Exit-Stance

"

     Exit-Stance was known for being one of the more powerful and heavier sounding 'Anarcho' bands and were also one of those 'Conflict' bands that were lucky enough to meet Conflict and have their music released by their Mortarhate label. They were from Milton Keynes and were formed in 1982 from an earlier band called 'Fuck Authority', but even before that they were known as Ethnic Minority. That bands guitarist Dave Bancroft and their vocalist Alison Wyn-de-Bank left the band to get married, and that resulted in the name change to 'Fuck Authority' and the remaining members were bassist Mark 'Jevs' Jeavons(had to move to drums after the name change), guitarist Dave Paul, and drummer Sean Finnis(moved to vocals after the name change). However, their name eventually got them into court and they had to change their name to Exit-Stance which had to do with the word 'existentialism', but they admitted that they just stole it from a Poison girls poster. At first, they were heavily influenced by The Clash, but not so much by The Sex Pistols, because they could relate to the Clash's lyrics, and only found the Sex Pistols as a 'shock band'.

     It wasn't until drummer Mark was replaced by sixteen-year-old Andy Williams that the band started to get their intense sound(Andy was more influenced by Killing Joke). Their first rehearsal room was an art room in an old rectory since they were unable to find venues or support from local bands. They decided to take matters into their own hands and recorded a small set and had their friend Tom Dallen help them go on a small tour away from their hometown to start playing. They were eventually banned from playing gigs for displaying disturbing art behind themselves on the walls(while they played) that attacked religion. They had to go back home, but quickly received a call from Colin Kerwood of Conflict, whom invited the band down to Alaska Studios to record a track for the 'Who? What? Why? When? Where?' compilation.

     They managed to record their song fast enough to record several more songs, which were ultimately released as their first E.P. titled 'Crimes Against Humanity'. The band then prepared for a U.K. tour with Conflict, but they got in a bad car accident before it started where Andy had to get taken to the hospital unconscious over someone's shoulder, and their van got taken away by police which led through a big struggle where they had to get back to Milton Keynes with no money the next day. Then, after their second van suddenly broke down, the band ended up crammed together with Colin in Conflict's van. After the tour, Andy left the band due to an illness which took the band by surprise, and was replaced by their friend Darren 'Daz' Pugh who played some shows with the band until he ditched them at a gig(Conflict's drummer 'Paco' had to fill in on drums). The band then managed to get in touch with Andy and they begged him to rejoin the band, which he agreed to do.

     Andy returned just in time to record the 'While Backs Are Turned' 12" which was released in 1986, and a tour was played with Conflict to promote it. The tour involved several gigs were they had to fight back against constant threats from skinheads and the police. Unfortunately, they became disillusioned with the scene, claiming to have gotten tired of the 'constant criticism... being judged all the time, attacked for not being perfect,... people always wondering if we were conforming to the 'anarchist rule book'! That wasn't what I got into all this for; in fact, that kind of attitude was what I wanted to change!' The band began work on the next album after their 12", but they split while their where writing the material. The band reformed in 2003, but they didn't last that long and split soon after.

"The Voiceless Now Have A Voice (Part 1)"


A fox or a minx coat made to measure
Gives credence to the murderers who hunt for pleasure
A creature scared shitless
Tormented then caught
Slaughtered by mindless cunts who call it fucking sport

The voiceless now have a voice

The voiceless now have a voice

The voiceless now have a voice

The voiceless now have a voice

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Or more usually in the eyes of a rabbit
Blinded by cosmetics, blinded by profit
Blinded by vanity, blinded by science
Have we the right to inflict such torture

Liberation not experimentation

Liberation not experimentation

Liberation not experimentation

Liberation not experimentation


"Slaughterhouse"

Victims of science; morality and violence
Victims of progress and victims of profit
You've seen the tortured, slaughtered
But still you choose to ignore it
Animals suffer and animals die
Nobody shouts but we all whisper why

Needless experiments in the name of science
Medical research is how they justify their violence
Whilst they amass prestige wealth and fame
The end result of their sadistic experiments is
Yet more death and pain

And we teach compassion, love and caring
But with torture under the guise of knowledge
These sentiments have no bearing
If we see a battered child we stand shocked and appalled
But a smoking beagle or limbless rabbit
Are too easily ignored

Animals burnt, beaten, blinded
Sadistic slaughter given no real reason
While backs are turned, bodies are burned

Knowledge is power but ignorance is bliss


"They Kill Dogs"


In the name of science, they kill dogs
Testing new detergents to cleanse our bogs
Dumb animals can't answer back,
How scientific to murder a dog or cat
All in the name of scientific progress
Innocent animals never resist
We're a nation of dog lovers or so they say
But we condemn them to suffer every fucking day
Distorting innocent animals
To cure what disease
In the name of science and progress
They justify just what they fucking please
And what have they got to show for all this pain and sorrow
Will the slaughter of the innocent make a better tomorrow

In the name of science, they kill dogs

In the name of progress, they kill dogs

In the name of humanity, they kill dogs

In your name, they kill dogs


"The Voiceless Now Have A Voice(Part 2)"


From the pasture to the small town
Where the abattoir stands
There lurks the slaughterer
And he's got blood on his hands
Off to the supermarket
Bits of animal to buy
They die
Need to say
When we ask why?
Who profits?
The farmer, the slaughterer, the butcher
The cunts

Would you eat if it you had to kill it?

Would you eat if it you had to kill it?

Would you eat if it you had to kill it?

Would you eat if it you had to kill it?


"Christian Militia"


The cross hangs foremost in your mind
Religious piety cover up the crime
Centuries of corpses piled upon the alter
In christ's name they justify the slaughter

The cross you gave as my reward
Christian militia, army of the lord
Christian militia, christ's army unite
Bible in the left hand machine gun in the right

Mine is the blood on the battlefield split
Mine is the blame, the sacrifice and guilt
You gave me a gun and a prayer
A cross and a crown of thorns to wear

I can see the marching of the christian militia
I can see the hatred in their eyes
I can see a million kneeling in prayer
I can see a million feeding off their lies

Centuries of corpses a nations loss
Centuries of corpses nailed upon thy cross
Centuries of corpses a nations loss
Centuries of corpses you nail upon your cross


"I Have No Gun(But I Can Spit!)"


