The Chris Low Obscure Punk Tape Post…

Posted on February 29, 2008September 1, 2017 by Penguin

The Apostles / Primal Chaos / Black Flag / The Heretics

Man about town, obscure punk enthusiast and general good guy, Chris Low late of Political Asylum, The Apostles, Oi Polloi, in the 1980’s and The Parkinsons in 1990’s, handed this tape to me on his birthday along with a load of others. I have uploaded this late because it is unfortunately been dubbed / copied onto tape by horrid mono means, i.e it only comes out of one speaker…bummer! Two other tapes Conflict at Brixton Ace 1982 supplied by Mark ‘Vegas’ Palmer starts off stereo then clicks into mono. Sadly to say Lugworm supplied a cassette tape recorded from Spaceward Studios of The Mobs LP recorded there. Not interested in The Mob LP as such but there is an alternative mix of ‘Stay’ which I was absolutely interested in. This track also plays on one speaker. Point of fact – nothing wrong with my cassette playback system!

Any how, I do not like putting up faulty or mono cassettes onto this site, but this has to be an exception because of the rarity value. The Apostles, Primal Chaos, Black Flag, and The Heretics all for the price of…well nothing. Not sure of the history of the tape, no doubt Chris will comment on it. Not sure of the line up, track listing or anything else. Again I hope Chris or his chum Nic will comment. On the B-Side of the tape is a Flux live gig and a Napalm Death practice. All I the info I got what was written on the tape itself, just band names basically. I actually have not heard this tape yet cos wifey needed me to do something so I just let it play…hope Bucks Fizz does not come on half way through the recordings!

Info from Nic:

The Apostles:
Pete The Plectrum (later formed part of ‘The Hunt’ on the first LP)
Some Men Are Born To Rule (the first song the group ever wrote)
Antichrist
? (This isn’t from this time period if I remember correctly – it features the drum machine: is it ‘The Island’, Chris?)
Solidaridad Proletaria (This is the original title at the time of recording: it was later changed to ‘A New World In Our Hearts’ and was re-recorded on both tape and vinyl)
Killing for Peace
Proletarian Autonomy (later re-recorded on tape and vinyl)
Time Bomb
Stoke Newington 8 (later re-recorded on tape and vinyl)

Primal Chaos – Rehearsal 1982:
Systems Slave (This isn’t part of their ‘Fighting for a Future’ rehearsal tape)

Black Flag – Rehearsal 1981:
The Master Race (Earliest version of this song that I heard)
Waiting for the All Clear (later recorded by The Apostles, but this version features Matt Mcleod on vocals

The Heretics – Rehearsal 1980:
No Character

Jake from Heretics on stage with Iggs of Crass 1979

The Heretics

811 comments

Phil
May 29, 2008 at 11:38 am

Hee,hee Bliss chemests. Wot a name..One of wogs hang outs.
Stewart (jellyfishinthebath)
May 29, 2008 at 1:13 pm

Re Shanti: Lol, that’s the one! There’s a photo of her (with me and Andy and Pip and Ken) when we went to a Managing Directors gig in Blaenau Ffestiniog (north Wales) sitting in some (actually, probably the only) pub there, which I hope Penguin will be posting in a bit. Don’t think the locals had ever seen anything like it, lol. They refused to serve us snakebite cos they thought we’d turn violent, so we had to buy a half pint of lager and a half pint of cider and mix them together in a pint glass, doh! The local kids were so enthralled they were running up to the house we were staying in and shyly peering through the windows at us like we were aliens. Bless! The band played with Charge a lot, and with the Poison Girls, and at Chats Palace a lot, and loads of other places too – they were great, I loved them. Still have their single which includes the line “Jez has spent his life dreaming he’s a soldier, Andy needs a fix to see him through the day”. I even have a photograph somewhere of Jez kissing his pet cat which after Blood and Roses had had about one skanky gig he signed and gave to me! He said it was his first autograph… Autograph, lol! He was only in the bedroom downstairs in the squat we were living in at Cazenove Road, lol! Well, he was until he fell asleep on drugs and set fire to the bed, which set fire to the rest of the room, which set fire to the rest of the place. I remember German Frank running down the road to the phone box (hey, no mobiles then!) to phone the fire brigade, getting halfway, then running back and shouting “What’s the phone number????” Come to think of it, Jez KEPT living in his soot-blackened bedroom for some considerable time afterwards… Ahhh, happy memories 🙂 (The Blaenau connection was because John the drummer and Kevs the bass player both came from there)
Ian S
May 29, 2008 at 2:59 pm

Very glad to see Stewart F and Quick Phil from Huntingdon Street days alive and well and posting here. Walked past number 51 a few months ago on the way to the Hemingford Arms for a quiz night. Needless to say it’s a prosperous-looking home now. If only the current occupants knew what used to go on in there ho ho.

