Burn The Witch / Proletarian Autonomy / Fucking Queer / Hello Black Flag /Β Alien Asian / 1985
Rough snippets of this gig by the Apostles. This gig also featured Conflict (recorded the live 7″ on Xntrix Records at this gig), The Omega Tribe, Riot Clone, and Icons Of Filth. The Apostles actually had three different drummers this gig (not playing at the same time!), Martin Smith, Kev Bass and Dan Colley. The rest of the line up was Andy Martin, Dave Fanning and John Soares. This recording is pretty rough and cut up, but thanks to Chris Low for the lend of it anyway and for the photograph of Andy Martin performing at the gig.
Chris
January 29, 2008 at 4:03 amDidn’t I give you TWO copies of this tape? it’s probably a couple of decades ago I listened to it but I have a feeling one of the copies I gave you was the original I taped and the other might have been an ‘edited’ selection I made to fit on a tape, as i notice there aren’t any instrumentals and they always used to open sets with one. This was the gig I went along to with Nic & Miles and was the first time I met Andy and Dave (with long hair and his leather jacket painted with Gong artwork!) and Ian ‘Slaughter’, who had a go at me for graffitting on the newly painted walls!
alistairliv
January 29, 2008 at 7:47 amLucky it wasn’t Pinki who caught you graffitting Chris. When she found a young male punk writing ‘Smash the cistern’ in the toilet, she stuck his head in the bowl and flushed…
Penguin • Post Author •
January 29, 2008 at 10:01 amWill check and replace if necessary Chris.
simon
January 29, 2008 at 11:08 amClassic upload this, that also jogs my memory about the graffitti, was the same at the Autonomy Centre in that there seemed to be some bickering between the younger and older punks and anarcho kiddies about the sometimes pointless scribblings on the walls, the elders seemed to be saying that it was crapping on your own doorstep!
On the subject of graffitti, one of my favourites way back was “We own the vertical, we own the horizontal, we own the zigzag!” at the squatted Zigzag club… plus of course any that which appeared in my local subways, ahem. π
Penguin I’m fairly certain (he says confidently) that I’ve got an early Icons of Filth tape, a studio release not a live gig, if you’re interested or haven’t got, can stick it in the post, let me know.
Oh and ‘John Soares’ mentioned above being John Apostle under his real name.
Penguin • Post Author •
January 29, 2008 at 10:07 pmChris, nothing at the mo…the tape marked Centro Iberico has one Apostles track ‘Burn The Witch’ then Conflict is recorded, then Omega, turn it over it is Omega for half the tape then nothing for about 20 mins to the end.
Another tape marked with Omega / Riot Clone / Flux seems to have a Clash gig on it!
sean/dirtbox/shocker
January 30, 2008 at 3:26 pmYou can find john on the web as john travis,record producer of run dmc and kid rock.Funny,in his history he seems to have written all us lot and all this out. A shame to be ashamed, innit?
simon
January 30, 2008 at 5:12 pmThat’s freaky Sean (hello by the way π ) knew he’d gone to the States but I last heard from Tom Vague a few years back that he was no more!!
Just found this as you mentioned:
http://www.johntravis(dot)net
Looks like the (ashamed) boy done good!
Chris
January 30, 2008 at 5:36 pmAnd good on ‘im in my view! At least he’s just ignored his ‘anarcho-punk’ past rather than stooping to the absurd ‘historical revisionism’ so many bands and individuals from that scene are happy to do today.
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 1, 2008 at 1:25 pmIm not knocking the boy, I put him up in my apartment when he first came to NY, and he went on to do a lot better in the states than I did. Good luck to the little blagger I say!
Tim
February 1, 2008 at 1:36 pmWas that John, Asian looking guy with longish black hair?
Tony Puppy
February 1, 2008 at 10:58 pmWe had an email requesting “any chance you or Chris can get from Andy Martin, Glass shells and cars …and a fantastic piece on Whales never released….Daves on bass….anyway lots of love Scotland.”
If we can we will.
Hopefully someone here will know what you mean.
Pete
February 2, 2008 at 1:06 amThis is the link that brought me to your page via Google.
I heard a lot of good things about KYPP while I was in bands with Andy and Dave, so great to see you putting your archives online. Shame our paths never crossed.
Take it easy!
