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
alistairliv
April 27, 2008 at 12:58 pmIn Westbere Road section of photos there is a photo of a female Mitch taken by Val. See it here
http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb227/killyourpetpuppy/Westbere%20Rd%20-%20Puppy%20Mansions%202/?action=view¤t=Mitch.jpg
Penguin • Post Author •
April 27, 2008 at 1:54 pmUmm, yes AL, a decent example of different age groups there!
I was thinking early 1980’s, not late 1970’s!
I recognise Mitch the girl now though, think Val said she was the house best shop lifter, would that be correct?
The Bob Short link is good though Rich Bloke.
chris
April 28, 2008 at 10:33 amhaha, Rich Kid, i’m Chris Low of the Apostles, who Sii has been in touch with, but I think you may be emailing ANOTHER Chris!
You weren’t ‘Brixton Jake’ who was friend with Caroline K of Nocturnal Emissions? If so i met you lots of times in the early ’80s but had no idea you were the same character who had been in The Heretics.
Funny to read of the London Autonomists/Monday Group. I’ve known Martin Wright & Ian Slaughter since the early 80s, shared flats with both and still see them regularly. Met Martin at that RAR carnival in Victoria park yesterday in fact. Both are mentioned in Ian Bone’s highly entertaining autobiography and are still doing their own thing and well.
Hope you’re well. As soon as Pengy has some time off from nappy-changing I hope to meet up with him and get the Heretics tape (plus photos) to him so WATCH THIS SPACE!
Rich Kid
April 28, 2008 at 11:56 amNah, aint the bloke AKA as ‘brixton jake’.(I am apparantly I discovered recently AKA ‘Karakoram Jake’.But thats another time altogether.) Brixton?Never lived there.I think.And I dont think I know of Nocturnal Emmisions, the band.
But OK your not the Chris I been emailing .Hes Chris Clarke.I get that now.
But youre mates of Martin W?.Blimey.How come I’ve never heard of The Apostles?
My poor brain.You sound like you were in the thick of it.Maybe its a few years later?
Cos, we (our little posse) went off to seriuosly worship at the alter of Morpheous after the riots in early ’80’s.Then to Asia, so lost contact with the London Anarchos. I squatted again in Ldn briefly in the late ’80’s but not lived there since.
I did know a ‘Caroline W’, one of Mr Wrights ex’s . She is still mates with a mate of mine Ian , (Rising Free/Monday Group sort of)who Martin may remember.Or choose not to.
Also still mates with Angie who was with Andy Sutton.(2 Monday Group folk)and her daughter who goes to the anarchist bookfair regularly.
I also knew Danny Wright.(& Brian Gill etc, being ‘junkies’ our paths crossed…)I actually heard from somewhere that Martin died too, but obviously not.Good luck to him.
Glad to hear you were all at VP .So was my niece!!I stayed in & put on me slippers…All that noise & people !It rained , no?
Cheers for your inputs .Glad to hear of Bob – yeah Bob short was actually tall it all comes back to me…- and Lisa.
It is The Ruthless I was wondering about.
And Mitch.Yep ,she was a dabb hand at the old proletarian shopping.Werent we all?This interweb its a funny old thing , eh?
When i get aminute,Im gonna post some questions of a sociological – not scatological – type on the Toxic Graffity thread in Southern Record forum.(who ARE ‘southern records’?)
Stuff thats erked me about the counter culture in this time. (Here it doesnt seem the place for that.)Might amuse you all ?
Njoy your day
j
Rich Kid
April 28, 2008 at 12:22 pmYes indeed,yet another double post from me.
P, a great pic of Mitch.Noone knows where she is now?
And somewhere you must,surely must, have pic of I.
My vanity cant hold back.
Actually I have only one pic of me from that era so with the 2 on this site that makes 3!
Someone picd Del (Blibum)from Harrow squated in Kennington.(We later shared police cells together.oh what fun) and me in youre kitchen!
