Our Soundscene

For anyone who vaguely recalls the Woking / GU postcode area music scene.

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  • Drink Britain Dry

    Drink Britain Dry

    (c’86-87) Ade Street (co-lead vocal), Max ? (co-lead vocal), Tim Eagles (drums), Glenn Blackman (bass), Gary Blackman (guitar) and ? “JJ” ? (guitar).

    This Aldershot band aimed for a James Chance / Beastie Boys contortion and were included in The Buzz Club‘s local band night, at the West End Centre, Aldershot, on 26 November ’87 along with The Aurbisons, The Gathering, The Caretaker, and The Dead Beats. Hugh Shipman was there, reporting that he “saw Drink Britain Dry, the most entertaining show by anybody that I ever attended. “Golden rain, from Chernobyl”. Wonderful. They were huge but they should also have been famous.”

    This wasn’t the bands only appearance at the West End Centre, we know that they were once supported by Rising Signs, that band’s debut, at the venue.

    The Aurbisons’ Dave Driscoll recalls, in an interview for Cloudberry Cake Proselytism V.3: “A small group of skinheads would come to our gigs & shout “Woahhhhhhh you’re sh*t!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!” after every song. I later found most of them were in a band called Drink Britain Dry. They were fantastic & ahead of their time. They were funk-punk with white boy rapping over the top, the basic opus of their songs, being the glorification of getting completely munted. At the end of their set the band would throw down their instruments, grab the singer & carry him on their shoulders & lay him on the bar.”

    Prior to Drink Britain Dry, Street had been in Rebels Without Mercy, and The Plague.

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  • The Dead Beats

    The Dead Beats

    (c’87-88) Jason Applin (vocals), Ric Testa (Guitar), Paul Harle (Bass), and Dominic Coles (Drums).

    The Dead Beats formed in late ’87 and were included in The Buzz Club‘s local band night, at the West End Centre, Aldershot, on 26 November ’87, along with The Aurbisons, The Gathering, The Caretaker, and Drink Britain Dry. They and The Aurbisons returned to the venue and The Buzz Club to support McCarthy on 9 January ’88.

    The Dead Beats split in March ’88, returning later in the year in a number of guises, eventually becoming Sugar Mountain.

    Applin and Harle went on to The Ha Ha Men. Applin was then a founding member of Bennet and ran an indie record label. Coles would also become a member of and Something Religious, The Outcast Band, and The Four.

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  • West One

    West One

    (c’85-’88) Paul Morris (guitar/vocals), Patrick James (guitar/vocals), Mick Goddard (bass/vocals) and Vince Southey (drums/vocals).

    8 November 1986: West One at Princes Hall, Aldershot. Source: West One

    This Aldershot band formed in May ’85. Influenced by The Alarm, The Ruts, U2 and The Jam; The Ruts “West One (Shine on Me) may be the source of the band name. By 6 December ’85 they were supporting, along with Safety in Numbers, Squeals of Delight at the Technical College, Farnborough.

    6 December 1985: Ticket for Squeals of Delight supported by West One, and Safety in Numbers at Farnborough Tech. Picture courtesy of Pete Cole

    The Fox & Hounds, Fleet opened their doors to the friends, family and fans of West One on 23 January ’86. The band returned to Farnborough Tech on 15 March ’86. The band also released a demo cassette in early ’86, which featured “Brick by Brick”.

    West One Demo cassette cover from 1986. Source: West One

    In June, West One appeared at the Kings Head, Fulham and The Robin Hood, Stanford on the 1 June and 7 June respectively. The Lion Brewery, Ash had the band in on 15 July ’86, followed a few days later by an appearance at at St. Marks Hall, North Camp, on 19 July ’86, with Big House and Steve Mann. The Royal Oak, Passfield – a local venue with an interesting pedigree of live bands – booked the band for 22 July ’86. On 15 August the band were at Princes Hall, Aldershot, with the newly formed Bluetrain, supporting Ministry of Sound. The very next day they were back at The Royal Oak, Passfield; and ten days after that on 26 August ’86 they returned to The Lion Brewery. Their two gigs the following month found them staying local at The Subway, Cellar Bar, South Hill Park, Bracknell on 11 September and supporting Java at Princes Hall, Aldershot on 17 September. The band were at Princes Hall again on 8 November. The Buzz Club rounded out ’86 with a local bands night which featured West One supporting Steel Bill and the Buffalos, along with Second Balcony JumpFRA, and The Jeremiahs on 15 November. Their last gig on ’86 that we have documented was on 12 December at The Riverside Club, Fetcham, supporting The Body Politic, along with The Shift.

