Stigmata Club

(c’87) Ben Norris (bass / vocals), Jamie Freeman (?), Dave Smith (?), and Brian ? (?).

This Farnham based group, known to have played Champagnes, Horsham, were described as a “mix of white funk and black punk”. Reportedly they spent their first paying gig fee on Hasbros’ Crossfire board game.

In addition to Champagnes, the band were engaged by The Buzz Club to play the bar area, on the night The Happy Mondays were on the main stage – who were supported by The Waltons, This Poison!, and Caretaker – at the  West End Centre, Aldershot on 3 July ’87. They released one demo cassette and split before any record company interest.

The band, along with Fra Angelico, also played at the ‘Swimming Pool squat gig’ in Farnham which was organized by Freeman and Norris and others from the Farnham punk scene.

Norris went on to Skipper and is now a stand-up comedian. Freeman – who’d been in Salter Cane – was a songwriter, musician, and producer described by R’N’R Magazine as “..between the narrative talents of Pete Townshend, Ray Davies and other 60’s luminaries…”. He co-founded the Lewes, Essex based Union Music Store label, and would join his brother Tim, playing with Frazier Chorus. On his own label Freeman released three LPs under his own name between 2011 and 2019 and also fronted The Jamie Freeman Agreement, with whom an LP was released in 2013. Freeman and Norris would collaborate again on Norris’ comedy music album “Moral Vacuum”.

Freeman regrettably left this realm in December 2022, as the result on brain cancer.

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