Does anyone remember an article in Paris Match(yep…)’the last of the punks’?Was from 1978 taken at the old street squat.I remember lots of pics of KYPP folk Mitch,Mark Darrington ‘Wankstain’ (Replaced Sii as our bassist- hes recently -coupla years ago- completed 8 [ouch] years in Morrocon jail.Makes my short sharp shock in Klong Prem ‘the bkk hilton’ look like a kids game…) the Aussie Crew, Ruth etc
Where might one find an article like that now?
Cheers RB
chris
April 28, 2008 at 12:40 pmRich Kid, it was Danny Wright who died , but before departing to the great opium den in the sky he penned an autobiography (under the nomme de plume ‘Lux’) which has recently been reprinted: “Camden Parasites” on Phoenix Press books. here’s the press release I wrote for it:
“The Camden Parasites” by Daniel Lux
“I sometimes lay in the warm bath reflecting upon my misspent life. I’d lived the life of a star, girls flocking all around, drugs aplenty, yet without having to live onstage or have any achievement whatever…..I was just a thieving junkie living in a squat.”
Now receiving a long awaited re-print due to the book’s cult status and high demand, Camden Parasites is the real life autobiography of Danny Lux, long time heroin addict, con-man, petty thief and philanderer who died of an overdose just weeks before the first publication of his greatest achievement of all.
Written while resident at Arlington Road homeless hostel, the narrative charts Danny’s tragically short but turbulent life. From the extreme poverty of his childhood to his experiences of the world of extreme wealth in the social circles he penetrated.
Described as having ‘more vein-popping than Trainspotting’ Camden Parasites is a no-holds-barred roller-coaster ride through Danny’s first school-boy brushes with the law, introductions to drugs, crime, theft, squatting and the early days of punk in London through to mental break-downs, addiction, hepatitis, homelessness & destitution. The only light ever shining at the end of his tunnel being the temporary comfort afforded by the daughters North West London’s privileged classes drawn to his quick wits and rough diamond charm like moths to a flame.
Irrepressible, unrepentant and unromanticised, Camden Parasites is possibly the most accurate depiction of a life spent in poverty and addicted to drugs as yet committed to print. Debunking the popular glamorised myth of the opium-addicted author as brutally as it depicts the endless cycle of unemployment, poverty, homelessness and the marginalised lifestyle it creates.
Dying from an overdose just two days before his 41st birthday, “Danny”, in the words of his brother Martin, “spent his entire adult life either on smack or trying to come off it.”
“His modus operandi was: find a posh girl, get her to fall in love with him…allow her to pay for everything and steal from her friends”
“He was an extreme drug abuser from an early age….articulate and charismatic, with a slimy charm which people found irresistible. He had absolutely no ambition whatsoever to do anything if any kind. He contracted hepatitis through dirty needles and was quite happy about that because he got more money through sickness benefit and the dole stopped hassling him. He was one of the greatest bullshitters who ever lived.”
martin has also written a book about his battles with the NF/BM from the early to late 1970s called ‘Anti-fascist’ – by Martin Lux.
both well worth a read, and who knows, you may even be mentioned in one of them!
Caroline W. – yes, know her well. Stays in Archway now and I bump into her every now and then.
Penguin • Post Author •
April 28, 2008 at 1:29 pmRich bloke, here is a picture of Old Street that we uploaded onto the photos part.
http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb227/killyourpetpuppy/Life%20before%20Puppy%20Mansions/?action=view¤t=ParisMatchOldSt.jpg
Loads of people photographed but quality (after 30 years) of being under in a box under Vals bed is not so great. Next photo is a pic of Bob Short taking it easy in one of the rooms.
There is at least two great essays if you search for Bob Short using the search function. Around the time span 1978 – 1980 that you were around. Old Street, Derby Lodge and Campbell Buildings being mentioned amonst other places.
Here is another interesting piece by Andy Martin (Andee Martian) who went on to form The Apostles probably when you left the UK? It is currently housed in the SQUATTING section
http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb227/killyourpetpuppy/Print%20material/?action=view¤t=KYPP12.jpg
Also seems like Chris has got a tape full of The Heretics. I will go see him and stick it up this week.
If you have any photos at all, see if you can get them scanned and emailed to me, if you know not what to do, then check a younger family member cos they seem to be wizards with the techno stuff. Get our details via the CONTACT option above.