Rule by fear from their ivory tower.
Rule by force from their temples of power.
Remember the empire and the stories they tell
of exploitation, slavery and how India fell.
The spirit of the empire of grand old British rule
is seen with frightening regularity in the
corridors of white hall.

Millions killed in our search for glory.
Millions slaughtered but that's another story.
Another cover up which we choose to forget.
The actors are ready, once more the stage is set.
Across the water the natives are unrestful.
Across the water on an Ireland once green.
So we sent the army not to kill or to bully,
but to keep the peace but not to go peacefully.

I have no gun but I can spit.

I wont fight for the sick profit.

I despise your empire. I deny your crown.
The boat may be sinking but I wont fucking drown.
I pledge no alliance to any flag or nation,
your sick history, your greed and exploitation

I have no gun but I can spit.
and I wont fight fight for your war profit.

Shall we re-capture India on Monday?


"The Shit still Stinks"


Morality conditioned into us from birth
Hungry for life they fed us death
They replace innocence with fear and guilt
And on our acceptance their dominance is built

The morals you gave, digs another grave
Normality, convention, words to enslave
Young minds trained, free hearts chained
On top of the deadpile the flag flies torn and stained

With the blood of centuries of others moralities
They talk of morality then let millions die
In poverty, the knowledge between right and wrong
They talk of peace then build a bomb
I want to know what the fucks going on
Their lies are easy to follow
Their banner easy to follow
Yet millions lay slaughtered
And millions more are tortured

And the shit still stinks

The shit still stinks

The shit still stinks

The shit still stinks

We swallow, we follow
Knowledge between right and wrong
Whose wrong, whose right
Eyes that are open but lacking sight
Young minds trained free hearts chained
On top of the deadpile the flag flies torn and stained

They talk of morality then let millions die
In poverty, the knowledge between right and wrong
They talk of peace then build a bomb

I want to know what the fucks going on
Their lies are easy to follow
Their banner easy to follow

Yet millions lay slaughtered
And millions more are tortured

And the shit still stinks

The shit still stinks

The shit still stinks

The shit still stinks


"Ballykelly Disco"


I bear the scars, do they show
from the night we all got legless at the ballykelly disco
drinking and dancing behind the wire mesh
a blinding flash and the smell of burning flesh
corpses stink at the ballykelly disco
dance of death at the ballykelly disco
scarred for life, where it does not show
the night i lost my mind at the ballykelly disco

Bombs in your pubs, carnage in the dark
solders blown to bits in the bloodshed at hyde park
national outrage, vengeance sought
under the guise of protection lives are easily brought
two armies face each other across the barbed wire mesh
the result - misery and the smell of burning flesh

Violence no matter, under any pretence
be it pursuit of freedom or in national defence
is a crime against humanity, a sick and violent lie
it will be part of our lives, until we give
peace and trust a try
the end never justifys the means
irish or english - we are all human beings

I bear the scars, do they show
from the night we all got legless at the ballykelly disco
drinking and dancing behind the wire mesh
a blinding flash and the smell of burning flesh
corpses stink at the ballykelly disco
dance of death at the ballykelly disco
scarred for life, where it does not show
the night i lost my mind at the ballykelly disco


"Mankinds Hand"


Toxic chemicals from mankinds hand
poison the air, poison the land
poison the sea, poison our earth
they see all around only in terms of what its worth

Mankind sees only profit, where others need
where others see beauty, big business sees greed
factories depose of waste in our lakes
destruction of the countryside
thats what the price of progress makes
housing estates where once stood fields and trees
now its TC ariels not flowers that sway in the breeze

And their shit fills the streams
and their shit fills the sky
when mankind sees room for expansion
then something must die
so they cut down the forests
our oxygen supply

Chemicals dumped by mankinds hand
in ignorance we poisoned the land
where the animals graze and the vegetables are grown
the seeds of our destruction carelessy sown
and we eat the products from the poisoned land
poisoned bodies, poisoned winds

Toxic chemicals from mankinds hand
poison the air, poison the land
poison the sea, poison our earth
they see all around only in terms of what its worth.


"Blinded By Fear"


Religious carnage for religious gain
holy inquisition or trial by flame
control of the human mind in the name of truth
look at the history books not hard to find the proof
our inheritance is on of the religious slaughter
from the holy crusades to britains war across the water
through peoples ignorance and fear
they seek to control
religious dominance the ultimate goal

Christianity has been the cause of so much hatred
through a god they exist
a god ignorance has created
your faith is blind no more than a con
to exploit peoples insecurity must be wrong

Blinded by an age old superstition
blinded by a biogted control
their buil their evil institution
on who they killed and what they stole
our inheritance is one of religious slaughter
from the holy crusades to britains war across the water
through peoples ignorance and fear
they seek to control
they built their evil institution on who they killed
and what they stole

History proves that jesus loves us all


Soon to come downloads:

Randomly assorted tracks from their first and second demo + random live tracks
http://www.box.net/shared/2b8l9630sp5ysgxulsfd
Crimes Against Humanity1984
http://www.box.net/shared/lnnyn6o7jylr07zkv8by
Live 198?
http://www.box.net/shared/rl3q9emocud8unud0rom
Live Brighton 03-15-84
http://www.box.net/shared/hk7yreapylyej7uk0tmg
Live at the ambulance station, London 1983/1984
http://www.box.net/shared/h5cuqic7nfnor1p4bucq
When Backs are Turned 1985
http://www.box.net/shared/fljrgbi4dmyplmsjba5j

The Dave Asgrove Band(The Suspects)

     Dave Asgrove(he has several aliases) was inspired by the punk movement in the early 70's and played early on with a band called The Suspects as the guitarist/vocalist with his brother 'Fred Twigg' and some other people. During that time, he excelled in playing the guitar, drums, bass and vocals. They recorded a demo and were featured with the track 'Random Relations' on Bullshit Detector 2. They played live until maybe the end of 1982.

