Indebted to Nic Bullen for sending these Rondos tracks in to KYPP.
A snippet of The Rondos live in 1979
Also many thanks to Chris Low who supplied the demo and live material uploaded tonight.
The fifth offering from this scratchy, treble up high, Rotterdam based band that basically started the punk / DIY culture up over in Holland. Massive influence to bands following on like The Ex, who they also shared members with. Also bands like The Minutemen from way over in the U.S went on to compose and perform their music in a similar way around the same time. Rondos performed with Crass at the Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London in 1979, Tony, Val or more than likely Luggs will be able to enlighten you all whether this was the gig that had the ‘infamous’ punch up with the B.M. / S.W.P. Crass played at this venue several times, but I think this was the occasion of the trouble between the factions.
Chris
February 23, 2008 at 2:46 amWhat a record! This and their one and only album, Red Attack, are utter classics. I remember I bought ‘Red Attack’ around the same time I got ‘Stations of The Crass’, so arguably it was amongst the first ever punk records you could say were discernably UN-rock and roll , where as a lot of the other stuff around then was in the Rejects/Subs/Upstarts mould which i found a bit dreary. Another record i loved – and still do – which i’m sure came out around that time was the first Six Munite War EP. and other excellent and sadly neglected group.
Nic
February 23, 2008 at 11:44 amRondos played at Conway Hall (with Crass and Poison Girls) on 8 September 1979…
This may well be the concert where all the violence flared – I believe Rimbaud mentions this concert and the Rondos in Gerard’s book (although I was speaking to the Rondos guitarist last year and he seemed to remember it somewhat differently…hmmm…)
I’ve got all the Six Minute War singles still (and love them), so maybe I could digitise them?
They were interesting on one level as they had songs criticising anarchists (probably Crass in reality!) from an SWP position…which led to Crass apparently telling off Flux of Pink Indians for playing a gig with them…
Tut, tut – naughty Flux!
🙂
The actual critique contained in the songs borders on incoherence, but they are fun nonetheless: “Anarchy, Anarchy – Anarchy’s a farce!”
p@ndora
February 23, 2008 at 2:53 pmGet all their stuff (and loads more Dutch punk) from the brilliant blog No Longer Forgotten Music: http://433rpm.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
Nuzz
February 23, 2008 at 6:11 pmNic, I don’t think maybe comes into it re: Six Minute War, go on.. be the nice chap that you are.
Nic
February 23, 2008 at 7:08 pmI’ll put it on my ‘To Do’ list, nuzz (it’s a busy time for me at the moment – through until the end of April at least)…
maybe Penguin has the eps?
I also have that Apostles / Joy of Living ep that you have lost, so I’ll put that down as well…
Nuzz
February 23, 2008 at 8:17 pmI got one of those lists to Nic, at the top of it is Find a ‘Time Bank’ and rob it! So I know were yer at. Went on one of those time management course for work once, what a load of bollocks! The theory’s great but the practise, well………………
D.F.
July 23, 2009 at 4:47 amInterested in a source about Rondos influencing the Minutemen. I’ve never heard that and it’d be interesting to find out more.