I do need photos for this post of the band or relevent to the band (anyone got the Heretics in TG 4 to scan in? Actually maybe Chris has this also, will ask).
Tony, Val and Bob should add to this thread. They were there sharing experiances (as no doubt others were also, but these three are easy to write out!).
Also Rich Kid check out Blood And Roses material by searching for it, Bob and Lisa’s band. The EP on Kamera Records 1983 is immense.
chris
April 28, 2008 at 1:59 pmyea, Micky, I’ve got some glorious high quality photos of The heretics from the same session as the ones that appeared in Toxic grafity were taken.
will get em to you with the tape when we meet. will try to give you a scan of the whole TG feature too as it’s an utter classic.
Rich Kid
April 28, 2008 at 3:32 pmMy pics of me as a 15 year old punky.Looking way too camp.It aint goin on the net…
Yep heard about this book .But thought he died much earlier like 10/15 or more years ago.Or maybe that was Eddie or Gill others from his crew.
Were The Apostles linked to The Mob? I got a vague memory of meeting a guy Andy maybe, in India or somewhere & we had a good old rap about the old days.Or am I making it up ? I dunno.
Cheers for all the links .And b4 that article gets put up , if it does, I never said ‘squatting is a thing of intelligence’ Dibbol changed it.
I said ‘give us another go on that evostick Phil’ .Honest.
Rich Kid
April 28, 2008 at 3:56 pmbrilliant pics.
Christ that bit about St Monicas & Cambell bgs is very fucking moving.Im gutted to find something about it in print.
I went squatting cos I met ‘Sgt Heresy’ (while he was still on the run in ’78) in Archway & met Cory & Phil and all that lot.Then later sorted him out with St Monicas where he got nicked & put in Armely.
When he got let out,as I was temporarly at me folks , they offered to put him up too.(they were & still are way too nice)
I fucking hated Cmble Bdgs I had a mate who was actually from the tennement opposite & he was fosterd out to a family in Queens Pk, where i met him.He couldnt understand what we were doing there.
Anyway ‘Crow died there, Robbo got in a bit of trouble(hopefully you remember I really cant mention the specifics as its still not ‘settled’)and I got made ward of court by my folks .I didnt want to go on the run.(That was to be a few years later…).And i fuckin hated tuinol.For me that place destroyed many things.And fuck we really did have to barracade the door against fucking maruading scouse loonies .It was insane .
But man, that I never imagined anyone wrote anything or could have kept it together to keep it.
Its on my hard drive now
danmac
April 29, 2008 at 9:21 ammr kid – highly unlikely you met andy from the apostles in india but coulda been andy ashford who was a mate of the mob and myself and passed through asia on his way to oz in the mid 90s. did he have straw in his hair and talk about tractor racing and cider as he is a west country lad. re sams brother – last name morrow? mum and dad lived in west hampstead?
Rich Kid
April 29, 2008 at 12:21 pmYeah thats Sam for sure.I just cant remember he had a little bruva.But as i speak I sort of do.Spose that is the Andy I remember.
After I came off line & prepered the caviar bellinis(vegan of course)or whatever us rich blokes eat, with a million memories of that time, from reading that bit about it.
There was dosser killed in cmbl bgds by one of ‘ours’.Awful.And ‘robbos’ mate from brum , rolled a queer , killed him by mistake, then jumped out of window 5 stories in panache & was paralised from the neck down.He was 17 for fucks sake & got HMP for his trouble.Im glad I was only actually living there a month.It was hell.
I remember Tony D gave me a ‘buddhist punk’ badge.
I thought it was hilarious & v excellent.
And if I am anything now it is those 2 seemingly conradictory things.
And it must have been the KYPP crew at Westbere Rd who told me about WHHA?
Which led on to some very mad places, 66A -the place TG Mike Dibbol lived after he first left home (and also Ian from SthnDeathClt for a bit).KYPP mate from germany lived there at the start too.Played bass.
