Omega Tribe – Live At The Clarendon cassette – 96 Tapes – 1984

The new sound of Omega Tribe recorded in September 1984 at Hammersmith Klub Foot, was quickly released on Rob Challice’s 96 Tapes imprint.

Omega Tribe, like The Mob, released a fine debut LP in 1983, The Mob split up by the end of that year, not to return to a stage or a recording studio again.

The Omega Tribe however had added extra musicians and instruments to their line up by the end of 1983. The sound of the band with an increased line up expanded into Billy Bragg meets Rip Rig And Panic territory (in my opinion). Although this direction was applauded in some areas, the view of the previous Crass / anarcho punk fan base was predictably less enthusiastic to the new sound.

Text below from Wikki willy peed in ya.

Omega Tribe is an English anarcho-punk band, formed in Barnet in 1981. Their first EP, Angry Songs, was produced by Penny Rimbaud and Pete Fender for Crass Records in 1982.

Their subsequent LP, No Love Lost, (released by Corpus Christi Records, 1983) won the hearts of many hardened anarchos and secured their place in anarcho-punk history. A far more melodic style, encouraged by producer and new guitarist Pete Fender, created a highly influential template that many other bands were to build on.

They released a cassette only live release on 96 tapes in 1984.

Pete Fender departed early in 1984, after a memorable year for Omega Tribe. Line-up changes were fairly frequent after this period and a 12″ EP, “(It’s a) Hard Life”/”Young John”, was finally released in 1985 that showed a complete change of direction. By 1986, after the departure of vocalist and founder-member Hugh, the band was known simply as The Tribe. The band continued to maintain a presence on the UK live circuit for a further year or so but recording opportunity evaded them. The band split in 1988.

Omega Tribe reformed briefly to play guest spot at Vi Subversa’s 60th Birthday Bash at London’s Astoria 2 in June 1995. A short incognito tour under the name of Charlie showed promise, but the band’s members had other interests and the project was short-lived.

A compilation CD, Make Tea Not War, was released in 2000 on Rugger Bugger Records and a cut-down vinyl LP version was also pressed. Both albums quickly sold out.

9 comments

luggy
October 18, 2008 at 8:10 pm

I think that was the ULU gig that we had a mini-riot after. I remember the gig was fairly boring & some of us got in the lift to check out the other floors. The doors opened on one floor where there was some works Xmas do going on (might have been firemen or LT workers). One of us got lamped and we all beat a hasty retreat.
I remember we were well pissed (in both senses of the word) & ended up putting loads of windows in down Tottenham Court Rd. Two groups of us were pulled up by the rozzers outside Goodge St station. Remember legging it down the tube with Bedwin when their attention was on the other group. I didn’t realise that they were following us until they jumped me at the bottom of the escalators & broke my nose. Bed & the other group got away.
They let me out in the middle of the night when I managed to convince them that I was just a drunken twat who hadn’t been rioting. Long walk home but saved my other mates from getting nicked, one of them was already up for a conspiracy charge from the earlier Wood Green riot so I saved him from getting banged up.
combom
October 18, 2008 at 8:30 pm

thanx for this Omega Tribe are a personal fav, along with the mob 🙂
markdc
October 18, 2008 at 8:41 pm

thanks for this – a great band i remember a sparsly attended gig at the gallery in manchester where the ot’s played their hearts and souls out
Ian
December 4, 2008 at 6:04 pm

Somebody once said to me “If you are not left wing before the age of twenty-five you have no heart, and if you are not right wing after the age of twenty-five you have no brain”. I immediately disregarded this as smug reactionary tripe pedalled by the elderly and infirm of mind…
Hmm..

You know, this Death In June album is quite excellent.
And I do so enjoy the sensuous pleasures of the scent of polish on bootleather, of cologne on freshly shaved skin..
Must sign off now as I must attend an appointment with my accountant regarding my Nestle shares.
EVA! Take Blondie out for a schiess, theres a gut frauline.
Kent
December 6, 2009 at 4:08 pm

Blast from the past Klub Foot was a old haunt of mine but missed this one thanks for posting.
Old Knobby
December 27, 2013 at 12:59 pm

Is it me, or is the link for the first part of this one not working?

Thanks for all the other goodies on here. I missed most of them first time around, being slightly too young and living way out in the sticks. In a pre-Internet age it was often luck or word of mouth if you came across a lot of this sort of stuff.
Penguin • Post Author •
December 28, 2013 at 11:35 pm

Sorted now Old Knobby. Press on the link it automatically plays. Press the download on the playing link gets you to save the mp3…
Old Knobby
December 29, 2013 at 8:47 pm

Thanks muchly Mr Penguin, nice quality recording on this one too!
joe public
January 29, 2014 at 8:32 pm

I got a decent recording of these live at Henge 84…lovely flute that’s not on other versions of ‘with you’….can occasionally hear the chillum-smoke filled breeze on the mic. No idea how I came by the old c90 but it’s a carefully looked after treasure!!….very few recordings of the anarcho types live at Henge, as far as I know….:)….