(c’93-’96) Ming (drums), Ian “Ed/Woodcheese” Edwards (guitar), Matt “Moo” Pain (vocals), and Pat “Mahoot” Hughes (bass).

Headnoise, who rehearsed at The White Hart, Frimley, comprised a number of ex-members of This Witness, although we also have a reference to P45’s, and Pain had previously fronted Watch the Turtle. The band attracted the attention of Skunk Anansie; opening for them on a couple of tour dates and supported Reef and Stiff Little Fingers, and were managed by The Jam‘s Bruce Foxton.

Sleeve for Headnoise’s “Mahoygalloy” cassette EP. Source: The Surrey & NE Hampshire Music Scene

On 28 November ’93, Headnoise were at The Powerhaus, Islington supporting Candyman along with Revhead. The band kicked off ’94 with an appearance at the Orange, West Kensington on 30 January opening for 800 Deep with Canes Able. On 17 May ’94, Headnoise, supported Apes Pigs and Spacemen, at the Marquee, London. The next night, 18 May ’94, they won the ‘Battle for the Limelight’ held at Princes Hall, Aldershot; beating Who Moved the Ground?, Strange World, Parmaviolet, Blind, Punching Judy, and Redefining Beautiful. That same year saw the release of “Mahoygalloy” a 6-track cassette EP recorded at Studio Sparkes. Sound was handled by sound engineer Paul “Ramrod” Ramsay, who was with the band most of the time. Bassist Hughes replaced Adam Pain, brother of the vocalist, who’d stepped in for Gary “Pit Bull/Chin” Tozer, sometime after the release of “Mahoygalloy“. Late ’94 saw the band opening for Who Moved the Ground? at West End Centre, Aldershot, on 4 November.

Early Headnoise (LtoR): Tozer, Edwards, Ming, and Pain outside the White Hart, Frimley.

Back at the Marquee, Headnoise supported Croydon’s Moondigger, featuring Guitar Magazine’s ‘Guitarist of the Year 1994’, Dave Colquhoun, on 5 Janaury ’95. The band, along with Spitfire, supported S*M*A*S*H at the Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth on 21 February ’95 and joined Redwood, Supermodel and Disturbing Guests at the Civic Hall, Guildford on 16 June ’95 for Splatch! That same year their track “Shake” appeared on Farnborough Groove Strikes Back Vol.5. Regularly at the Marquee Club during ’95, Headnoise received the venue’s ‘Unsigned Band of the Year 1995’ award.

In ’96 the band released the “Kick in the Dick” cassette EP, which was recorded live at the Tumbledown Dick, Farnborough. Disturbing Guests supported them that night, enjoying the massive PA Headnoise had hired for that show. Issue #3 of Gerfump!, which came out in April ’96, carried a review of the J.C. Regulator, Headnoise, and Sandwich Box gig at the West End Centre on 22 March.

Ramsay has gone on to mix at FOH for The Who, Annie Lennox, The Doves, Kasabian, and Skunk Anansie. Edwards spent 17 years working at the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM), Guildford before joining The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP UK), London as Head of Operations. He has since founded Guitar Breaks and London Academy of Modern Music (LAMM Italia) and is a Director at Band Workshops.

Tracks:

Gallery:

17 May 1994: Headnoise, supported Apes, Pigs and Spacemen, at the Marquee. Source: The Surrey & NE Hampshire Music Scene
Headnoise won the 1994 ‘Battle for the Limelight’ final held at the Princes Hall, Aldershot. Source: Who Moved The Ground?
Kerrang, January 1995
21 February ’95: Headnoise, along with Spitfire, supported S*M*A*S*H at the Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. Source: The Surrey & NE Hampshire Music Scene
In ’95 Headnoise’s track “Shake” appeared on Farnborough Groove Strikes Back Vol.5. Picture courtesy of Pete Cole
Sleeve for Headnoise’s “Kick in the Dick” cassette EP. Source: The Surrey & NE Hampshire Music Scene
Part of issue #3 from 1996. Picture courtesy of The Surrey & NE Hampshire Music Scene