    12 December 1986: West One supported Body Politic and The Shift at The Riverside Club, Fetcham. Source: West One

    On 6 February ’87 they supported Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band at the West End Centre, Aldershot. Later that month, on 26 February, West One were performing The Subway, Cellar Bar, South Hill Park, Bracknell. The Beehive, Aldershot hosted the band on 1 May, a venue they returned to on 5 June, and the month after that on 18 July ’87. Three days later, on 21 July, they were at The Majestic, Reading on the first date of what was labeled the New Town Tour. The band laid on coaches from their home turf to each venue on the tour. This included The Tunnel Club, Greenwich on 5 August and 5 September, The Mean Fiddler, Harlesdon on 18 August, The Royal Standard, Walthamstow on 12 October. Aldermoor School, Southampton held an S.O.S. (Save Our School) event on 16 October at which West One performed – The school closed for good in ’89. On Guy Fawkes night that year West One were supported by Too Much Talk at The Subway, Bracknell for the Bonfire Bash. Still on the New Town Tour the band returned to The Tunnel Club, Greenwich once again on 14 November ’87, then on 20 November they were back on home turf at The Crimea, Aldershot. That same year a 7″ single was initiated on the Robot Records / Music label with “Dreaming on My Feet” back by “New Town”; it never saw the light of day.

    6 February 1988: West One supported Geni Washington and The Ram Jam Band at the Tunnel Club, London. Advert from NME. Source: West One

    On 6 February ’88 the band were once again supporting Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, this time at the Tunnel Club, Greenwich. A few days later, on 15 February, the band were lower on the bill at the Mean Fiddler, Harlesden with Norman Norman, Grey by the Gun, and The Big Weekend. Then, on 25 February ’88 they appeared at The Subway, Cellar Bar, South Hill Park, Bracknell. The West End Centre hosted the band once more, again supporting Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band on 18 March ’88. The Battle for the Limelight, part of ITV Telethon ’88, was held on 4 May ’88 Princes Hall, Aldershot, and West One competed against Paper Moon, UxB, and Rising Signs. It was around this time that West One recorded a demo at Limelight Recording Studios, Aldershot. The band were once more at the West End Centre on 2 September ’88, with Rising Signs and The F1-11 in support.

    Son of Farnborough Groove; Vol.2

    The band appeared on Son of Farnborough Groove Vol.2 in ’92 with “House of Cards” and followed that with “Dreaming on My Feet” on Farnborough Groove strikes back! Vol.5 in ’95.

    Morris, who may be the same Paul Morris that originally managed The Click, was also in The Perfect Circles after West One; then Modern Art Thieves. James went on to perform under his own Patrick James name as a singer / songwriter and in Blue Velvet, Ghandarva and others. In January 2002, Patrick James Sullivan was part of the reformed J.C. Regulator. Southey has regrettably passed.

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  • Rebels Without Mercy

    Rebels Without Mercy

    (c’82-’83) Ade Street (bass), ? “Piggy” ? (guitar), Dave Major (drums), Kenneth Jones (keyboards), and Dave Common (vocals).

    Heavily influenced by Theatre of Hate, this Aldershot band were an offshoot of The Plague, existing in parallel. Street, Piggy, and Major were in both bands.

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  • Skipper

    Skipper

    (c’94-’96) Simon Beagley (vocals), Jim “Jimbo” Norris (guitar), Sean Wilkinson (guitar), Ben Norris (bass), and Steve Collings (drums).

    Insert for the “(Skipper)” cassette EP released in ’94 on Bluefire Promotions. Picture courtesy of Sid Stovold

    This Camberley based band, one of the two to come together after the demise of Pretty Green, the other was The Hairy Things. Skipper released the “(Skipper)” cassette EP in ’94 on Bluefire Promotions. That same year they released the 7″ single “We’ve Got It All” in the UK on Icarus Records [ARUS 003]. The 3 tracks, that included “Heroine” and “Grateful”, were recorded at Monster Studios, Leatherhead and produced by Chris Stevens. This was the same label as Who Moved the Ground? who they gigged with regularly.

