C86 Show - Indie Pop

Anja Huwe in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://anjahuwe.com/

Musician, artist and former television editor and producer born in Hamburg, Germany, She was the singer and only stable member in the various incarnations of German Post-Punk band X Mal Deutschland. After the band finally split up in 1990, she worked as producer and editor for German "VIVA TV". More recently she has taken up visual arts and exhibits in New York and London.

After Xmal Deutschland’s success with four albums on cult labels such as 4AD, Huwe abandoned music to pursue her visual art career. But leaving her legacy in the past was not so easy.

William D Drake in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://williamddrake.wordpress.com/

https://williamddrake.bandcamp.com/

https://lakeofpuppies.bandcamp.com/album/lake-of-puppies

Musician, keyboardist, pianist, composer and singer-songwriter. He is best known as a former member of the cult English rock band Cardiacs, whom he played with for nine years between 1983 and 1992.

He has also been a member of the Sea Nymphs, North Sea Radio Orchestra, Nervous, Wood, Lake of Puppies and The Grown-Ups, as well as pursuing a career as a solo artist.

Patrick Fitzgerald in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://patrickfitzgerald.bandcamp.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7Zr_w9cxtQ

Patrick Fitzgerald, singer and bass player in Kitchens of Distinction. After Kitchens he was: Fruit, one half of three fabulous duos - Lost Girls | The April Seven | Oskar's Drum - and solo he is Stephen Hero. He has been releasing records under all these guises and more since 1987.

Kitchens of Distinction (sometimes shortened colloquially to KoD) formed in Tooting, South London in 1986. The trio consist of lead singer and bassist Patrick Fitzgerald, guitarist Julian Swales and drummer Daniel Goodwin.

The band were considered part of the shoegaze subgenre and released four studio albums before disbanding in 1996. In September 2012, Patrick Fitzgerald announced Kitchens of Distinction's reunion, followed by the 2013 release of their fifth album, their first in 19 years.

Nick Toczek in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.nicktoczek.com/

British writer and performer working variously as poet, journalist, magician, vocalist, lyricist and radio broadcaster. He was raised in Bradford and then took a degree in Industrial Metallurgy at Birmingham University (1968–71) where he began reading and publishing his poetry. Staying on in Moseley, Birmingham, until 1977, he founded his poetry magazine The Little Word Machine, had several books and pamphlets published by small presses, co-founded Moseley Community Arts Festival, and toured with his music and poetry troupe, The Stereo Graffiti Show.

Moving back to Bradford in 1977, he co-founded the seminal music fanzine The Wool City Rocker and formed the band Ulterior Motives, in which he was lyricist and lead vocalist. Continuing to tour as a poet and to publish his writings, he also recorded songs with a variety of bands. During the early 1980s, he ran a series of weekly punk and indie gigs. Throughout the late '80s and early '90s, he ran weekly alternative cabaret clubs, usually co-organising these with fellow performer Wild Willi Beckett.

Morley Bartnof in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://andyandtherattlesnakes.com/about

https://www.facebook.com/cosmo.topper

American keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and composer, born 1959, in Los Angeles, California.

Originally Bartnof spelled with one "f" and later changed to Bartnoff. May appear on releases as Morley Bartof or CosMorley Be. Stepping Away from his previous project Cosmo Topper, Morley's new project is the aptly named "Randy Californians."

Richard Bellia  in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://richardbellia.com/

Photographer Richard Bellia was there when it mattered carrying his trusted camera to capture moments in music’s vast cannon of historical importance, some which now forms his own tapestry of work in Un œil sur la musique 1980-2016 i.e. An eye on music 1980-2016.

The intro to the book says ‘’a thousand photos: breathe the same air as the musicians, feel the bass, the riffs and the silences, sixtieth of a second per sixtieth of a second.’’ With this in mind its hard not to get stuck straight in with the mammoth heavyweight volume of photos infront of you. The first striking images come from prime Punk era via Denmark Street, John Lydon looking grimacingly at the camera in the studio and on stage with PiL, Joe Strummer looking cool as holding his guitar towards the camera, Topper Headon, Mick Jones and leather clad Paul Simonon all looking equally stunning in separate shots.

