMO some of thee most amazing music EVER created (and remember this was 87/88, before anyone else was releasing this stuff or even really getting thee sounds out of 303s)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi2kHvtNBrc&feature=related
(just the track with some crappy visuals)
Nic
January 14, 2008 at 1:59 pmNice one, Chris: I know Larry Heard’s tracks from the late 80’s having been around ‘pirate’ events…some nice tweaking and squelching…One of the people I lived with had a 303 in our house in 87…
My own tastes tend towards Drexciya, Underground Resistance, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Axis Records (Jeff Mills, Robert Hood), L.F.O., (early) Dave Clarke, (early) R&S Records (Joey Beltram, etc), Basic Channel, Sakho Records (Pana(a)sonic), Raster-Noton, Scape Records, Sleep Chamber, Jan Jelinek, and so on…
I was on a couple of records on GPR back in the early 90’s…
Having said that, my own preferences always headed more towards the wide spaces and lilting syncopation of breakbeats rather than the rigidity (which I found constrictive) of 4-to-the-floor…
I was much more excited by the early waves of Jungle in 1993 and early 1994 than by ANY 4-to-the-floor I’d heard…
Still got time for some blistering thrash though 😉
sean/dirtbox/shocker
January 30, 2008 at 3:51 pmhaving played in two of the bands mentioned,eat shit and god told me to do it I can say that disorder were an influence,especially on the glue front.Saw steve allen,original and long time guitarist at a discharge show a couple of years back,plus ca change,mon brave
sean/dirtbox/shocker
January 30, 2008 at 3:54 pmas far as making music goes,for me it was certainly a case of …”just how far can we go and get away with it?”Being prepared to fight certainly helped the chaos along…..
john
February 1, 2008 at 10:30 amwas that eat shit from nebraska ?
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 1, 2008 at 1:04 pmsure was, Scotts Bluff, NB, USA and proud,…….rootbeer, reaganomics and rock’n’roll. Just had a bootleg single put out without our prior, and hear an album is coming out of a live recording, gateshead 84 on wickedwitch outta holland.
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 1, 2008 at 1:13 pmfunny enough,disorder came to the zigzag with amebix but were not considered suitable to play.That was with boobs,vox…steve allen,git….taf,bass…neil virus,drums.The record above had steve allen and I think steve curtis on vocals,not sure about rest.
At ashton court festival,bristol,84 (where eat shit also played) boobs was not available due to a court appearance in london,stop thecity related,so an alternative vocalist was found.In those days us londoners would hae alled him a soulboy,bristol word “a blad”,none other than steve curtis,cidered up.He introduced himself “I dont know you,you dont know me….”and went straight into “daily life”…..it was the best disorder show I ever saw
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 1, 2008 at 1:15 pmsorry,I forgot….he actually said “I dont know you cunts……”
john
February 1, 2008 at 7:15 pmnebraska via kings cross then lol.saw em at a room above a boozer ,farringdon?maybe state hate played as well?
i liked the guy who stood on stage with youz dressed in an american generals uniform constantly saluting and other stuff.
can you let us know how to get the eat shit record?
ever see monty bad breath?
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 2, 2008 at 1:47 pmI was the singer,animal originally guitar in eat shit and later god told me to do it front man was the representative of Culture International Agency in uniform.See the flyer for the gig on markvegas77 s myspace page.
The single sold out instantly,I havent even got one.The album will be a split with sons of bad breath,out later this year,wickedwitch records,amsterdam.
Monty is a hells angel in bristol.Saw him on and off til I left that city for cornwall
edwitch
April 23, 2008 at 10:49 pmhi sean
in fact it will be a double lp.
one side eat shit
one side sons of bad breath
one side poison rehearshal and some grinder tracks
one side blower and old codgers
hopefully out by the end of the year
booklet with pics,flyers drawing lyrics and more insane shit
if anyone has anything layin round by the mentioned bands
please contact me
thanks ed
billie
May 30, 2008 at 12:56 pmi know you probably wouldnt believe but i am the daughter of monti the singer from sons of bad breath, it was really funny to see that people know my dad on things like this but its wicked
Penguin • Post Author •
May 30, 2008 at 6:27 pmBillie, welcome aboard…Think I put some photos of Monty up in puppies and their friends section in photo gallery ages ago.
Thomp
July 11, 2008 at 12:13 amWell it’s official DISORDER are possibly one of the most influencial punk acts ever, and WHY? Cos they kept it DIY, simple and fun. No grand political charade, just riff’s, distortion pedals, rottenesq vox and a drummer who knews his way around a drum kit. Rampton, Poppy Day, Daily Life, all gems and great live act which always left a smile on my face. Great people too who took time out to chat and swap idea’s, fav bands and homebrew! MAKE HOMEBREW NOT WAR! Bless em
Steve Allen
September 24, 2008 at 11:25 amThat picture of the band cracks me up. It’s Neil, Me, Steve Robinson & Steve Cutis on some demolishion site in St.Pauls 1980.
I remember the photographer (might have been Simon Edwards) was taking the photo & kept saying “back a little, back a little more” when Neil tripped over a pile of rocks & landed on his ass. I’m not sure how me Steve & Steve managed to contain the laughter on that photo. That look on Neils face wasn’t him looking despondant & beaten down by society it was the man with a nearly broken ass in total pain. As for the “music”, well we where never really about the “music” more about the party. I just wondering how many peoples ears i damaged with my non stop feedback. Sorry about that :). Hi Sean.
alex
January 22, 2009 at 4:10 pmdisorder stole my heart from the very 1st second that damn feedback hit my ears! to this day i’m yet not sure who was the sweet lad with a blond mohican who draw the trademark smiley face on my belly at a london gig in 83 (taf reckons it was steve curtis?), but it’s one of my most cherished memories…
a truly infuential band, dearly loved by many for the genuine and friendly attitude! nice blog 🙂
PS: shame napalm death only ever seem to mention discharge and crass tho’_!
Mick Slaughter
January 28, 2009 at 4:10 pmInteresting thoughts on the ep in the blog, I thought exactly the same when I first heard it and hadn’t thought that since I first heard Discharge.
Hearing MDC and DRI gave me a similar feeling too.
Alex, I can’t compete with your confessions of having drawings on my belly though!
Mick
alex
February 12, 2009 at 4:02 pmmick love, i’m sure taf will draw something nice on your belly if you buy him several pints…
steve, my hearing is still pretty good, all considered. i think you should have another go!
Penguin • Post Author •
December 12, 2009 at 12:32 amThis 7″ is just too good! Cranked up really high…
ray ss
July 31, 2010 at 2:27 pmi love disorder, i love the distortion and feedback, the rawness, i also like bands who sound similar and are influenced by disorder but i have never heard of eat shit and god told me to do it.
maybe a bio of each, even just a little bio would be cool.
can someone tell me how to get in contact with wicked witch, i used to buy all their stuff in the late 90s early 2000s but then i stopped seeing it in distros here in america, i read somewhere that the people who ran it didnt worry too much with distribution cuz it was for fun anyway and that early on wicked witch had more people helping then it got down to one person doing all the work. anyway they always put out quality.
peace
ray ss