There was also a Pirate Radio stn from there later. Kieth interviewd Mdme Xray spex herself in the kitchen & 107 Iverson more & worse of the same badness & then Medina Ave ,Basement .There were 8 of us in a 1 bedroom.
Then we all went west & opened some some big squats in Ladbroke Grove.
Think Sam must have been in Aus.It was Me ‘wank’ ‘mad robbo’ Ex Kennington & cmbl bdgs ,keith jones -ethnic Indian byron quoting skinhead from the Cmbl Bdg days,now also dead- Ian (rising free).gretchin (sister of ‘anna ‘ friend of Nihilism on the prowl person) ‘Slug’ , fostered out of tennement opp Cmbl Bdgs,Mitch the girl (I think.Was with Robbo)Tony Black bassist in Sam & Robbos reggae band from B4 & our mate Nick.
We knew Nick Brandt (‘Refuse’ pro situ rag).
In our place in the Grove he met Tessa also ex cmble bgds & off they went kiting together.Possibly with Mitch also.What a bizzare combo.Of course they got nicked.Neither of them ‘having the art’
Anyway Im sure Ive bored you all to tears by now,if youve got a sort of network going you probably heard all there is to hear by now anyway. once it comes it dont stop.
However I do remember now after being so moved by that piece about that time.There is another source for stuff like that.I plain 4got.I wrote this rubbish book that chronicles a fictional character ‘josh’ from getting expelled from school/punk/smack/Ldn autonomist etc to chucking molies at the boys in blue in ’81.(It was written on a hill in Tamil Nadu in say, 1990 after Kumbh Mela.Consequntly,as a book its full of condesending pro situ garbage & other self important verbose guff & quite rightly got rejected by eveyone including AK press!)
However it does include some ok descriptions of squats in archway,St Monicas & lambeth. Also the uprisings in ’81. I aint bothered in putting it on My Tube or Goggle books or whatever but if this sounds interesting to anyone I could scan a few relevent pages in & send them along to be included in ‘squatting’ section on this site or wherever.If so I’ll dig it out.
Cheers RB
Sam
April 29, 2008 at 2:03 pmHello Jake!
Sam here. Me and Si have never lost touch and have often wondered what you were up to. Insane times indeed and I too wonder how we ever lived through it. But many didn’t. I’m in touch with ‘Robbo’ too who’s living in Manchester, married, 2 kids (and a Ford Cortina and a Vauxhall Viva). But seriously, I’m proud of him. More than any of us he had to pull himself up by the bootstraps and he’s got a life he loves. That’s hysterical that you think ‘What did I do’ was a great punk ballad. It was one of the many bitter songs I wrote about me and Anna splitting up and ended….”So why did I kill you?”. Embarrassing but that’s being 17 I suppose. I’m still playing music, albeit the banjo in a bluegrass band called The Dixie Bee Liners. We’re doing really well at the moment and had a #1 album for several weeks. It amazes me that we had a set of 15 or so songs (which as you say never really got played live) as we were only together for 6 months or so and were all musical idiots. They weren’t bad songs though. I remember No Character and recording it in my bedroom. This was after Si had left as you say. Wank may have rehearsed with us once but he had a similar approach to his hero Mr Vicious I seem to remember. Sorry to hear of his Moroccan incarceration. I always wondered what had happened to him. Me and Robbo assumed he’d died. The last I saw of you was in that squat in Ladbroke Grove. I was in Australia for a year and a half which did eventually get me off the smack. I got hepatitis in England before I left and like an idiot continued using. I worked as a roadie in Aus which was a shock to the system as none of us had done anything approaching ‘work’ for several years. Anyhow, when I got off the drugs I was definitely puritanical about avoiding users for a long time, but I think you have to be. I cut myself off from all of you and there was a fair amount of bad blood (literally) between us all. Funny looking back at that post-punk period and how fast everything went down the toilet. 66A was very creative for a bit, then the heroin and Iverson Rd was a dark pit of despair in my memory. I remember the bitchiness from all sides and robbing and the winter in Kilburn. Australia freaked me out because it was so sunny and people were comparatively wealthy and positive.