Best wishes to you all
Ian ‘Slaughter’
Stewart (jellyfishinthebath)
May 29, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Hi Ian! Good to hear from you, too! Got to go to work now, so just quickly: The prosperous-looking home must be completely new, because I remember going to 51 Huntingdon Street myself MANY years ago and discovering it no longer existed – there was just a big hole where they’d knocked it down! Unless I was hallucinating, which is possible…
The whole immediate area, generally speaking, was actually very prosperous even then – I believe one Mr T Blair used to live just round the corner – who knows, he may even have been there when a conga line of multi-coloured punks on mushrooms danced past (I remember I thought my leg was broken for some reason and was dragging it strangely behind me, lol). You take care! Post soon! I love this! x
baron von zubb
May 29, 2008 at 6:31 pm

Thats the class war ian s, no? Hello mate we never met as i was out of the london anarchist scene by the time class war really took off. But a question as you got mentioned quite a bit in the two books i looked at the other day.
What was the beef between you lot and Nick Brandts lot, apart from the fact that he & writey never ‘got on’ ?
Alex gets a bit of serious rough house in your mate Mr Bones book.
But as far as i remember, apart from being a bunch of middle class twats they were sort of alright. That guy W*** actually smuggled a load of mollies into Railton Rd one day & helped along, well caused infact, a whole weekends entertainment .
Phil. Which Ritchie are you?
I knew a few from D I Y quite well at one point as I was based in Somersert & so were they.We may have missed each other by minutes. Cant remember anyones name though.
Can you remember the Septic Sock Cafe? Best name ever.
On the travellers site at Pilton the year of the riot (boringly enough I was blooded in that one too…)
and the Car Crash Cafe? That year was mad. My mates simon & kay ran a gyroscope. Lived on site in Avon. One chap had a huge maroon showmans. He died in Brighton years ago. Fuck cant remember his name. Son of a Lord the rumour went.
baron von zubb
May 29, 2008 at 6:34 pm

BTW to whoever posted that punk squat video.Cheers.Its classic.
chris
May 29, 2008 at 7:20 pm

baron von zubb Says:
Alex gets a bit of serious rough house in your mate Mr Bones book.

Bizarre! Is Heretics Alex on here the same Alex who lived in Brixton and did that “We have our own idea…” issue of CW? In which case i met you a few times years ago when I was staying with Martin Wright and also in Brixton with an ex-girlfriend.

If NOT – think there’s another mix-up!

Either way, i’ll be seeing Ol’ Wrighty over the weekend so will ask him if he remembers any on here from ‘Monday Group’ days, and you might want to track down copies of his book ‘Anti-fascist’ which is all about this period, plus his brother Danny’s book, ‘Camden Parasites’ which is his autobiography set amongst the London punk, squatting, heroin scene of the day. Both on sale at Housemans on Caledonian Road 🙂

And if anyone has any photos of any Monday Group related ‘interventions’ or from Rising Free bookshop etc. I’m sure he’d love to see them!
Phil
May 29, 2008 at 7:44 pm

Hi Ian s, Do you live near the Hemmy. I’m in Kings X. Could do a meet sometime?
Baron Yeh, D.i.Y D.J.s Digs &Woosh (Rick n Pete) Simon DK, Emma, Jack.
Yeah that Pilton Riot was to do with that Bristol security (Drug Gang)..Scary
Phil
May 29, 2008 at 7:52 pm

Stu, it still is the same 51 Huntingdon St apart from Pips shop window.
The Lesbian separatist house looks almost the same. A run down house in a very posh street.
Phil
May 29, 2008 at 7:58 pm

Oh yeah Jez was living in that burnt out room for ages..And he hardly changed a thing! Very Blood and Roses!
Phil
May 29, 2008 at 8:12 pm

Anyone remember Tarquin from W London. He hung out with Greenhair and Iggy
stewart
May 29, 2008 at 10:24 pm

Bloody hell, what was I on, then?!?! Lol. Difficult to miss a whole fucking house…!
alistairliv
May 30, 2008 at 12:14 am

Phil – I do remember a Tarquin – early nineties he tracked down Min who was living at Yatesbury just outside Avebury and me and Pinki went to visit Min there a few times – went again after Pinki died to scatter her ashes on Silbury Hill / West Kennet Long Barrow.