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 2, 2008 at 1:51 pmTim, asian looking and asian being,and a catholic upbringing.Enough to make anyone join the apostles!Seriously tho,yup thats him
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 2, 2008 at 1:52 pmI got some photos somewhere,dont know how to get them up here so I will put them on myspace soon
simon
February 2, 2008 at 8:56 pmGot loads of photos too, will try to scan this week/next and either email KYPP admin or will myspace them. Got one of you at Station house Sean, remember that there?!! F*cked up too on myspace, get back to ya! π
PS. Good on ya’ for getting off the gear, many who didn’t live to tell the tale.
PPS. Whatever happened to Animal?!
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 3, 2008 at 1:07 pmSimon,animal is apparently in london alive and well getting more and more convoluted in his published diatribes and giving lectures.Good on the fucking weirdo.
Station house loms large in the memory,the range of ludicrous haircuts we subjected each other to,ramones ,discharge ,spear of destiny and the smiths battling it out on the 1950s stereo i nicked off my dad,andy dreaming with all our help,bedwin in bed,the party box,going to parties in frocks etc etc
luggy
February 3, 2008 at 1:17 pmAnimal’s still around Hackney, don’t see him too often. He helped out Malcolm McLaren on his mayoral campaign a while back. Think he’s getting married soon.
simon
February 3, 2008 at 10:23 pmThanks for the update on Animal, yeah he was always on another planet (and of course I wasn’t!) but I always liked the bloke and had a lot of time for him. Good to hear the f*cking freak is doing ok! ;-D
Lol Sean! That really brings it back to me, good memories of that place and you’re right it was Discharge to Soft Cell and back again, poor bloody stereo! And how can you forget ‘Spaghetti, Spaghetti 1, 2, 3??!!’ There were several unsuspecting ‘victims’ of that fun game!
Great house that, I had the room overlooking the railway line, think you were upstairs reached via the loft hatch. That basement was something else and you could get out onto the line, not that we did of course! I vaguely remember nuke waste trains passing late at night – I think!
On another note… I gotta’ say guys that KYPP has not only been a great source of rare and hard to find gems, but also been an excellent bit of the www to come and share the nostalgia of the good and bad old days. A lot of time and effort is obviously being spent, so good on ya’ Penguin, Tony, Chris, Al, Mick etc… much respect due.
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 4, 2008 at 12:27 pm“Spaghetti,spaghetti,the game I like,spaghetti,spaghetti,better than tripe!”quoth the unsuspecting contestant,to which we would reply “spaghetti,spaghetti,1,2,3!) and enmesh them in a half mile tangle of rope,and if john had his way leave outside in it.I was just explaining the rules to my wife yesterday…..
As simon says,thanks pups,prime effort
simon
February 4, 2008 at 1:34 pmI’ve got a picture of James having been ‘Spaghettied’ in his bed, you can just see his head under that half mile of rope and what looks like the contents of his room on top, for good measure!
I remember the excitement of some when being invited to play, not knowing what the game entailed! No unsuspecting anarcho-punks were harmed during the making of the game. π
Will get the pic scanned and upped somewhere or other…
Nic
February 4, 2008 at 2:11 pmIt was indeed a very enjoyable concert: I can remember a balmy summer eveing with the heat still emanating from the playground tarmac as the evening fell, people crowding in and out of the door to the concert room, the thrill of listening to live music inside the energy of a crowd, meeting all sorts of people (like Andy and Dave from Apostles, and Ian from Pigs for Slaughter), and really enjoying the Apostles set (which was the main reason to be there)…
I had realised that Conflict weren’t the band for me some time before then, but I also enjoyed the Omega Tribe and Icons of Filth sets…
I seem to remember them playing a couple of instrumentals as well…
I was really pleased that they played ‘Burn the Witch’ (from John’s old band Libertarian Youth) as that was a favourite of mine at the time…
I saw John Soares a few months later (April 1983) at a Sex Gang Children / Play Dead concert at Digbeth Civic Hall in Birmingham: he’d given up the short crop and black army shirt for a Goth wigpiece, long mac and what-looked-like pixie boots, and seemed to already be writing the Apostles period out of his history…
Good on him for making things happen though, even if he is producing some hairy bollocked fuckery (Kid Rock? Ouch!)
Fair play on the early Brand Nubian and Onyx!
The next night, it was back to a much quieter (only about 10 people!) Centro for a concert by Assassisn of Hope and Riot/Clone…
Sean: is that Josie from Assassins of Hope with Olly Bucket in your pic gallery on myspace?
sean/dirtbox/shocker
February 4, 2008 at 2:31 pmNic,john did indeed go pixie booted,normally with a velvet collar drape jacket too.I think john really believed in punk as change and energy and the cutting edge so was constantly on the change himself.It was an attitude we shared and he moved on alongside me to NY hardcore,skaterock and a good underlying dose of hip hop from very early on.Sadly we parted on acrimonious terms in NYC 1990ish.He was staying with me and my wife on the lower east side and he got bored of our constant heroin use in a tiny appartment.Cant say I blame him.It is however good to see him doing so well,still pushing boundaries.