I live in Virginia, close to Tenessee and am attempting to be a professional musician, though I teach art at a local university. Are you living in London? I heard a rumour you were with the Convoy? That piece by Bob about Campbell Buildings is strangely moving. Amazing as I remember him as a drooling barb freak. Maybe Tuinol’s good for the memory.
Sam
Sam
April 29, 2008 at 2:29 pm66A is now a shiny office block by the way.
Sam
April 29, 2008 at 3:10 pmMe and Si had a nostalgic trip back to Acton Central where Trax rehearsal studios was a couple of years ago. A charming day out. The hardware shop where Sniper purchased his dowling drumsticks is still there as is the caf where we had tea at 7.00 in the morning. Why we agreed to rehearse at this ridiculous hour is beyond me though ‘because we were stupid’ seems to be the most logical explanation. We did get a call from Discharge’s manager after the interview came out who wanted us to send a demo tape. We sent similar stuff to what’s available here interspersed with Indian music off the radio. I love the fact we took the piss and didn’t take it seriously. Yer youngster today’d have a flashy demo and promo materials ready to go in a few days. There is a tape of I Hate Flowers which is 15 minutes long and was undoubtedly our best number. It’s like a very retarded Syd Barrett song.
Here is a bit of dialogue that I meticulously copied from one of our early rehearsal tapes with Sniper. What a funny film it would make:
JAKE “What a cretin…he’s making a cup of tea…in the middle of a fucking song maaaaan!”
SAM “Phil…come on…”
SI “Phil we’ve only got an hour left…”
JAKE “I swear he’s definitely the thickest person I’ve ever met in my life…he makes a cup of tea in the middle of a song. What a gimp”.
[Si and Sam protest in the background]
JAKE “No….no let him make the cup of tea. He’ll be happy…I shall go and find the time, right? Let Phil have his tea”.
PHIL “Yeah let me have my tea”.
JAKE “Shut up idiot”.
SAM “Shall we find out what time it is?”
SI “No…leave it out…just keep playing ’til he buzzes”.
SAM “Does he buzz?”.
[ATTEMPT AT GETTING PHIL TO PLAY IN TIME TO STEPPING STONE]
PHIL “Hold it, hold it, hold it! Me bass pedal’s gone!”
JAKE “Oh God…[pause]…he never uses it so I don’t know why he’s bothered”.
SAM “Play it Si” [so Phil can try to play in time]
PHIL [incredulous] “I just lost the fucking beat completely”
[Si plays bass line very slowly. Phil drums roughly twice the speed of the bass line]
JAKE [Black person impression] “Right on mon…lay that funky beat on me!”
SAM “Just keep going…”
SI “Just show him how to play it Sam…”
SAM “Alright….”
[Sound of guitar being put down and shuffling around the kit]
SI “No….not on the drums! On the guitar!”
SAM “Oh I see, right…”.
[Sam plays the riff very slowly]
SI “He’s got it! He’s got it! He’s got it!”
SAM “OK…lets do the reggae version at the end”
SI “No…bollocks…”
[Si and Sam bicker in the background while Phil continues to keep time. Si comes in with the bass line and Phil starts playing a different beat]
JAKE “What’s he doing?”
Rich Kid
April 29, 2008 at 4:14 pmFucking hell !!
I was gonna ask someone to ask Sii to get u to post…
Hello Sam.Great to hear ur OK. The guy from ‘nihilism on the prowl’ sed you were teaching art in the US .He didnt mention the music.Good on yer mate & lets hope for more # 1 albumns.
toonwise ‘what did I do? ‘is still a great punk ballad.I’d forgot the last line..But as we can see now , even then you had a songwriting talent..’Lambeth Skyline’ is a great song I remember.
Your posts are what I’d post, word for word mate.It was all very intense.I can add nothing.
And that thing about Phil (Sniper/Sgt Heresy)making a cuppa.I remember it now.I was shocked.Not only could he not drum in any way but he didnt want to either.Ooh such a loveable rogue.
Theres a tape of ‘I hate flowers’.? Oh no, as you said ‘retarded’ it was. Still, send it to these chaps and we can all get embarassed together…Oh and about that Disscharge tape.I bet they binned it cos they knew we were just too good.