     Fast forward to 1983. The Suspects have split, but Dave decides to go on by himself. He takes the task to write songs all on his own and writes enough for a cassette album made up of songs he wrote and recorded all by himself in the early eighties. All songs feature him playing the guitar,bass,drums and providing the vocals too. This one band band had strong tracks such as 'Lucky Days' and 'I Rebel'.

   
     Unfortunately, this new one man band known as 'The Dave Asgrove Band' never had the chance to play live or spread his message.  Dave disappeared shortly after the release of the tape and didn't come back until the 90's as 'Joe Publik' but decided to play completely different, bluesy music. He is still active today and is looking forward to bringing back the suspects and taking part in a documentary that is going to go over the Bullshit detector albums and bands that is set to be released sometime in the future.

"Lucky Days"


All right so I complain /
I've got reason to /
There's always someone playing games /
telling me what to do /

I live the life of a window pane in a row of council slums
/ everyday I wait for rain /
and everyday it comes /

A smart arsed kid in a play-pen / 

dishes out the dole /
to a line of unemployed men /
with numbers on their souls /

a B1, a UB2 and a pencil on a string /
a signature from me to you /
and a signing card to bring /

a personal reminder /
I'm strictly second class /
looking for a non existant job or I get no bloody cash /

The housing problem's just the same /
I get no kinda joy /
three years in the waiting game / for a tenement block of my choice /
cracks like railroads up the walls / no bath or bog /
one hundred and sixteen Magpie Road /
unfit for a dog /
the lovely view of an open drain and a twenty five foot wall /
Norwich council says don't complain, it's better than a kick in the balls /

Life in Thatchers england /
it's a private joke /
her obvious insanity /
is killing every hope /
maybe she'll destroy herself /
one of these lucky days /
or fuck off to the falkland isles /
and lets all hope she stays.

"I Rebel"


I guess I must be wrong /
the system never fails /
after all I'm just one man /
a part of the minority scale /

I just can't see the point /
of working just to live /
to waste my life away /
when I have so much to give /

I'm rebelling against the system /
I'm rebelling against the law /
I refuse to be exploited /
I'm not taking any more /

Everyday the politicians /
twisted men with evil minds /
in their lust for greed and power /
destroy the future of mankind /

with missiles bombs and other toys /
they control my destiny
/ create a worldwide paranoia /
who gives a damn for you or me /

I'm rebelling against the system /
I'm rebelling against the law /
I refuse to be exploited /
I'm not taking any more /

I must obey your orders /
after all your in control /
you take away my hard earned money /
you put a price on my heart and soul /
you make me feel like I owe you something /
you make me feel obliged to crawl /
you tell me that I'm free to choose /
but I have no choice at all /

I'm rebelling against the system /
I'm rebelling against the law /
I refuse to be exploited /
I'm not taking any more .


Soon to come downloads:

The Suspects Demo 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/uld145poozvxcr3m0n1t
'Random Relations' from Bullshit Detector 2 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/t2fucs4ze64sx552g266
Live at The Oktopus Klub, Amsterdam 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/kxnkzuppy62mqluxfrq0
Live at Tiffany's Ballroom Great Yarmouth, New years Day 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/chtomyu6j3e35y7yy3ga
Lucky days Cassette album 1983(I am missing some songs so I have to order the cassette now)
http://www.box.net/shared/lyqq0st3ve44vrahy7pu

The Astronauts

     Another great band that was very obscure, The Astronauts were early touring partners of The Mob and Zounds from around 1979/1980(the infamous 'Weird Tales' tour), and mixed punk with folk and came up with of the most brilliant songs and lyrics ever created. Inspired by the punk explosion around 1977, Mark 'Astronaut' started the band that same year in his hometown of Welwyn Garden City. 

     They began playing an endless amount of free festivals and helped start the hippy collective Fuck Off records. They released several E.P.'s and began touring with Zounds and The Mob. Due to the immense amount of releases and musicians that have taken part in this band, I will only talk about two important albums and list the rest of the material in the downloads section.

     Like most of the 'Anarcho' punk bands, The Astronauts were swept under the carpet by the media seeing as though the media is only interested in trendy, fashionable, middle class garbage. One reason why their music was so different was because they showed an influence from the early Industrial/Experimental scene which included bands like Surgical Penis Klinic, Throbbing Gristle and 23 Skidoo. The excellent 'Peter Pan hits the Suburbs' was released in 1981, and showed how the band could write beautiful traditional folk ballads with a mix of punk and genius anarchist lyrics. Their audience usually consisted of hardcore punks and hippies and they responded positively to what the band was doing. During the early eighties, the band gigged with several other 'Anarcho Punk' bands and released several E.P.s and L.P.'s while maintaining an underground anti-mainstream attitude.

      'It's all Done by Mirrors' is considered their best work. It features several tracks such as 'Typically English Day'(which appeared in the recent Overground label's compilation)which are similar to the first album. By 1986, the band disappeared after growing tired of playing so many gigs, but continued passively gigging and releasing material even to this day. Recently, The Mob, Zounds and The Astronauts organised a gig together to be played this year just like they did in the late seventies in the 'Weird tales' tour almost 35 years ago. They still hold their old values and refuse to sell out and will also be also playing with Idiot Strength, Rubella Ballet, and Andy T.

"Protest Song"

I live my own life - do what I want - say what I mean
And you've got your own hope - strange ambition - different dreams
So who are you to say I'm wrong?
And who am I to say I'm right?
Though we live in separate ways, why do we argue, always fight?