    9 April 1994: Ticket for The Outcast Band, Who Moved the Ground! and Skipper at the National Rifle Range Pavilion, Bisley. Source: Blag Promotions

    On 9 April ’94 the two bands, Skipper and Who Moved the Ground?, supported The Outcast Band at the National Rifle Range Pavilion, Bisley. In September ’94, Skipper performed four times: On 3 September at the Cellar Bar, South Hill Park, Bracknell with The Love Family and Big Boy Tomato; on 10 September at an all-day event at The Wheatsheaf, Aldershot with Serious Plankton and Toys in the Attic; on 14 September at the Powerhaus, Islington; and a week later on 21 September at Aitch’s, Godalming with Who Moved the Ground? The following month the band supported The Counterfeit Stones at The Red Lion, Brentford on 7 October; followed by an appearance the next day with Who Moved the Ground at The White Hart, Frimley. Two weeks later, on 22 October ’94, they were back supporting The Counterfeit Stones, this time at The Swan, Fulham. In November the Icarus Records label, to help promote the single, team up with Critical Club for an event at the West End Centre, Aldershot that featured Skipper, Who Moved the Ground?, and Meanwhile.

    19 November 1994: Icarus Records promo gig with Skipper, Who Moved the Ground! and Meanwhile.

    On 3 February ’95, Redefining Beautiful opened the first Splatch! with Meanwhile, The Baby South, and Skipper also on the bill for this event at the Civic Hall, Guildford. The band were back at South Hill Park on 9 March ’95, this time for The Shed with Headcopter. When Ben Norris left Paul Pomeroy picked up bass duties. Shortly after, on 28 June ’95, Skipper were at the Bull and Gate, Kentish Town; and two days, on 30 June ’95, Skipper were supporting Feckle, along with The Perishers, at Blades Bar, Basingstoke. Bluefire Records put “Indian Giver” on “Snakebite City Three” [BLU06] in ’95, while Farnborough Groove picked up “Cheated” for “Farnborough Groove Strikes Back! Vol.5”. On 26 October ’95, the Starfish Club at Dublin Castle, London hosted headliners The Mystics, supported by Skipper and Sludge Nation.

    Skipper, along with Dry Riser, opened for Who Moved the Ground? once again on 21 March ’96 at The Warehouse, Fleet. Later in the year, “Indian Giver”, track 2 from the “(Skipper)” EP, also appeared on Spangle Records [SPANG 003] “Club Spangle Number 3″ compilation 7” EP in 1996. That same year “Grateful” was published on “The Best Farnborough Groove in the World – Ever! Vol.6” and Bluefire Records [BLU07] “Snakebite City Four”.

    Collings played drums on the B-side of The Vinegar Blossom‘s “Absence of A Choice”, 7″ single, released in Germany in September ’91.

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  • Slack Bladder

    Slack Bladder

    (c’87-’88) Martin Crook (bass / vocals), Andy ‘Bolus’ Bullock (?), and Neale Brodie (?).

    Experimental Slack Bladder became part of the Frimley band co-op known as The Grain. Along with fellow members: Magic Moments at Twilight Time, The Charles, Momento Mori, The Visionairies, and Greed they put on a free festival at Highland Farm, Frimley Green, on 20 September ’87, in aid of Greenpeace.

    Insert sleeve for Slack Bladder’s “Safe Experiments with Bacteria” cassette LP. Picture courtesy of Mick Magic

    Next Slack Bladder appeared with Magic Moments at Twilight Time at Frimley Community Centre, on 12 December ’87, for a Xmas bash gig that went by the ‘A Taste of Paranoia” moniker. A live recording of the bands “Suicide Man” was included on the Grain-Aid compilation in early ’88. They also released the “Safe Experiments with Bacteria” cassette LP that year.

    Crook is now in Aldershot band Princess, while Bullock goes by the performing name Andy Bolus and is still performing as the solo artist Evil Moisture.

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  • Clone

    Clone

    (c’82-’83) Pat Sullivan (bass) John Smith (vocals), ? “Zura” ? (drums), Paul Denison (guitar).

    Smith and Sullivan had previously been in Exit, Denison came from Deadlock. Clone played 5’s Wine Bar, Aldershot a few times, once headlining a gig on 31 May ’83 with Black Easter and Maxi Puch and the Macho Moped Men.