And how brilliant it is that youre in touch with Robbo.Im proud of him too! He got an MA in nuclear engineering (?) But he was a reject from YP with ‘fuck society’ tattoed on his hand when we met him.Its a good story, that hes settled & happy.Give him ‘my regards’ or whatever the correct phrase is.Or if you see him, a big hug from me. Its superfine to hear that hes well, very supafine.
I contacted Gretchin through her dad a few years ago(shed not spoken to Anna in 10 years or something) who told me about Mark , who I aint seen in 20 years either.
She though,was not in a good state. Maybe an alki.And I think some relationship probs.Quite shocking to see her like that. She had a kid, living in Brixton
Then, like 6 months later, she phones me up out of blue says shes pregnant & needs a place to stay.She realy wasnt in a good space.I felt bad but I couldnt do it. You know sometimes we gotta keep up the barriers.But a year later she phoned up again , she’d left her geezer, moved to Wales , had another kid and was all OK .Very reticent about what had gone on.I might call on her if I’m ever in Wales.
So me?I never went on the rd with the convoy but did live in the west country & hung about alot on travellers sites when I was in the UK.But by then I didnt want to take anything , like you, got puritanical about it, not even ‘e’ so as I saw mates go from ‘e’ to ‘gear I sort of bailed out.
I’ve been overland to Asia 3 times & spent about 8 years in Asia of the last 2 decades.Some big trips of a couple of years or more.Just carried on the badness but in Asia.
Me & the missus both had the luck to spend my 25th Birthday courtesy of the king of Thailands ‘Klong Prem’ jail.Only 3 months but it did have the effect of indicating what the future held for me if i didnt sort it out.So cheers to the king!
Based in somerset on & off late ’80’s for a decade.’In recovery’
But now we’re in ‘sunny brighton’ We? Yep, Im still with kay. thats 24 years folks.Did u meet her? [Robbo certainly knows her(too well…)She was with Tom Doyle before me.I think you might have been in Aus.] We saved each other from crime destitution & prison.
And replaced it with well, crime destitution & prison.Well for a bit.No seriously its all good.I do small landscaping jobs to keep it all going, inhabit a small but very nice & sunny flat 2 mins from the seafront.Got a 12 year old motor & run windows ‘ME’.Go to asia every winter, for a coupla months.No kids (by chioce), no mortgage,(cheap rent) 3 god kids 2 nieces & a nephew.
Thankfully none of our posse got aids but we all have hep C(if you aint been checked it might be an idea.Kids U got 1 orarnet 2usually born with it bust can get it from our ‘dirty blood’
Rich Kid
April 29, 2008 at 4:33 pmDunno why it posted in mid flow..
Anyway,about kids.If u got a family & aint been checked it might be an idea.Its realy not a problem to manage.
Its definately better to know than not to.
One has to get a bit herb T ish but never mind.
Blimey .
When I asked to trace a couple of old pics on the ‘southern record Crass forum’ I thought I’d get some geek offering me an copy of TG for £££. I never imagained ‘the legend’ ,tapes & good news of old mates.
Its a blast, it realy is.
Give Robbo a bell & get him to post a hello .That would be fuckin unreal
Mr Sii, as enegmatic as ever.What u up to?
Must be bloody borin’ for the rest of yer on this heretics reunited subforum though…
If ur ever in the UK or Brighton we could go for drink .Its been long enough, probably..
Good luck to you & yours
cheers mate
Rich Kid
April 29, 2008 at 4:45 pmIts funny reading back my post .My life sounds a bit daggy,’hep C’, old rusty cars & holy carpets.But it aint at all.No rust ,no holes. I got a suntan & we got some Ikea units too!!
No one seen Phil since the ’80’s? Is that right?
Sam Im gonna google youre band, u old muka
Eeeh Ooop
alistairliv
April 29, 2008 at 4:57 pmWhich Phil ? If it is Fast Phil/ Phil Ritchie I got an e-mail from him a few months ago. It had some photos. I will post them here on KYPP today.