A man who disagreed with a regime was termed a rat.
One night, some men came round - "we've read your books, we'd like a chat"
And then they kicked him round the cell
With cigarettes they burnt his face
Said "Remember, we're the law. Do you love your family, your dwelling place?"

And it seems that fools control the world, the nuclear button, the poison pen.
Most of us are in the dark, but then we're only little men.
But little men have mouths to feed
And little men don't want to kill
So little men are never told unless, of course, the earth stands still.

We have got a chant, ain't got a chorus, ain't even got a name
But it helps us through the night to know we don't share the blame
It's just another protest song ("Oh what a pretty protest song")
With words to try and make you think ("I think I'll go and have a drink")
But come the dawn resume your search for your ultimate power
Your missing link.

"Baby Sings Folk Songs"

Beautiful schemer came in through the door
Took off her necklace and crouched on the floor
Says she wants peace but don't know why for sure
Tell me your plan beautiful schemer
'Cos I've been out working my hands on the farm
Curse at my bosses that don't do them no harm
I'm waiting for action 'cos I can't stand the calm
Then I come home, baby sings folk songs.

Here I lie waiting for me true love to see me
His heart of the white rose and mines of the red
Northern romance in the inn of good plenty
Lord make him kind when he goes to my bed

Beautiful schemer came in through the night
Smiled with her left eye but glared with her right
Said shall we go out and worship the night
Tell me the prayer, beautiful schemer
'Cos I've been out working my hands on the grime
Working at Turner's on the assembly line
And I heard of the good life, but I know it ain't mine
Then I come home, baby takes downers

Here is a nice little bottle of sleepers
They'll help me to stay in me little dream world
There's moggies and mandies and nice little white ones
I'll dream that me true love is stroking me curls

Am I out of this race is that a smile on your face
Am I sorry for this misdemeanour
On the Icelandic coast with some hot buttered toast
Would an artist have made it much cleaner
Now you sit on the floor when he calls out for more
Did you feel the effects of the acid
With his lunatic air and face so debonair
He made Liszt and Lord Byron look placid

Beautiful schemer she wanders through the yard
Trying to make her good love look so hard
You think she's the answer but you hold the cards
Deal me in quick beautiful schemer
I've been out working to buy you a meal
My protest is shrink-wrapped, got a factory seal
And you say shall we go out and try to make it real
I need you to help that baby's got pen friends

Beautiful schemer with the never-ending smile
Invites you inside to her head for a while
Minx of the North lake, mad bitch of the Nile
Go back to Troy, beautiful schemer.
'Cos I come from Fulham where fables aren't made
Where night-life is ruled by DMs and blade
Sometimes I just get to feel quite afraid
I need you to help but baby plays hockey

Swish goes the stick when the ball hits the netting
I play with the girls on the old village green
And later we go to the fair and eat liqourice
Soon it will be Mayday and I'll be your queen

Beautiful schemer she lives far away
Never did listen to much that I'd say
Lives in a parallel world in a way
That I just can't come in, no no no.
And I'm going to go, don't want to see you no more
Going back to the ghetto with an uncultured roar
We never got much further than your door
Beautiful schemer, why are you crying

My body boys left me for a far away haven
My ribbon is wasted, my maidenhood black
He says that he's going and he won't be returning
Oh speed little glove and bring my Johnny back

"Typically English Day"

On a typically English day
When the man in the street alway has his say
On a terraced house with no yard
A couple of people are playing cards
And the street outside is a dance hall floor of the lunatic brigade
To help compensate the profits and the losses of the men who'd been self made
And she says maybe we should leave this place
And he says watch out I've trumped your ace
And they put the cards back and quietly fasde away
And they both have a doze on a typically English day

On a typically English night
When the announcer on the telly hopes that we're alright
ON a terraced house with thatched roof
A couple of people are hoping for truth
Becauase it's getting colder and they're both aware
That thier health is getting poor
And a man in a sports jacket on the TV
Was saying something about the war
And he says if I wasn't confined to this bed
I'd pick up my pistol and go and teach the reds
And she says "I know dear" and quietly turns off the light
And they both have a doze on a typically English night

On a typically English day
When the baying of the hounds keeps the fallout at bay
On a terraced house with no yard
A couple of people are finding it hard
But he says they can drop all the bombs they like just as long as I've got you
So lay down next to me, hold my hand, lets make love like we used to do
And damn this gout, and damn this leg
I really want to have you and I ain't got time to beg
So the fire storm slowly came their way
So lets leave them to cry on a typically English day.

"Behave Yourself"

The sun beats down on the wills of the oppressors
They never learn, they just keep you under thumb
They say if you want to go out late tomorrow
Don't go out tonight till your homework's done
And you behave yourself

When you behave yourself the day seems so much longer
Don't behave yourself it won't do any good
When you behave yourself you don't turn out any stronger
Don't behave yourself I know you would break out if you could

Now the people that seem to rule your lives forever will one day be gone,
So you had better be prepared
And you behave yourself

You may wake up one bright and sunny morning
And you will have found that it caught you unawares
You behave yourself

When you behave yourself it get so bloody boring
Don't behave yourself it will drive you round the twist
When you behave yourself you spend the whole day snoring
Don't behave yourself and you'll have better fun than this

So the sun beats down on the wills of the oppressors
But they never learn, they just keep you on the run
And you behave yourself

And all the time you sit around stagnating
You could be outside and having better fun
Still you behave yourself

When you behave yourself you're waiting for tomorrow
Don't behave yourself it'll only bring you down
When you behave yourself you spend the life in sorrow
Don't behave yourself and tonight we'll take the town.

"Big Ben"

In these days when good news
Barely gets a mention
Pills and booze
Can't ease the tension.
Money making is your pastime
But what good is profit
If it's the last time?

So what am I supposed to tell
My Children
About social barriers
And why you build them.

So where's your police force?
Where's your system?
Once the lips of fate
Have kissed them.......