    31 May 1983

    You never called “Zura”, who was a huge Hawkwind fan, Russian; he was Georgian and is now living in Georgia. Denison went on to Frayed Edge.

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  • Gerfump!

    Gerfump!

    (c’95-’97) The Gerfump! fanzine was created by Caroline Stedman, who was aged 14 at the time, as a means to blagging her way into gigs. The name was a reference to Kerrang, although Stedman thought she might end up writing for NME one day. Ably assisted by Sadie Smith and Michelle Cresdee, it was compiled and printed on Stedman’s father’s home-computer and printer.

    In ’97, the crew from this NE Hampshire ‘zine attended a fanzine convention in Oxford. Cresdee interviewed alternative rock band A about their new album ‘How Ace Are Buildings’, and they could often be caught backstage at the Civic Hall, Guildford. At one point they met Steve Lamaq and he bought a copy of the ‘free’ Gerfump!

    Gerfump! ran to at least 6 issues:

    Issue #1: Carried a review of Who Moved the Ground?‘s ‘Good Question’ EP

    Issue #2: ?

    Issue #3 (April ’96): Reviewed Snakebite City Vol.4; Club Stout at The Angel, Godalming was the ‘Club of the Month’; reviewed the J.C. Regulator, Headnoise, and Sandwich Box gig at the West End Centre, Aldershot; ran a piece on Redwood being, back in the studio; made Who Moved theGround? ‘Band of the Month’; and listed ’96’s festivals of note.

    Issue #4: ?

    Issue #5: ?

    Issue #6: Carried a review of Who Moved the Ground?’s ‘If Pleasure Was Illegal’ EP

    Stedman is now a Mumbai based composer, sound artist, live sound engineer, digital artist and writer under the Miss.Kotton monica; with a special interest in psychoacoustics, soundscapes, AI & hardcore rave.

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  • Parasites

    Parasites

    (c’80) Steve ‘Sid’ Dean (bass), Sean Brennan (guitar) and Allan Howland (drums).

    Formed in February ’80 they played Jam / Clash covers along with some original songs. Organized their own gigs at venues like Lightwater Pavilion.

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    Rough image of 12 June 1980 Soundscene column article mentioning Parasites.
  • Internal Autonomy

    Internal Autonomy

    (c’86-’93) Alex Cable (drums), Nikki Crow (vocals), and Si (guitar).

    Internal Autonomy were a Punk/Goth band from Frimley, heavily influenced by Black Easter, with the guitarist Al from Cyanide Scenario originally forming the band with others. In ’87 they released their first demo “Song and Speech”, followed the next year by 50 copies of the self-released C90 cassette LP “The Cause of Liberty” [ALT4]. There were 13 tracks on the A-side; nothing was listed for the B-side, but it carried folk music and poetry.

    “The Cause Of Liberty” cassette cover from 1988

    In ’89 there were two releases: “Capitalism on Sulphate” and the “4th Demo”. Early in ’90 came the “Tired of Sleeping” EP. This, along with the earlier releases led to interest from German label Recordrom Records who released “Inquiry” in ’90 and the 7″ single “Love” [VOL 008] in ’91. That same year an LP release on WoW Records titled “Hear in Our Hearts”, with title track written by Andy Martin (lyrics) and Music & Elsewhere‘s Mick Magic (music), was planned but never made it to fruition.

    Nikki Crow in ’91-ish

    In ’92 the band were included on a number of compilations, including “Agony of A Contaminated Society” and “Mind Pollution”. The following year they changed their name to Automomex, but only after releasing the double EP “Only You Have the Power” on the Profane Existence Records, the label for Dan Siskind’s DIY punk collective tat released anarcho-punk from bands throughout the world. 2010 saw the release on “Discography” on Front Cover Productions [CFD002], a 2 CD compilation of Internal Autonomy’s work.

    1993’s ‘Only You Have the Power’ 2xEP test pressing

    From around 2013 some original members continued as Ferox / Feroxide, out of Neath, South Wales; where Cable ran Raven Studios – which was moved from Camberley, where it was used by The Perfect Circles – until around 2018.

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  1. Human beings takes me back to 1981. Followed them all over the Surrey reading area for a year a great band and 3 good guys playing well written songs of the era. I wish john Tim and steve well what ever they are doing now. Should reform for a few shows just like Oasis but do the wooden bridge.

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