Graham Bonnet in conversation with David Eastaugh

English rock singer. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several rocks bands including Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri. He is known for his powerful singing voice but is capable of also singing soft melodies.

In 1979, Bonnet was approached to join  Sweet to replace Brian Connolly. However, he was chosen by Ritchie Blackmore to replace Ronnie James Dio as the vocalist of hard rock band Rainbow. This was something of a musical departure for Bonnet, who had previously identified himself more as an R&B singer. Bonnet would later credit his time in Rainbow and his collaboration with Blackmore, in particular, as fundamentally changing his musical outlook to a more hard rock focus. He sang on the Down to Earth LP, which would become his most successful album. It spawned two hit singles in 1979 and 1980: "Since You Been Gone" and "All Night Long". During Bonnet's time in the band, Rainbow also headlined the inaugural Monsters of Rock festival at Donington Park, Castle Donington.

Angel Eye in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.sunsofarqa.co.uk/

Suns of Arqa are a world music collective founded in 1979 by Michael Wadada. Since the group's formation, over 200 people from around the world have played and recorded with them, and in many cases these were like-minded musicians Wadada met as he travelled the world.

Pioneers of World Beat, Ambient, Downtempo and Electro-Dub, Suns of Arqa draw inspiration from around the world, interpreting indigenous, tribal and classical folk traditions. They have created an impressive legacy and earned worldwide recognition.

Alan Buckley in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyCcKAa35PE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayh-vWqDzBU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2ioIhmzGEI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVfK1tbeGwk&list=PLcDwkXhr5uEwekhN-p-OKHqcY_cLxvWjR

Mid 80s proto-janglers Here Comes Everybody inspired Andy Bell (Ride/Oasis) to buy his first guitar, then, mission accomplished, broke up in 1986. Singer/ guitarist Richard and drummer Pete were introduced to bassist Alan by some HCE fans at St Paul's Arts Centre later that year, and The Anyways' core trio was born. Their goal was to wear black and sound like The Velvet Underground, but luckily they got it slightly wrong and ended up sounding like themselves (while still wearing black). Jennie used to read the newspaper onstage and on one occasion shorted out the keyboard by pouring fizzy pop into it. Trudy, a volunteer mental health worker, brought a big following from the Mill Drop-In Centre, to liven up the usual anoraked indie audience. Sounds reviewed the band's second gig, The Television Personalities offered support slots at the 100 Club in Oxford St, and Notown Records put out the first single, Confession, in 1987. Overcome by the excitement of being played on John Peel (once), Jennie left, and Ali took her place. The Anyways became regular performers at the Camden Falcon, where Bobby Gillespie told them they needed more guitar solos. Two tracks (no solos) were featured on The Jericho Collection in 1988 alongside Notown label-mates Shake Appeal (lots of solos). A video of rousing revolutionary anthem Levitate the Pentagon was shown on satellite TV at 2.00am. The Anyways played in Oxford, London, and Bristol with Talulah Gosh, Razorcuts, The Mission and Ride... and on their own at a Hindu wedding in Hendon (kicking off the evening with that cheery toe-tapper, Love Gone Bad). Band mantra Welcome to Psychedelic Country became even more appropriate when Hamish and Karen joined in 1990. An album (Love Lies) was recorded by Rich Haines at Dungeon Studios, but sadly not released. A swirling cover of George Harrison's If I needed someone graced a charity album called Revolution No. 9. Despite their sterling work on the swirling, Hamish and Karen decided to go more Country than Psychedelic, and left to form Lucky and The Losers in 1991. The final incarnation of The Anyways was completed by guitar maestro Mark, who had previously acted as friend and multi-tasking facilitator to the band for some time - in celebration, chilled Frascati was served to the new line-up onstage at the Zodiac in front of hundreds of delighted Heavenly fans. The Sunshine Down EP came out on Marineville Records in 1993, by which time Richard had received stage-fright counselling from Jonathan Richman and the band had supported Bad Manners at a college ball. Wider (not inspired by Buster Bloodvessel) was featured on the Days Spent Dreaming compilation. By now people wanted to spread their musical wings, so The Anyways' Grand Finale gig was held in 1994 at the Jericho Tavern (the band's spiritual home for many years). 