I think you will find olly and josie on markvegas77 ‘s myspace,mark palmer that is,and I would think it would most likely be AOH josie
Nic
February 4, 2008 at 4:11 pmThanks Sean: yes, I can understand his desire to keep moving forwards – my sentiments entirely…
and what sometimes seems forgotten is that a good part of the drive behind Punk was fashion orientated (from ‘who’s got the biggest mohawk?’ to ‘who is the crustiest?’), so it’s natural that people wanted to keep updating their looks…
For me, the 1980’s (at least musically) moved chronologically from 1980 through Punk and Post Punk, UK DIY, Industrial, Reggae/Dub, American and Finnish Thrash, Power Electronics, Positive Punk/Goth, Hip Hop (Real Roxanne, Stetsasonic, etc), Rockabilly/Hillbilly/50’s Trash, Thrash Metal, 60’s Garage and Psych, C86 / ‘Fey’ Indie, Global Thrash (esp. Japan), Grindcore, Modern Classical, Doom Metal, Acid House, Techno, more Hip Hop (EPMD, UMC’s, NWA, etc), ‘Experimental’ music, Free Jazz, and so on…
(yes, I am avoiding actually doing any work by writing this list π )
Gear can certainly ruin a friendship…
Ah, yes – it was on Mark Palmer’s myspace…I was hunting for 1980’s English anarcho/thrash pics…
Yours is full of you and your burners π
Chris
February 4, 2008 at 7:17 pmLast time I saw John was after that final UK Decay gig when I got the tube back with him and Derek of Flux. Seem to remember him talking about a project he was getting together with one of Decay but maybe i’m getting mixed up.
PS: Pixie-boots were cool! Coupled with black drainpipes & a short woolen military jacket = good look. Better than all that crusty malarkey anyway π
lizzy
February 8, 2008 at 9:37 pmI stumbled across KYPP on a chase only to find you Seamus O’
I read all of your comments with gladness and glee and even followed links to myspace but am so technocrap cannot access and so here i am amidst lists, names, dates, musicology. Finding Sean.
And now I can’t begin to describe how seeing a mere name has affected me. I am slightly overcome.
I have changed my opinions on webblogs. To whomever has created this, thanks, for the insight, if nothing else. Of course a special thanks for delivering Seamus O Sean who is truly the most gifted of men, a one off.
john
February 8, 2008 at 10:10 pmhaha what does that say inbetween songs before ‘fucking queer? ‘ people who put anarchy signs on the back of their jackets make me fuckin sick! ‘
never one to mince his words
sean
February 9, 2008 at 11:59 amlizzy,to which sean do you referr?Inquiring minds etc etc……..
sean
February 9, 2008 at 1:28 pm…..and is that lizzy from peterlee?
sean
February 9, 2008 at 2:33 pmcos if it is try email me,sean.ridgewell@virgin.net,or my space;
http:/myspace.com/dirtboxisback
or try link;
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=260628584
of course if it isnt that lizzy,or indeed this sean,then I must say she sounds a jolly nice lass and he sounds like a wonderful fellow,and I hope they manage to get in touch.Lucky buggers…
sean
February 9, 2008 at 2:39 pmoh the wonders of pengy and the crew,clicking on my name now appears to link straight to myspace!Im really glad I dont understand how any of this works cos my mind works on an “overflow” principle,i.e…..its already full (wasnt very much capacity to start with) so if I take on any new information it must displace something already in there to find space
lizzy
February 10, 2008 at 7:47 pmyes it is that lizzy sean. I have sent you a messge on your myspace. My mind also works on an overflow principle but I like the feeling.
Otherwise, do you think john is a bit annoyed?
Re: Pixie-boots were cool! Coupled with black drainpipes & a short woolen military jacket = good look.
I thought that ‘pixie boots’ were aimed at a ‘teenage girl market’ and so are you (chris) just trying to accuse john of being a ‘girl’?
lizzy
February 10, 2008 at 10:39 pmBut I suppose this is mainly geared towards your more manly type
sean
February 11, 2008 at 12:48 pmhttp://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/shocker_photo/?action=view¤t=lizzy.jpg
pic of lizzie,allerton rd,late 87,house where me ,danny mackintyre and asa lived,my last london squat before leaving for the states