Rich Kid
April 29, 2008 at 4:57 pmOi Sam on your website there a pic of playerless banjo.Why pray tell might that be?You aint still got a Mohican ?
Rich Kid
April 29, 2008 at 5:01 pmI read that rehersal dialogue & i just cant stop laughing.Its a masterwork.
Rich Kid
April 29, 2008 at 5:04 pmDont think Phils name was Ritchie but I’m not sure.Wasnt it some weird northern name, something we couldnt pronounce ?
Penguin • Post Author •
April 29, 2008 at 11:40 pmJake, I will upload those writings if you find them, sounds interesting, and am sure some of the folk on this site would get some interest in what you have to say esp as a lot of the ‘fiction’ may have touched other people that browse this site, who are old enough to remember, or to have experienced Kings Cross, Kilburn, Waterloo and Old St squats.
Get in touch when / if you find them and I will arrange either a pick up or a scanning session between us nearer the time.
Bob Short has a book out, it is a good read, but rather short if you excuse the pun. Find details for this book on this site somewhere by searching for Bob Short.
Sam
April 30, 2008 at 12:30 amGlad you’re doing well and well away from the junk. Nice to know I don’t have to add you to the list. The body count’s about 12 now for me. Sorry to hear about Gretch but maybe she’s ok now. I wrote to Peter too via his website but recieved no reply. I figured he thought ‘junkie scum’ and deleted the email. I wonder about Anna. Mike Clarke said he spotted her in Portobello a while back. What characters we knew back then. I remember that huge fight at Conway hall and Anna literally punching her way through all these skinheads and flying chairs to get to Gretchen on the other side of the hall. I’m sorry they had a falling out.
I’ll give Tony your email. It’s funny but he’s still the same character…just applying the same determination to nuclear engineering as he did to nicking pornographic Smurf comic books in Amsterdam.
I’ve got a 7 year old son and he’s not got Hep C, though I discovered I had it 15 years ago. My wife hasn’t got it either. Tony just found out he’s got it but, like you said, we were fucking lucky to avoid AIDS. You may be done with the past but the past isn’t done with you. Still, I wouldn’t change a thing and we lived through extraordinary times. I’d love to meet up for a piss up. I may be back this autumn or winter so I’ll let you know.
Sam
Sam
April 30, 2008 at 12:35 amThis is the band’s MySpace page. There’s pics in the Pics section.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=15184620
Sam
Sam
April 30, 2008 at 12:38 amYou have to be a member to view them but here’s one:
http://a684.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/85/l_39a4c40cda6dc832320ecfee141f00cb.jpg
Hope this shows.
Sam
Bob
April 30, 2008 at 1:02 amHi Jake! Well, I remember you. I remember sniffing zoff (or some such vile shit) and thinking you had a double line of eyes like Satan! No seriously, I think back and the picture that springs back to mind is that hallucination! That’s what happens when you open the doors of perception and forget to close the flyscreen door afterwards.
I wrote a story about St Monica’s called Halloween ’79. I like to tell everyone it’s a work of fiction because no-one would believe it if I didn’t. I may have mentioned you in it but I haven’t read it back since I wrote it and I don’t have a copy here now.
I’m thinking the Phil you’re talking about was later known as Sniper. Phil Ritchie was known as Quick Phil (and not fast Phil) and the other Phil was Fat Phil AKA Doctor Who. (He used to go off into Time Warps which wasn’t nearly as exciting as one would imagine.) It’s been a while but I just have a vague memory that Sniper’s name was Phil. I may have been at the Dole Office with him when they said it! You know how it gets when everyone starts using their god damn super hero names and then they retire the cape. Last saw Sniper around 1981. He had a co-op flat in Stoke Newington in the Street than ran opposite to Bayston Road. Sniper constantly talked of the notion of the band the Heretics and I believe he considered them a going concern even in 81 despite their being no gigs, rehearsals or anything.
And Penguin, I apologise that the book is so short. Blame the Publisher. He only wanted books in that small format. As it was I had to fight for an extra two thousand words. Still, don’t talk about quantity. Let’s look at the quality! Look at the fabric. Admire the workmanship. Think of it as a flaming Ramones Song as opposed to a Yes Triple album box set!