(There isn't much time left and they're crawling out of the walls)

"Gothic Rooms"


We all live in Gothic rooms
Live out our dreams in Gothic rooms
It's always clean in Gothic rooms
It's never ending

We have come to sink in Gothic rooms
Still on the brink in Gothic rooms
And it's hard to think in Gothic rooms
Who you're defending

But in the day we're holding hands
We use in-jokes to make our stand
But get depressed by the barren land
And the roots of the soil and the buds and the trees
And the bills and the dole and the misery
And the changing of moods and the state of our blooms
In Gothic rooms

The children sleep in Gothic rooms
Screams in the night in Gothic rooms
The gas has filled our Gothic rooms
But we're still breathing

If I collapse in the night
Turn my gun to the West
One last desperate strike
Against the rich men of zest
Who take what they like
And fuck the rest
So we sit in our rooms
With the strange and the scared
And the weird and the twisted and the silent
And the impaired
And a man calls each week to inspect our rooms
In Gothic rooms 


"Getting things Done"


There's a woman on the corner and she's carrying a banner
Saying down with the oppressor and the men who overran her
And at least she's getting things done

There's a factory and a union and the men are having doubts
About working for a pittance so they're going to do a walk out
(At least they're getting things done)

You sit there with a grin on your face
Always been a moderate and you knwo your place
Slowly going nowhere in this nowhere race
(And if you get into power nothing, nothing's going to change)

There's some schoolboy on the corner from the school just down the road
Teacher said he'd have to punish them - they decided not to go
And they've got a sort of feeling there's a better sort of scene
So they put their heads together and they start a magazine

But you turn round with your pint of real
If you'd been so oppressed you'd turn quite pale
But "I'm alright Jack" is what you always wail

There's a lot of them talking and their heads are getting prouder
There's a lot of them been talking and their voices getting louder
They're growing in their number and they will not go away
They're growing in their number and waiting for the day
But you turn round and say "That's not fair - you know that Anti-Nazi rally man I was there"
But when the music stopped that's when you ceased to care
And you still turn round with your pint of beer
Don't like radicals - think they're weird
Still do anything to get out of here


"Latin and Greek"


Provided this letter can reach you on time
It gives me a chance to redress the crime
Because things aren't as clear as I thought they would be
And I suppose that I blew out my chances to be free
So wipe off your make-up and screw up the myth
Let's walk hand in hand to the edge of the cliff
Have you got a gas mask to face the crowd with
To try and suss out a brand new way to live
Now I am not very tall and my hands they are sore
My body is thin and my head's in a roar
But I think that the violence begins to make sense
Because we're bored with the feel of the weight of the fence
If I conduct myself with precision and grace
Do I stand half a chance of losing this place
Pretend to be jelly, forget about hate
How far is the goal, how long must we wait
Because I scream in the night at the slightest excuse
My mind ain't unhinged, but it's pretty damned loose
Shaking hands as I wake to the muddle again
But there's some who are worse off so why complain
And my secretary's phoning me three times a week
In a curious mixture of Latin and Greek

There's a shop on the corner in which we all pose
There's a life which we live in in which we all doze
Don't talk very loud there's a maniac inside
Hits out of self-defence, hits out of pride
In the room when the conversation gets tense
Shall we drift to the ceiling to try and make sense
In the street when the feeling is never at ease
We can touch passers-by, give them the disease
So send me your wire, please drop me a line
I need something concrete through which to unwind
If I sit here much longer I think I'll implode
I wonder if screams will be heard down the road
But I am just insecure, nervous, scared
Need someone to help us, need people to care
Isolations ain't fun, but it gets pretty real
How to put across all the things that I feel
Shall I take a few drugs, as I feel like a kick
Can I smash up t he wall, can I make myself sick
It's a laugh, got to grin, what a nutter they say
It's all part of the act though he's really OK
And my secretary's phoning me three times a week
And she always is speaking in Latin and Greek


"Seagull Mania"


Early in the morning, just after dawn
Baby's posing around the lawn
Because it's quiet at the moment
And the world is hers
She has responsibility for that obscure freaking sound of the old milk float
She adds a postscript to the letter she wrote
Saying "City living takes it out of me -
Won't you send me a sachet of sanity"
Sits with a pile of magazines
Her face is falling apart at the seams
Looks pretty awful
But she says she dreams of some land
But dreams get frozen pretty fast around here
Choked by the suffocating atmosphere
Nothing ever seems to be really clear
Living in the urban slum land

In spite of the heaviness of her heart
She claims that her life is killed by art
And no reality shot will spoil it
D.H. Lawrence in the downstairs toilet
See pictures on the bathroom wall
You could swear you could hear the curlews call
The kindly fisherman drags his net
Goldfish in a bowl in a stereo cassette
But I bet you deny her methodical grace
Keeps every fantasy filled in its space
But still has a vision she could leave this place
For some land

A Dorset coast is where she would rather lie
With a chorus of gulls serenading the sky
As she watches the unemployed sail by
Living in an urban slumland
Radical solutions didn't get very far
The past disappears like a falling star
And now she follows the normal rule
A time warped fossil of the social school
But one day a letter came through her door
Mailed by a lover from '64
Saying "Come along to the coast with me,
I'm setting up a communal fantasy"
1 o'clock she is watching the rain
2 o'clock she is running for a train
At 9 o'clock she is home again
With shaking hands
Because Gerald was married with a house in Slough
He had wanted to escape, fate wouldn't allow
And now she wants to disappear somehow
Away from the urban slum land
There is a crippled note by the side of the phone
Traditional excuses for being alone
She's dressed in a white frock trimmed with lace
Beaks and feathers all round the place
The radio blares it's usual tune
Bruckner comes from each part of the room


"Sod us"
It's six in the morning and this corner's getting cold
Occasional faces but they all look too old
And all the others have gone safely back home
Mystical moneyless or somewhere on their own

And it's a gas
They're searching around looking for someone to harass
And they don't like your face
Well you'd better run away or get out of this place

And they're speeding their balls off getting nicked for petty crimes
The clerk of the court says you're a problem of the times
Probation officer he gives me his word
Says he's on my side but he's a stupid bloody turd

I couldn't care less
As he babbles on to me about the way I'm in a mess
You don't hurt me
Well you may have a salary but at least I'm still free

And sooner or later you know something's gonna come
To get us off our feet and get us off our bum
But until that day arrives we'll go back to our room
Play the guitars though they're all out of tune

And it's sod me sod you
And sod the people who tell us what to do
I know we're right
So get up off the streets we're gonna need you tonight
I said get up off the streets we're gonna need you tonight. 


