(c’81-’83) Gregg Vincent Skerman (guitar/vocals), Guy Adam Skerman (?), and Genevieve Stevenson (?)
This Guildford new wave trio, formed by the two Skerman brothers, Gregg and Guy, and Guy’s then girlfriend, Stevenson, signed to Virgin in ’80-’81.
Rolling back to 6 November ’75, The Sex Pistols played a 10-minute opening slot for Bazooka Joe at St. Martin’s College of Art in London. Gregg, who was doing a foundation course at St Martin‘s, was in the audience, of about 20, that night and music became his preferred canvas. Before Post War Nudes, he joined a local band, who recorded four tracks around ’77/’78 at Surrey Sound Studios, Leatherhead with Chris Gray, igniting another passion – the recording process. About the same time, Guy was employed as a tape operator at Surrey Sound Studios, working on a couple of sessions by Roogalator, as well as Joan Armatrading demos; and learned about wiring up a mixing desk. Gregg also recorded an LP demo for Birmingham’s Diamond Head and met Art Hammer, later call Towering Inferno. Then in late ’78, early ’79, the brothers set up Catch 44 Studios, Godalming. While running Catch 44, they formed Post War Nudes.
They released the 7″ single “So Now” on Virgin [VS 550], which was produced by Greg Walsh – who also worked with Heaven 17 that year – on 14 January ’82. The track was played by Tommy Vance on the Friday Rock Show on BBC Radio 1 and Alan Freeman on his Capital Radio Monday night Rock Show; surprising placements to promote a new wave single by the promotions team.
A young 8-year-old called Cary Marsh was the model for the singles’ cover and appeared in the video, which was directed by Nigel Papworth, too. By ’83 the band were ‘former Virgin Records artists’ and renamed themselves Three Easy Pieces, recording two tracks: “The Heated Room” and “Sweet Drowning” for Crepuscule, but the planned 7″ was never released. However, the band kept going.
Gregg also wrote a track called “Russian Train” while in Post War Nudes. About five years later the band had a chance encounter with Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, who had a photo session with photographer Ian McKell who shared London studio with the group. OMD were signed to Siren by Ross Stapleton, who had previously signed Post War Nudes to Virgin. He signed the band to Siren as Balance.
The brothers also had a disastrous collaboration with Wim Mertens in his studio in Brussels under the monikers: 3 Easy Pieces and Les Disques du Crepuscule.
Now listed as Swiss, rather than from Guildford; Gregg, who was possibly at the TonMeister Course at the University of Surrey, Guildford – toured with Towering Inferno as the band’s live sound man for years. He was also the engineer on the band’s “Kaddish” LP released in ’95. He is now mixing films and was also involved with Pimmel.
Tracks:
Gallery:
Our Soundscene 