Haven’t seen Tarquin since, but Min now a Speech and Language Therapist, lives in Tottenham and is married to Phil Bishop.
luggy
May 30, 2008 at 12:32 am

Hey Phil, nice to meet again in cyberspace, did the Olympics drive you out of Stratford?
Do you know Cory’s living in a St Mungo’s hostel in Euston?
Just came back from King’s Cross, saw Brummie Graham, the dirty old clown (see seperate post somewhere) play with Dread Messiah in York Way.
It’s changed a lot over the years. Glad there’s still some degenerates living there!
Penguin • Post Author •
May 30, 2008 at 12:48 am

Tarquin has commented on this site:

Tarquin Says:

February 20th, 2008 at 9:13 pm edit

The way i heard it….it wasn’t just dirty water and seaweed in that bucket… Donna wasn’t feeling very well that day!! xx

on this thread:

https://www.killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/?p=602

Also Al, Min lives in Tottenham, great stuff…Tony should get her out on the 13 June for John’s Never Any Last Names To Speak Of, London meetup…
Ian S
May 30, 2008 at 10:50 am

baron zon zubb: hello there. I have not read those books so not really sure what those things were about. Nick Brandt rings a bell as a name but don’t remember who he was or why anyone would have a beef with him. Ditto for Alex. Lots of the people around then were young argumentative blokes so it could have been over next to nothing.

Phil: hello to you too. It would be good to see you after all these years. Live south of the river these days but work around Kings Cross part of the week so a meet-up would be fine.
baron von zubb
May 30, 2008 at 1:27 pm

Chris dunno who heretics alex is.
But i (BVZ/Rich Kid aka Jake) was just referring to something I noticed in Ian B book about some bloke ‘Alecks’ (was spelt funny) who in the book seemed to be a mate of Nick Brandt and who got a bit of a slagging. He did live in Brixton after South Ken. Went out with a lady from Bologna. Im just after gossip really, he aint got no connection with the heretics, except that I knew him.
Im sure any beef was about nothing but strange that it made it into print.
Good to know Housemans is still going, seems so many radical bookshops have dissapeared.
chris
May 30, 2008 at 3:05 pm

aha! JAKE, sorry, was geting your name mixed wrong and up with Alex. Yes, that’ll be the ‘Aleks’ i’ve met, though, agreed, dunno why he gets such a slagging in Boner’s book, he seemed a good mate of Wrighty’s and that would have been only 7 or 8 years ago i last met him round Mart’s flat. Didn’t Nick Brandt do a magazine called ‘Virus?’ remember the Duncan terrace lot didn’t like them, but then again, they didn’t like many people 😉
PS: Noticed last night that The Heretics get a few mentions on an Apostles cover, apparently Andy Martin used to stay with Sniper and there’s a few tales their experiences squatting together. Plus stuff on Huntingdon St and Campbell Buildings. Will try to scan the article and get it off to Pengy soon as I get a chance.
yes, Housmans seems to have undergone a new lease of life lately, perhaps due to the return of Ol’ Catweasel Malcolm.
Penguin • Post Author •
May 30, 2008 at 6:14 pm

Think that piece of text from Andy Martin you mention is already up Chris, under squatting section, quite early on.

http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb227/killyourpetpuppy/Print%20material/?action=view&current=KYPP12.jpg
Mark M
May 30, 2008 at 11:59 pm

First off hi to Phil Its been a long time …In answer to the Baron the site in Avon with Simon and Kay was our gaff at Abson. Ten of us put up £500 each and bought an acre and turned it into a site. We stayed 5 years before being served enforcement orders. The guy with the showmans was Hazel who we all know and loved.He was one of the original 10 alongside another star of the time Captain Max.
baron von zubb
May 31, 2008 at 9:48 am

Blimey Mark. Yep that the apson site, nr pucklechurch. Couldnt remember the details.
I remember you, or at least my better half does. Im crap like that..
I’m Jake other half of (another) Kay, Simon & Kays mates.
I might be remembered as the bloke you used to turn up in their trailer, often dressed like an Afghan.
So you’re a mate of Phils? It seems a very small world.
Any news of Simon & Kay?
After they had a kid we sort of lost contact, didnt see them at events, us off in Asia alot. Heared they moved back to the black country & had another kid, no? I remember now I actually spoke to Simon & arranged to meet up but it never happened.
Some good news about them would bring an odd spinoff from this thread
Chris.Brandties rag was called ‘refuse’. And it was bloody brilliant. He also did a load of situ graffiti in west london. Anyone rememer all the
‘gloo is…’ stuff?
‘gloo is a candle in the wind’ classic
All along the 28 bus route.
He said it was him, and it did have his arty feel to it. Aint nothing like that now. I mean how come their isnt loads of pro soitu climate change & anti war stuff plastered all over our capital. What IS wrong woth the youth of today?
Ok I now have a proper comp system. I threatened to unleash my master work on the masses & Nic(i think)& pork expressed an interest in it..
Two folk are enough for me!
So mods how you want it.I can scan some bits in & mail them to you for you to place them – or not- where you like?
Phil
May 31, 2008 at 10:33 am

