Punk / metal bands from Sheff between 1986 - 1996

[pete_fcs 11]

PS: I got in touch with Nick Reynolds about eight years ago, when he was working for World Service. Having carried the guilt of ruining his first live band show for years, i was a bit disgruntled to find he had no idea who I was. If he's still at the BBC you could always try a punt with [email protected]

 

on the subject of nick's take two broadcasts, i remember him hiring a sound engineer for the plague dogs set. he was a proffessional bbc guy, well trained, about 70 years old....never heard of rock 'n' roll.

 

so the guitars were in the background like an acoustic folk set, and all you could really hear were lou's growling vocals!

 

[pete_fcs 11]

.....

 

A couple of other names popped into my head - 'Into the Storm' and 'Like Ice Like Fire'.

......

 

into the storm grew out of lou's pre-fcs band 50 famous women.

 

they got signed to red eye management, as did plague dogs. into the storm supported debbie harry who had the same tour management.

 

i'm off to buy an anorak.

 

 

p.s. here's john from into the storm outside safeway/ kelvin flats:

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b171/sheffieldarchives/people/JOHNINTOTHESTORMbypeterjones.jpg

 

...and plague dogs at my old flat 1992:

 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b171/sheffieldarchives/people/PLAGEDOGS92.jpg

[mickc 10]

Great! So four of us on ‘ere have played a village in Wales. Rock n roll hall of fame for us then.

 

Si, I’ve mp3’d Sugar Sugar from the Hallamshire for you, get me an e-mail address and I’ll send it. This was from an early gig of ours reflected by the dozen or so girlfriends and mates that make up the audience. It’s a good performance though, before the “Gig fuel” took it’s toll on us!

 

Pete I’ll send it to you too as I think you’ll like it.

 

With regard to the BBC sessions that Si is so desperate (not) to get hold of. We actually set up at Take two at lunchtime and couldn’t be arsed to go home before the gig. The bar staff took an unofficial break in the afternoon so, free bar! So I can now state, for the record that prior to setting foot on stage, Si had consumed eleven pints of stella. So taking that into account it wasn’t a bad performance mate.

 

Yeah, Nearlies at Yorkshire Art Space was defo our best gig. Got two (genuine) encores. Quentin had joined us on keyboards and we’d worked hard prior to the gig. Hmm, why didn’t we think of that earlier? I work about two hundred yards from the venue and can see it from my window as I type.

 

Did FCS play Weston park festival? Or was it plague dogs? Can remember Lou on stage and think I can visualise Mick Diggin denim clad.

 

I’ve just remembered a worst performance. The Nearlies played at the Riverside in Newcastle and when the other band turned up me and Si thought the lead singer was the coolest bloke ever. Looked like Julian Cope (reward era) bomber jacket, mess of blond hair, so we thought this is promising.

 

Anyway, the rest of the band came on and started playing, then the singer appeared dressed head to foot in a Jesters outfit, big feet, pointy hat, the lot! They were dreadful. (should’ve got suspicious when the drummer started polishing his kit prior to setting up)

[Terry_Latic 10]

Three pics of the Nihilistics from the Cefn Mawr day...

 

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bingo.master/gallery.htm

[Terry_Latic 10]

 

i saw the bland loads, went to a party at thiers in chesterfield once (think it was theres anyway, they were there ) first time i ever met jools the dwarf actually was on the train going, we woke up early the next morning blasting out early chumbawamba singles

 

I remember Julian from hunt sabbing. Last time I saw him was about 15 years ago, he was dressed as an Arab terrorist.

 

Also, knocked about with the Chumbawambas a bit after moving up to Leeds - pre world stardom, including singing on stage with them.

[mickc 10]

Thanks for the link to the wales pictures Terry, I've sussed who everyone is now.

 

I was going to make some smart arsed comment about who are the old geezers further down the page but realising that I'm half way to 90 myself, I thought better of it.

 

Damn..I just did didn't I?

[melthebell 865]

 

Also, knocked about with the Chumbawambas a bit after moving up to Leeds - pre world stardom, including singing on stage with them.

c00l

lol did you actually fit on stage? or did singing on "stage" actually mean, singing from wherever you could fit?

[Terry_Latic 10]

I only did it once - they got into the habit of dragging someone on stage each time they played. I did it at the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford - I think it was to do Heartbreak Hotel. I also did Karaoke with one of them once. Can't remember what we sang.

 

Yep we are all a bit older and fatter with less hair (except Matt).

[pete_fcs 11]

hey i've managed to upload an fcs track!

 

this is circle, written by ziggy and mik diggin, recorded badly at rehearsal at darnall music factory in winter 1986...long before we'd learnt how to play!

 

http://www.freewebs.com/f...citys...ters/music.htm

 

you HAVE to add the full band title to the address above! so cut 'n' paste then add the swearing!!

[pete_fcs 11]

.....

 

And have we mentioned Slug? .....

 

brilliant band!

 

they even did a song called major chords: tribute to the fcs, and another about nick's belly called big beer belly.

 

songwriter tom joined fcs two years later on guitar.

 

he has his own site:

 

http://www.myspace.com/wwwmyspacecomtomgeorgeness

 

he was drummer in slug, and his guitarist, arnold, joined g.g.f in '88, and i played drums for them (g.g.f.) for a bit too!

 

*gets anorak*

 

[pete_fcs 11]

.....

 

Did FCS play Weston park festival? Or was it plague dogs? Can remember Lou on stage and think I can visualise Mick Diggin denim clad.

 

......

 

yep!

 

september 12th 1987....got a poster and a few photo's of it too!

 

the park keepers were a bit annoyed with us pesky kids, and promised to go on strike if those dolebusters layabouts ever darkened their quiet park again.

 

the children's hospital across the road weren't too pleased either, but phil oakey and the girls enjoyed it.

 

see this chapter here for the full story!:

 

http://www.freewebs.com/story_of_the_fcs/chaptereight.htm

 

[pete_fcs 11]

.....

 

Oh and Pete you're not allowed to cite every single performance by FCS ever!

 

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ok here are my top five gigs in sheffield ever attended, not counting any bands i've been in!

 

1: vicious circle, hallamshire, late 1986

 

reasons...the singer was as scary as ****.....leering at members of the audience like a madman, whilst bass and guitar pumped out a menacing sound that only hull could produce. it was part of paul mill's premonition tapes art contruct promotions i think.

 

2: media:premonition -the original 1986 version - maze bar - late 1986

 

this was the band that should have taken over where joy division left off....instead of wasting our time with new order. like terry says below, the line-up was different to the m:p of the nineties, and the songs were more depressing than the sight of george formby in a mental hospital.

 

3: the masons, october 1986 dolebusters gig, nmb

 

the first band in sheffield i asked to join, on account of nick reynold's genius comedy lyrics, delivered in his unique cynical deadpan cockney style.

 

4: secret of life, 1996, the grapes

 

i listened to these heartbreaking songs over and over, all alone in my flat on park hill in 1995. then i went with my ex to see them. "this one's for those two lovebirds in the corner", said songwriting genius pete gibbons, and proceeded to greatly influence the growth of my son in his mother's womb....

 

5: eddie and the hot rods, the boardwalk december 2006

 

best punk band of the seventies besides of course the pistols. original singer and drummer, great attitude, brilliant performers, and no egos.