Had the enormous pleasure of witnessing this band several times in the mid to late 1980’s and they rocked my world for real. All the more pissed off as I seem to have had the debut 7″ single ‘Asbestos Lead Asbestos’ stolen from my collection by light fingered mates no doubt, sometime between maybe 1990 (around the time when I last played it) and today. I tried to search it out earlier, could not place it, had a red mist moment, then slammed this 12″ single (the first W.D.E. release on Product Inc) on double loud (not really, baby sleeping) though loud enough. What a bummer.
Anyhow this band put together by Keith Dobson AKA Kif Kif, played some great loud, gritty, nasty rock and roll akin to bands like The Folk Devils or Screaming Blue Messiahs. But unlike those other bands, the ex Here And Now and 012 member knew the subtle touch of a reggae break, while no doubt existing in the squats of Ladbroke Grove and Latimer Road for many years. On tracks like ‘Asbestos Lead Asbestos’ or ‘Hotsy Girl’ the reggae bass peels the wallpaper off the walls if played loud enough. The basslines are that thick!
Text below courtesy of the band’s myspace page.
Undisputedly, THE hardest, loudest and noisiest band of all time…
Consisting of three members: Founder Keith Dobson on guitar and vocals; Steve Jammo Jameson on bass and Digger Metters on drums, World Dom came into being on Guy Fawkes Day 1984, and played their last show in May 1990.
Grown up on the streets of Ladbroke Grove in West London. A manifestation of the hard, crazy and colourful life of the UK’s squatlands in Thatcher’s heyday.
World Dom released only two albums, “Let’s Play Domination” in January 1988 and “Love from Lead City” (late 1988). “Let’s Play Domination” sustained a place in the top three of the UK Indie Charts and the band were featured on the covers of Melody Maker and NME.
WDE preferred the short sharp napalm attack of the vinyl single and released five of these, one in each of the last five years of the 1980’s. “Asbestos Lead Asbestos” (1985); “Catalogue Clothes” (1986); “Hotsy Girl” (1987); “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” (1988); and “The Company News” (1989).
The album “Let’s Play Domination” is scheduled for re-release on Guy Fawkes Day, the 5th of November 2008, including extra extended mixes taken from “Love from Lead City”. A CD release of all the singles, A’s, B’s and 12 inch mixes is planned for early in 2009.
World Domination Enterprises performed at the Mutoid Waste Company parties at an old squatted bus depot down near York Way in Kings Cross during the late 1980’s, so here is as good a place as any to advertise the Mutoid Britain parties being held in Shoreditch all the fridays, saturdays and sundays until the end of December 2008 at the same venue (look on the flyer).
Thanks to Min and Mark Mob for giving me the nod on these events – reckon I may get out of Penguin Towers for one of the days to see these exhibitions / performances.
Nic
November 21, 2008 at 9:49 amYeah, Pengy – top hole sounds from WDE: dub and noise – nice combo…
Dobbo’s guitar was totally blistering…
The version of ‘Hit Me Little Children’ on the ‘Love from Lead City’ LP is a real winner…
I didn’t know a CD release was on the cards – I’ll be on it…
I saw them live quite a few times back in the 80’s as well: first time in 1986 and then a few times after at gigs put on by Kev Martin (ex-God / now The Bug) and on the Loop / World Dom / Godflesh tour…
They always delivered…
Steve
November 21, 2008 at 8:10 pmHas the guitar ever sounded better in the entire history of music than it does on Catalogue Clothes? Surely not.
johng
November 26, 2008 at 9:37 amfilm about the mutoid waste co from 1986 on itv(same prgramme that featured brigandage?) here in 3 parts http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Av5gQckTN18&eurl=http://www.mutoidwastemedia.co.uk/
English Paul
November 28, 2008 at 8:23 pmPeng – I have the Asbestos 7″ if you need a rip….
Catalogue Clothes is just brutal!.
baron von zubb
November 29, 2008 at 11:29 amYep, i’m in Shoreditch on 14th Dec. So i’m there. Excellent.
Gossip? No more bollocks about Rossi and Frestonia …but Joe Rush squatted on the opposite side of the street from us in Cornwall Cresent in the ‘Grove’ in ’84. We thought of that lot as ‘the hippies’. How wrong we were.
Mutoids up there with my top 5 cultural happenings of our era.
baronvonzubb
December 15, 2008 at 11:59 amGreat event. Brilliant.
The best ‘urban art’ exhibition i’ve seen for years. Its 4 floors and lots of variety.
Go east, check out the new ‘scapers, take in petticoat lane market (and see our 3 generations old
‘family pitch’ run by me cousins till this year!) & have a veggie meal down the road from the mutiods in ‘beans’. Nice. Countercultural day out for all the family.
Penguin • Post Author •
December 18, 2008 at 12:36 amBaron Von Z, I will be uploading some photos into the KYPP photo gallery courtesy of Vicky, Steve Corr and Lugworm over the weekend of this Mutoid event that we witnessed.
Matt
February 2, 2009 at 5:02 pmAny news on the WDE reissues – my vinyl of love from lead city os on its last legs …
john eden
September 4, 2009 at 11:37 amreissue is out… http://www.worlddom.co.uk/