Downloads:

The Astronauts E.P. 1979 Bugle
http://www.box.net/shared/at8ac0ux0dhmke2audho
Restricted Hours E.P. 1979 Stevenage RAR
http://www.box.net/shared/k0qx72b46gcr9619b10m
The Night 1979 really Weird Compilation
http://www.box.net/shared/xffxh5mnyqzpo2a4gn3v
Pranksters in revolt E.P. 1980 Bugle
http://www.box.net/shared/66g2mnxo3j1mb1ir2cg3
Peter Pan Hits the Suburbs L.P. 1981 Bugle
http://www.box.net/shared/22930lqxqoc8b3tanzoi
Only Fools & Optimists Cassette Album 1982 All the Madmen
http://www.box.net/shared/xvu52j5ordx0bp4ijpjd
It's all Done by Mirrors L.P. 1983 All the Madmen
http://www.box.net/shared/h271ksph178e61dasgjj
Soon L.P. 1986 all the Madmen
http://www.box.net/shared/7y0ufmd09g0ycegde6hg
Live at the East Coker Hall, Yeovil 29/12/84
http://www.box.net/shared/28dq8oz3kavm8vmvk8ac
Live at The Crypt, St Albans 07/12/85
http://www.box.net/shared/54d1nyxxjhs52d3zb342
Seedy Side of the Astronauts L.P. 1987 All the Madmen
http://www.box.net/shared/6uo02emj43b6qvm9l834
In Defence of Compassion L.P. 1989 Acid stings
http://www.box.net/shared/n6vu423h3xibfv9u1crr
Constitution 7" 1991 Acid Stings 
http://www.box.net/shared/7arftmm4n54i9zylpk1h
Upfront and Sideways L.P. Acid Stings
http://www.box.net/shared/zledz869bf2pcmvkx6qz
You're All Weird C.D. 2000 Irregular
http://www.box.net/shared/94u0zznxhqyjo3fv8hid
Donkey Riding E.P.(I Don't have this one. I have have to buy it)

The Committee

     Similar to Hit Parade, The Committee were an unusual band from Harrow that was known for releasing interesting tapes were all four of the band members played guitar alongside keyboards. They began as four people that became inspired by the 1977 explosion of punk bands and possibly started around 1980 or even earlier than that(Their first cassette release was in 1981). They immediately began covering the first Clash Album, and took influences from several other bands such as the Fall, Raincoats, Cabaret Voltaire, Nightingales, Tracey Thorn, and also Crass. The punk attitude of 'get up and do it, anyone can' inspired the band members to carry on even though they were all guitarists. The Committee were brothers Mark and Adrian alongside their two other guitarists named Steve and Jaime. All the members were vegetarians,unemployed and had very political lyrics supporting anarchy(Adrian was the only member attending college at that time). 

     They managed to get a room for rehearsing above a fish shop, and quickly began rehearsing to released their first tape called 'Agenda' in 1981. Shortly afterwards, A second cassette was released called 'Resolution'. Sometime around '83/84' They released a third cassette called 'News From Nowhere'. In 1985, they released their only record: 'Open your Eyes and other ways of Saying No' on Fire records from Alaska Studios.

     It may have been around 1983 when the band decided to use drums and bass also. There was talk between the band members to go visit Crass and try to persuade them to release a single for them on Crass Records in the early eighties, but for some reason The Committee decided to avoid it. They may have split around 1985/1986 for unknown reasons.

I have no lyrics by this band. If anyone has any please post them in the comments.

Here is another interview for those who are interested in knowing more about the politics behind the band.


Interview from Noclass.co.uk


Downloads(I hardly have anything by them):

Resolution(?) 198?('Ring the Bell' is in it alongside 2 other similar tracks)
http://www.box.net/shared/fqenyph1msr0kve13joo
News from Nowhere cassette 198X
http://www.box.net/shared/su2m8b792su1gdku2ofd
Open your Eyes 1985 Fire Records
http://www.box.net/shared/0zs8hhv7s0pjj4zfdzv6

Faction

     Faction began in Hackney as a small gang that used to do nothing but smoke and drink, but they managed to get themselves introduced to the world of punk in the late seventies and were inspired to start their own bands. Some of the bands that came out of that gang were 'The Stupid Humans', 'Subhumans' and 'Organised Chaos'. Among the members of that gang, was a man named Rob Challice and he too wanted to start a band. Rob alongside his friend Martin(who played drums) relocated up to Kent and formed Anthrax(U.K. version, not the metal one!) and started the Enigma Fanzine. Rehearsals were tough, so Rob and the other singer Sue(a fourteen year old girl with spiky hair) left  Anthrax and relocated back to Hackney to form Faction with Sue on vocals, Rob on bass, Martin on drums and Ann-Dee on guitar.

     Rob and Martin then moved into a squatted street street in Hackney, Brougham Road, number 96, and used the basement for rehearsals. Rob had this to say about choosing the name Faction: "I think it was by democratic vote. The name scored quite highly because you could circle the A and N, and convert the O in the CND sign. Essential stuff". In the Spring of 1982, their guitarist was replaced by Paul Vantransit(formerly from 'The Snails' and 'This Bitter Lesson') who would become their permanent guitarist. Rob found inspiration in the Hackney/East London/Squat scene as it had become the new home and introduced him to The Mob, Zounds and Blood and Roses, which were followed by the Kill your Pet Puppy fanzine/collective whom also inspired him.