Hi Mark. Great to hear from you.
Alistair I did’nt know Pinki’s ash’s were on Silbury Hill.
Pinki often dances through my heart.
Ive a phone number for Min via Cory, I tried it last night but no answer.
Will try again today.
Phil
May 31, 2008 at 10:38 am

Hi Luggy. Yeah i’ve come full circle back from where iIstarted from, 5min walk from Derby lodge.
Hope to see you at Subway sect.
Is anyone else going to see X-Ray-Spex at the Roundhouse?
Penguin • Post Author •
May 31, 2008 at 11:03 am

Jake, I will email you direct concerning the book you wrote, so I can get scans sent to me to put up on the site. Assuming the book is not libelous! Mark M, have you sent them chords to TOH at all yet? Please do…if you can remember them! X Ray Spex, you up for it Tony?
Mark M
May 31, 2008 at 1:22 pm

Pengs. I mentioned this to a fella Chris in the pub in Bath last night and he knew the chords off the top of his head!!! Hes also got loads of tapes that hes getting cleaned up for you. Plenty of people will remember Chris cos he was at the back with a tape recorder at nearly every gig/centro etc…. But of course ive forgotten again so I will write later when i get near a guitar and can work it out.Its a pretty safe bet it revolves around E and doesnt stray too far…
baron von zubb
May 31, 2008 at 6:07 pm

Wish it was libelous. Nah, it really aint that exciting.
baron von zubb
May 31, 2008 at 8:32 pm

That traveller homes site is a serious bit of work. Nice one
Jah Pork Pie
May 31, 2008 at 10:51 pm

Another name I just remembered: Grant, the “Soupdragon” guy from Campbell Buildings. Big mate of Ruth’s. Indian-ish looking. From Mitcham or somewhere near, I think.

And just one more memory: asking for “A drop more hot in number 5 please mate!” in the public bath house on the other side of the road from Kennington nick. What a treat that hot water was.

@baronVonZubb-> Remember, the dead can’t sue for libel… and it’s only worth the living suing you if they think you’ve got the money to pay the damages… so go for it and be creative mate! 😉

I’ll start you off if you like:…

“I actually saw, with my own eyes, Billy Idol fuck a drowning goat while feeding amyl nitrate via an enema tube to a 12-year-old Albanian trainee nun wearing a Tony Blair mask. All this while wearing an aqualung on the bottom of Michael Barrymore’s swimming pool”.
Jah Pork Pie
May 31, 2008 at 11:13 pm

Oh, and Jake/Sam/Leigh (if you’re here), are there any recordings of Eric Hysteric And The Esoterics available? Can you upload them on here? I’d love to hear some of that!

And any good Eric Hysteric stories too….
Nic
June 1, 2008 at 2:07 am

I presume that is another Eric Hysteric from the German guy who was in Vomit Visions?
(I have the Vomit Visions and Eric Hysteric records: great, ugly, lo-fi, inept, amateur…)
alistairliv
June 1, 2008 at 10:08 am

Nic – It is the same Vomit Visions / Eric Hysteric

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vomit_Visions

Note – this is from Google’s auto translation.

Neither Hans sausage nor the sociology student had Rola rock musical skills, which means they were bassist and singer as the perfect complement to Hysteric (guitar) and Krist (drums). ….Then Hysteric emigrated to London and started – with the support of the Australian punk pioneers “The Last Words” – a solo career.

For Drums & Bass was the time not yet ripe. . Therefore, Eric Hysteric and Leigh Kendall (The Last Words) to drive production . On 27 and 28 December 1979 the Vomit Visions with a two-track Revox in the basement of Krist four songs.

. As proved difficult contract negotiations with Herbert Egoldt, with a buyout contract all the usage rights to the recordings wanted to acquire. . Krist insisted only a limited (number of plates produced) license agreement in which all rights to the recordings in the band remained. When the “punks Are The Old Farts of Today” EP in April 1980, were band and label boss already divided.

While Alfred Hilsberg of “embarrassing conventional punk” wrote and the Zig-Zag Magazine (No.102) the EP as “rotten indescribably known, was in Issue 3 of” Kill Your Pet Puppy “, the second fanzine by Tony D. , From 1976 to 1979 & Ripped Torn had edited to read: “Far out man, makes Crass seem like a bunch of choirboys.”

More comprehensible, slightly, is this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Words
Phil
June 1, 2008 at 11:19 am

Jahpork your memory is incredable! I remember all these peeps now, Grant was best mates with Dirk.
And I think it was Dirk who would get pocket money for going up to Penge to wrestle with Big Daddy, who took a bit of shine to him!
Phil
June 1, 2008 at 11:25 am

Mark, Didnt a lot of us revolve around an E and stray too far?