Tot Taylor in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.tottaylor.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thgIeoqRyok

https://www.riflemaker.org/

London-based songwriter, composer, record producer, author and art curator. He was a songwriter, singer, performer and band member throughout the seventies, eighties and nineties as well as composer of film soundtracks and theatre scores including stage-productions for the UK's National Theatre. In 2003 he founded the Riflemaker Gallery in London with the curator Virginia Damtsa, which featured feminist, audio and performative art for galleries and museums.

Chris Wilson in conversation with David Eastaugh

guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, most known for his role as the lead singer of the San Francisco band the Flamin' Groovies, having replaced original singer Roy Loney in 1971. With Wilson on lead vocals, the band released their influential 1976 album Shake Some Action.

His song "Shake Some Action", co-written with Cyril Jordan, appeared in the 1995 movie Clueless.

He was also a long-term member of The Barracudas and in 1993 he released the mini-album Pop backed by The Sneetches and the debut solo album Random Centuries.

Mark Hoyle in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.route-online.com/all-books/swerve

https://dubsex.net/about

Dub Sex are often cited as one of Manchester’s greatest ‘lost’ bands. Formed in the concrete landscape of 1980s Hulme, their music is appropriately raw and intense, bass-led with wiry guitar patterns swirling around the impassioned vocal style and presence of frontman Mark Hoyle. 

They came to prominence over the release of five critically acclaimed EPs and mini-albums in the late 80s. John Peel picked up on them from the outset playing a demo recording of ‘Tripwire!’ later describing the band on-air as “one of my very favourites”. Dub Sex went on to record 4 sessions for his BBC Radio show, the first of which incredibly aired 3 times in just 6 weeks during Feb/Mar 1987.  

‘Tripwire!’ saw a formal release later in 1987 on the band’s debut EP. The mini-album ‘Push’ and ‘The Underneath’ EP soon followed. Enthusiastic music press reviews helped the band’s profile rise amongst the post-punk fraternity and incendiary live shows led to several TV appearances including BBC’s influential ‘Snub TV’ and Tony Wilson’s Granada show ‘The Other Side of Midnight’.  

By early 1989 and the release of the ‘Swerve’ EP, Dub Sex had become Indie Chart regulars with ‘Swerve’ also making John Peel’s ‘Festive Fifty’ at the end of that year.  

Lenny Helsing in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://preciousrecordingsoflondon.bandcamp.com/album/pre-048-the-green-telescope-andy-kershaw-session-230186

Forerunners to The Thanes, The Green Telescope started out in 1981 as ardent ambassadors for 60s-style psychedelic sounds, soon becoming well known around Edinburgh for putting together exotic-sounding shows featuring freak-out style lights.
A couple of line-up changes later, they took fresh inspiration from the British beat group era plus the US/European teen garage-punk explosion – think ‘Nuggets’ and ‘Pebbles’.
There were only two singles – including the much-sought-after ‘Face In A Crowd’ seven-inch – so this, their only BBC session from 1986, is a proper one-off, capturing the spirit and sound of the times via a swirling organ, a psych heart and three totally unreleased tracks. Plus one that was recorded only 20 years later in a different version by the Thanes.

Nic Beales in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://sweetpool.bandcamp.com/

Pigbros was an English indie band formed in Birmingham in 1984 by Nick Beales (guitar & vocals) fresh from a stint in The Nightingales and Jonathan Cooke (bass). Recruiting a teenage Fuzz Townshend - as well as projects under his own name) the band played a few gigs before augmenting the line up a few months later to include Svor Naan (saxophone & guitar) not long departed from The Cravats & DcL Locomotive.