     Rob continued by starting his own label called 96 tapes(96 was part of his address), which helped several bands get their music and message out. In 1982, Faction released their 'Through the WIndow' tape along with a booklet containing they lyrics and a bunch of their ideas and philosophy's. Shortly after the release of that tape, the band played at the infamous Zig Zag Squat gig in December of that same year. Unfortunately, Sue left in February of 1983, and the band struggled with several new singers until they found Pip and began to work on an E.P. that would hopefully be released on the Spiderleg label.

     Two more tapes were released, first a live split with D & V called 'No No No Don't Drop Yer Bombs On Us They Urt' and another full length tape called 'If They Give You Ruled Paper.... Write The Other Way'. Their E.P. with Spiderleg never happened, but they managed to release it with Dick Lucas's Bluurg label and titled it 'You've got the fire'. Right before work on the record started, Pip left and was replaced by Mel from The A-heads, and Neil was added as a keyboardist.

     However, by the time the E.P. was released, Faction had split. Rob wanted to focus on his tape label, Neil went on to play guitar for Blyth Power alongside the remaining members Jospeh Porter and Curtis from The Mob(The Mob had just split), and Mel was still performing with the A-Heads. Martin and Paul may have just remained in London. Since The Mob were gone, their 'All the Madmen' label was passed down to Rob, so he had to run that, 96 Tapes, and another label called Wot? Distribution. Eventually, all those labels dissolved, and Rob is now a big-time booking agent.

"Intro"

A cold blowing,
over rubble.
The stench of bodies, rotting flesh.

A voice cries out!
A voice in the wilderness.
The voice can't see and it just wont rest
Revolution came to late to save them,
and now there's no one to see the mess.

No sounds of laughter in the paper
The Sightless size of rotting flesh!

Sightless size of rotting flesh!
Sightless size of rotting flesh!
Sightless size of rotting flesh!


"Obligatory War song"


All my hard work,
All my life thrown away!
A method with which the system chooses
To repay.
Arguments between the special elite,
bring the world crashing to it's feet!

War game! War games!
War games War games!
War Games! War games!
And to the people at the top,
It's just a fucking joke!

Ever see a general
in the front lines?
With the politicians
led safe behind?
They tell us we must fight for our queen!
Millions die for them
It doesn't mean a thing!

War game! War games!

War games War games!

War Games! War games!

And to the people at the top,

It's just a fucking joke!

Government spends our money on research

to get more efficient ways to destroy the earth!

Hiroshima wasn't quite enough.

Oh, did you really think they're after that?

Maybe not.

War game! War games!

War games War games!

War Games! War games!

And to the people at the top,

It's just a fucking joke!

I had to listen to the song to figure these out myself. If anyone has any more, please post them in the comments!

Soon to come Downloads:

Demo with Andy Martin from the Apostles on guitar 198?
http://www.box.net/shared/fkasirtottqroz1c780v
'This Bitter Lesson' Value of Defiance 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/3hezrtc4hc0cii5z69bg

Through the Window Cassette 1982 96 Tapes (Recommended. Superb Tape!)
http://www.box.net/shared/c9n4cf77gu5sb7zu4o5e

Live at the Zig Zag 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/fteeta8jreg6n61exg6f

No No No Don't Drop Yer Bombs On Us They Urt Cassette 1983 96 tapes(Received incorrect CD-R)

If They Give You Ruled Paper.... Write The Other Way Cassette 1983 96 Tapes(Received incorrect CD-R)

You've got the Fire E.P. 1983 Bluurg
http://www.box.net/shared/c6frjcoyhpknvz7keeea
Rising free tape 1983 V.I.S.A.(Live with D & V and the Subhumans)
http://www.box.net/shared/89q0t2h49ogynvesuy7v

Decadent Few

     After Youth in Asia ceased to be around 1984, the remaining members Kay, Mick, Bernie and Mark started over as Decadent Few. Musically, they were much more advanced than the previous band, but the sound was still similar. Hagar the Womb had just broken up and their bassist Steph was looking for a new band to join and decided to join Decadent Few, but she didn't last long and was replaced by Gary Smith. Later on, Mark left to focus on his career as an electrician. The remained as a four-piece.

     Several tapes and records were recorded, such as a tape titled 'Kaputt', and a whole album that was never released('Low Life' was one of those songs in that album). In addition, another release was 'They Shoot Children, don't they?' and a record called 'Irrehuus'. Kay went on to also sing for Radical Dance Faction(RDF) and married their guitarist Phil- and then sang for The Astronauts. Decadent Few is still around and has played several gigs recently.

I have no lyrics for this band. If you have any, please post them in the comments!


Soon to come Downloads:

'Metamorphobia' from 'We don't want your Fucking War' released by Mortarhate 1984
http://www.box.net/shared/egprvr3voh2q2u0zprb7
Kaputt 1987
http://www.box.net/shared/zkl7yxlmegaecgl5lyfm
Unreleased Album 198X
http://www.box.net/shared/so2ui61s4a2atgrpbx9y
Irrehuus 1991
http://www.box.net/shared/g0ogk1iurtl72yv58bnz
They Shoot Children, Don't They? 19XX
http://www.box.net/shared/j89d1331kl6ps7qczk1i

Youth in Asia

     Another great band that hardly released anything, Youth in Asia may be remembered by few for their one and only cassette realease, along with 'Power and the Glory' which appeared on 'Bullshit Detector 2'. Also, they were musically different than all the other punk bands from their use of synthesizers and especially Kay's opera vocal style approach at delivering lyrics with her powerful voice. Kay Byatt had become inspired by the 1st wave of punk, and was a regular at punk gigs during the late seventies and was briefly in a band called Kaysa Lazerbeam and the Gammatrons. She later began dating 'Punk celebrity' Johnny Moped and travelled  all over the place until she saw Crass in 1979. Crass inspired her to start a band, and she soon replied to an ad in a music paper from guitarist Mark stating that he wanted to start a band somewhere along the lines of Crass, and Youth in Asia was born.