Sam
April 30, 2008 at 1:32 amI remember a story about St Monica’s along the lines of a room spontaneously catching fire, then the flames completely disappearing. Wank told a great one about being accosted in the garden by a dwarf. Not a ‘small person’ but an orc-like creature that spoke in a strange squeaky voice then ran away. Who knew such things hid amongst the gardens of Kilburn?
The best Heretics tapes we had were lent to Scarecrow who left them at his mum’s house. When he died no one had the heart to ask for them back. The tracks on the other page were from the first or second rehearsal with him. I remember the ones we lent as being much tighter with possibly less fuzz box squealing but maybe it’s rose tinted spectacles.
Jake – we had an idea for a N. London Jewish punk band to be named either ‘The Yid Kids’ or ‘The Boys Goyshe’. We were going to get one of your uncles to introduce the band:
“And now……The Yid Kids. What’s all the fighting about? Learn to live with your neighbours……………compromise a little………….”
Punk was blessed with a self-deprecating humour (which comes across in Bob’s book). This is usually absent from all the bullshit histories. There is a Jewish spoof Skrewdriver band called Hail The Jew Dawn, which I’d like to see.
Nic
April 30, 2008 at 7:41 amAnd don’t forget Jewdriver…
rich Kid
April 30, 2008 at 9:23 amG’day Bob.
You good?
Sam,How the hell can you remember the yid kids/boys goyshe? I still laugh to meself when I think about it.It would also have been legendery
You lost 12?Jesus mate.Did I know any of ’em?Me, only ones I was close to were Crow & Keith. Theres a couple more but it came with the territory.
BTW I’m still very good mates with Tony Black.We were part of the same posse who went east.Hes in Wales married to Shamian(Chinese)They lived together in Taiwan for 10 years had a kid ‘Siddatha,’ which gives a clue to the influence & experiences we had in Asia.Of course ‘sid’ now hates his name wants to go & live in kilburn with his cousins & be a ‘black alan sugar’.Hes one of our ‘god kids’, now 13.
Chinese /black mix, will no doubt be a babe magnet.
‘Spider’ – Neville- Sids favorite uncle is still in the same house .
‘Slug’ ,Simeon turned up there last year after 20 years.He’d been(bizzarly for him) teaching Yoga in California.But since then hes not contacted anyone.Shame , be good to see him.
Maybe I didnt make it clear but when Gretch called me later she was fine , coherent & a plaasure to talk to.So thats a good story too.
Alot of gossip but well y’know.I reckon the time is ripe for a reunion tour, web based fan club & the rest .C’mon blue grass king y’know it makes sense…
Actually I might do a wiki entry if i get off me middleaged bum, when i aint recovering from work.(landscaping is not ‘light duties’)Might be worth it if I can keep it funny.
Where this other page with our music on then? I can only get the ‘no character’track at the end of the comp tape above.
Sii still being enigmatic..
Rich Kid
April 30, 2008 at 10:43 am…we used to sniff ‘thixofix’.What an apt product name for the future.And much better than acid if i remember rightly.
And wanks’ dwarf episode.He acttually came back quite frightened..
.Its all in my miesterwerk.Penguin,I’ll dig ’em out.The writing ‘style’ can be described as ‘pretentious’ but whatever.
‘Double line of eyes like satan’ I like that.
‘jew driver’ .’hail the jew dawn’.oh lord, briliiant..
Sam if we do ever meet up for a piss up is it gonna be a nice fluffy Hep C lets be kind to our liver
pissup or nasty heretic bollocks to all of it kind of piss up ?…
Siii
April 30, 2008 at 10:57 amWell feck me, as I live and breathe Jake!
How the Devil are you fella?
Not being enigmatic, just incompetent. I’ve been looking at the other Heretics download section and all the time the party’s been going on here.
You”ll find a few other piccies and rough recordings towards the top of the links/downloads section.
Ah Thixofix, the 16 year-old single malt of adhesives.
Nic
April 30, 2008 at 11:59 amIndeed, Thixo always delivered the goods: it’s Toluene-tastic!