The initial sound was a rumbling, bass-heavy groove, driven by Fuzz’s drumming and Jonathan’s unique echo bass with Nick's fierce choppy guitar playing. Added to this concoction was Svor’s mixture of sax riffing and swirling echo effects and a rather curious guitar style which could be mistaken for a balalaika. The band finally split in 1988 with members doing their own projects.

Mark Wilson & Pete Barker in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWEISh0MznA

Anarchic rockabilly beloved by the late John Peel. "If Elvis had been a Marx Brother, he would have invented Pink Peg Slax" (James Brown, NME) With a name derived from an obscure Eddie Cochran rocker, Pink Peg Slax promise rockabilly revivalism, but these veterans of the Leeds 80s music scene deliver musical subversion. Borne out of punk, the Slax line-up were original members of the Mekons, the Sisters of Mercy and The Gang of Four. Celebrated by John Peel and Andy Kershaw (4 Radio 1 sessions), the NME (3 singles and 2 albums gained 5-star reviews) and TV chef Keith Floyd (who wrote sleeve notes) Pink Peg Slax knocked out 100% original tunes with a deft rockabilly-cajun approach.

Pink Peg Slax provided the necessary knowing wink to counter the gothic scowl on the face of indie music in the mid-80s. The Smiths released Meat Is Murder; the Slax released Eat More Meat. The only band ever to offer James Cagney impressions as serious musical output on night-time Radio One, Pink Peg Slax busked their way onto C4's The Tube, annoyed legions of Goths by supporting The Mission on tour and wrote songs about drunken pigs, deaf railwaymen, murderous Frenchmen and Holsten Pils. Frontman Vince Berkeley, often at odds with the world and the time of day, once thanked an audience of fairground workers for not being "gippos", told an indifferent audience in Dusseldorf to "go away and make some chemicals" and regularly spat on, kicked or threatened audience members he felt were disrespecting the band. And yet the band's Roman Catholicism led to album reviews in The Universe, the premier UK religious weekly. After a break of 20 years to raise families and conquer the world of work, Pink Peg Slax return with their original line-up and most of their hair intact..

Stuart Bruce in conversation with David Eastaugh

Stuart Robert Bruce is an English recording engineer. He was the engineer for the recording of the Band Aid's charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" on 25 November 1984.

Bruce started his career at Trevor Horn's Sarm West Studios. When Horn offered Bob Geldof and Midge Ure the studio free of charge for 24 hours to record the charity single, but was unavailable to produce it, Bruce was approached to engineer and mix what became one of the biggest selling singles ever. With many of the most famous artists of the time participating, and seven film crews in attendance, he worked straight through that day and night.

The reputation Bruce gained of being able to get a track down in difficult circumstances later led to him being chosen to engineer the Guitar Trio album by Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucía and John McLaughlin.

Richard Witts in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Passage were a post-punk band from Manchester, England, who appeared on several record labels including Object Music, Cherry Red Records, and their own label Night & Day, a subsidiary label to Virgin Records.

https://richardwitts.com/

Joe Dilworth in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://bildbandberlin.com/products/joe-dilworth-everything-all-at-once-forever?srsltid=AfmBOop7qFncpNI6g3QxwWIi_P1wOGycmFmfMmgE2wP6t9pW7Egjs87v

http://joedilworth.com/

Th' Faith Healers were an English indie rock band who were originally active between 1990 and 1994. They recorded multiple EPs and singles along with two full LPs

Gerard Evans in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.facebook.com/flowersinthedustbinofficial/?locale=en_GB

http://anarchoscene.blogspot.com/2011/07/flowers-in-dustbin.html

Andrew Reich, Jeffrey McDonald & Steve McDonald in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.reddkrossfilm.com/

https://reddkross.com/

From inventing Beach Punk to influencing the Grunge and Hair Metal movements, Redd Kross have maintained the highest level of musical integrity, originality and quality for over forty years.