(In this photo: Bassist Wayne and second vocalist/keyboardist Olga)

     The two lived two-hundred miles away, but met up and moved to a squat near Wayne Preston who would become their bassist. After meeting up on several occasions at punk gigs by coincidence, 'Punky Pete' joined on drums and his girlfriend Olga joined as their second vocalist and keyboardist. Even though none of them could really play anything, Youth in Asia hurried up with writing a set and debuted in December of 1981 in Brussels. Shortly after several more gigs, 'Punky Pete' disappeared from the scene and the band completely, until his friends found out he died in prison during the mid-eighties. He was replaced by Mark's friend Eddie, and Lou from the Witches joined on rhythm guitar, making the band a six-piece consisting of three males and three females.

      Several gigs followed, and lots of them were possible through connections such as Olga being Zillah, vocalist of Rubella Ballet's sister(the two bands played several gigs together). In 1982, The band appeared on 'Bullshit Detector 2' with their track 'Power and the Glory'. During December of that same year, Youth in Asia played at the Infamous Zig Zag squat gig going on in between Poison Girls and Omega Tribe. One notable gig they played was when they played with Potential Threat because Potential Threat didn't want to play the gig because the venue was 'too small' and they demanded money to go back home. This infuriated Youth in Asia seeing as though they had seen Crass play even smaller gigs in the rain with the power constantly going out on them, but they played the gig anyways, and Kay told several people what happened and Potential Threat's reputation was somewhat ruined.

     In 1983, Youth Asia recorded and released their cassette tape titled' Sex Object'. It was recorded in the Poison Girl's basement with Pete Fender(guitarist/vocalist from Rubella Ballet/Omega Tribe)mixing at the desk. At the end of the year, Youth in Asia completed a small demo('When the Wind Blows' was in it) and had been asked to do a 7" for Crass, but Eddie was forced to move back(to cure himself from his heroin addiction) and Lou left due to ill health(she ended up marrying Rob who was the founder of 96 Tapes and a member from Faction), forcing the band to recruit new guitarist Mick Clarke and drummer Bernie from Windor's Disease. 

However, their bassist could not keep up with their musical skill, and Olga was about to have her second child, but the band didn't want to kick anyone out, so they decided to end Youth and Asia and start a new band without them(Kay was really good friends with them and didn't want to do it, but it seemed inevitable because she wanted to write a bunch of new material and go for a new sound, slightly farther away from the other 'Anarcho Punk' bands). 

"C.B.S (Cash before Sincerity)"


They made us promises/
But never fulfilled them/
All or the garage bands/
Who rejoined the system/..

It was all just a ploy for
making money/The joke was in us
but it wasn't very funny/They
masqueraded in a 'Punk' disguise
/And all their words were
blatant lies.../

We dressed how
we wanted/Till the 'Chic'
cashed in/And made it a
fashion/That was this year's
thing/

It was all just a ploy for

making money/The joke was in us

but it wasn't very funny/They

masqueraded in a 'Punk' disguise

/And all their words were

blatant lies.../

/You signed to
the majors/Which gave you
the fame/It boosted your egos
/Cos you thought you'd won
the game/

It was all just a ploy for

making money/The joke was in us

but it wasn't very funny/They

masqueraded in a 'Punk' disguise

/And all their words were

blatant lies.../

/It all
tuned sour/When you got a
rough deal/You were still in
the fairground/But trapped on
the wheel

It was all just a ploy for

making money/The joke was in us

but it wasn't very funny/They

masqueraded in a 'Punk' disguise

/And all their words were

blatant lies.../

It was all just a ploy for

making money/The joke was in us

but it wasn't very funny/They

masqueraded in a 'Punk' disguise

/And all their words were

blatant lies.../

"Blind reality"

Do you walk out on

the streets/It's just

another day/Do you think to

yourself/Does it have to be

this way?/Go buy a newspaper/

read how things are getting worse/

Read about all the problems/That

are on this earth/

And it all goes round and it all carries

on/And I'm glad I've realized

that something is wrong/Got to

make a change before it's all

too late/Only got one life don't

want to be a waste...

/Another 

woman raped/ Read the details all

the bits/Small column by page

three/Beneath a pair of tits/

Another trade union calls for its

men to strike/As Poland announces

more rations from tonight/

And it all goes round and it all carries

on/And I'm glad I've realized

that something is wrong/Got to

make a change before it's all

too late/Only got one life don't

want to be a waste...

/More riots on our streets/How

long can it last/Before the place

we live/Becomes a Belfast/Army all

around with guns to prove the men/

The only thing you proved is the

system won again/ 

And it all goes round and it all carries

on/And I'm glad I've realized

that something is wrong/Got to

make a change before it's all

too late/Only got one life don't

want to be a waste...

And it all goes round and it all carries

on/And I'm glad I've realized

that something is wrong/Got to

make a change before it's all

too late/Only got one life don't

want to be a waste...

DON'T WANT TO BE A WASTE!

Downloads:

'Power and the Glory' from Bullshit Detector 2 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/9exkhf89h1d1tuoaqbmf
Live at the Zig Zag Squatter gig 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/92fnjqal654nv3cy4tv2
Sex Object 1983
http://www.box.net/shared/l9fpi3gtvsq7pa4mo4nl
Live at the Ace, Brixton, England 7-22-83
http://www.box.net/shared/kk10tgeqt838c61g0gta
Unknown Demo 1983(Olga and Wayne)
http://www.box.net/shared/gm5shlgz0fupdhiob3l9
Demo possibly meant for a Crass Records Single 1983(bootleg)
http://www.box.net/shared/81fh5kfae2ycr0vjxr24
Unknown demo 1984(Olga and Wayne)
http://www.box.net/shared/nhi5eoykftmkr4nin6nx