C86 Show - Indie Pop

Patrick Redsell in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://eafa.org.uk/work/?id=2038

Medieval style illustrations establish the theme of the Last Barsham Faire. Early morning reveals an encampment with caravans, makeshift tents and shelters.  The fair is held next to the round tower church.  Against medieval music, a stilt walker, jesters, minstrels and other musicians perform amongst the crowd.  There is a medieval play and maypole dancing.  One of the organisers tells how stall holders are encouraged to sell their own handmade goods, and to make their stalls look medieval.  

Stallholders discuss their work: a bellows maker, women who spin by hand, and a lute maker.  The committee talk about what the fair means to them.  Other festivities include face painting, actors playing 'Punch and Judy', morris dancing and a man lying on a bed of nails.  A  performance takes place inside a tent, with children singing and dancing.  A firework display ends the day.

Marco Pirroni in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Marco-Pirroni/266126980

Marco Pirroni is a songwriter, guitarist and producer. A lynchpin of the UK punk scene, Marco’s first appearance on stage was with Siouxsie and the Banshees at the 100 Club in 1976. He went on to join bands the Models and then Rema-Rema before teaming up with a little-known punk outfit – Adam and the Ants – in 1979 and within a year the band was on the brink of worldwide acclaim.

An integral part of the band, Marco acted as lead guitarist and co-songwriter with Adam. Marco’s work with Adam left an indelible commercial and creative stamp across the 1980s and pop music in general. Marco went on to work with other artists including Sinéad O'Connor and had become regarded as an authority on the punk movement.

Anton Barbeau in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://antonbarbeau.bandcamp.com/album/come-home-to-me

https://manbird.antonbarbeau.com

https://www.facebook.com/antonbarbeau

credits

Dean Pianvani in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://portioncontrol.net/

https://portioncontrol.bandcamp.com/music

Portion Control have been creating electronic dissonance for techno industrial pilgrims since 1979, rising as pioneers from the UK industrial electronics scene

Martin McAloon

https://www.martinmcaloon.com/

Prefab Sprout are an English pop/rock band. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, they released their debut album Swoon to critical acclaim in 1984. Their subsequent albums, including 1985's Steve McQueen and 1990's Jordan: The Comeback, have been described by Paul Lester of The Guardian as "some of the most beautiful and intelligent records of their era". Frontman Paddy McAloon is regarded as one of the great songwriters of his time and the band have been credited with producing some of the "most beloved" pop music of the 1980s and 1990s.

Welsey Stace in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://wesleystace.bandcamp.com/

https://www.wesleystace.com/albums

Recorded at Studio 1935 in Philadelphia’s historic BOK Building, One Last Heist is produced, arranged and written by Wes and longtime collaborator David Nagler. The core band comprised Nagler himself (keyboards), Eddie Carlson (bass), and Stéphane San Juan (Caetano Veloso, David Byrne, Marcos Valle) on the drums. These backing tracks were supplemented by stellar guitar work from Joe Gore (Tom Waits, Tracy Chapman) and Justin Mazer (Bob Weir), extra drums from Patrick Berkery (The War on Drugs) and backing vocals by Chris von Sneidern. The bells and whistles - string quartets, clarinets, flutes, flugelhorns etc - were contributed later by friends all over. 

This heist began with frustrations about the one before, Stace recounts: “We'd intended the previous album Late Style to be the most elegant record imaginable, but COVID was a scruffy time and much of it was recorded in isolation in far-flung locations, without the chemistry and esprit de corps of musicians playing together in real time in the same space. It just couldn’t be done how we wanted. So the prime motive here was to go one better, to arrange the songs first, then record them as a band, playing live in the studio, to let it be a ‘players’ record, allowing for expressive solos, room to relax a little. Studio 1935 is open plan, very welcoming, not lots of isolated booths, so we were all able to congregate, interact, and improvise.” 

Morgan King in conservation with David Eastaugh 

https://morganking.bandcamp.com/

King's musical career began in 1979 as drummer for Manchester band Illustration, who were subsequently signed by the indie label, "Some Bizzare" featuring on the Some Bizzare Album. After several years immersed in the UK indie scene, King's musical direction changed considerably with the advent of house music in the late 1980s.

In 1988, King moved to Chicago and started writing with Kym Mazelle and Marshall Jefferson on Mazelle's first album, Crazy, which was released the following year. In 1989, King joined his third band, the Manic MCs who had a UK top thirty hit with their first release, "Mental".

Vince Hunt in conversation with David Eastaugh

A Witness are an English post-punk/indie rock band, who were originally active in the mid-1980s alternative music scene. Their first EP Loudhailer Songs brought them to the attention of BBC Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel, for whom they recorded four sessions. Their career was brought to a halt with the death of guitarist Rick Aitken in 1989. Founder member and songwriter Vince Hunt revived the band with a new line-up for a series of UK-wide dates in 2014 marking the 25th anniversary of Aitken's death, and the band continues to play live.

John Whybrew in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://portioncontrol.bandcamp.com/music

https://portioncontrol.net/

Emerging from the immediate post-punk musical landscape, Portion Control swiftly developed a raw, minimal sound utilising sequenced synthesisers, samplers and strident vocals built on driving, rhythmic structures. Their fiercely independent approach and experimental use of early technology positioned them as pioneers of the electro-industrial genre, as exemplified by their 1982 debut album, ‘I Staggered Mentally’, mini-LP ‘Hit The Pulse’ (1983) and second album ‘..Step Forward’ (1984), all formative works in the evolution of hard-edged dark electronic dance music.

Following a hiatus that began in the late ’80s, Portion Control staged their return in 2004. Symbolically plotted on the steps of the British Museum, they introduced a darker, tighter style that nevertheless retained their uncompromising edge. Releases such as ‘Wellcome’ (2004), ‘Filthy White Guy’ (2006), ‘Pure Form’ (2012) and the trio of ‘SEED’ EPs issued in 2020-25 documented this renewed phase, combining the band’s original aesthetic with contemporary production techniques.

Throughout their career, Portion Control have remained resistant to commercial pressures while continually exploring new directions in sound. Their body of work stands as a significant contribution to electronic music history, both for its originality and for its lasting influence on subsequent artists within genres such as industrial, EBM, techno and darkwave.

Gregor Gall in conversation with David Eastaugh 

Steve Addabbo in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.steveaddabbo.com

https://shelterislandsound.com

American record producer, songwriter and audio engineer, who helped launch the careers of Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin. He had a vital hand in Vega's hit single, "Luka" and Colvin's album Steady On.

He has produced and/or engineered for artists including Bobby McFerrin, Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley, Gary Lucas, Richard Shindell, Suzanne Vega, and Dar Williams.

Matt Eaton in conversation with David Eastaugh 

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

https://pram.bandcamp.com/music

Pram are an English post-rock band formed in Birmingham in 1988 by singer-keyboardist Rosie Cuckston, guitarist Matt Eaton, drummer Andy Weir and bassist Samantha Owen.

Subsequent lineups have changed frequently, most notably with Cuckston's departure in 2008. Their electronic pop sound, described as "equally quaint and unsettling," employs unconventional instruments and draws on stylistic influences such as krautrock, exotica, and dub.

The group signed to Too Pure Records in 1993, where they released their debut LP The Stars Are So Big, The Earth Is So Small... Stay as You Are. They later signed to Domino. Following the 2007 album The Moving Frontier, they took a lengthy hiatus, returning in 2018 with Across the Meridian.

Dave Jackson in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://theroomtheroominthewood.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Room-100063702032127/

The Room are a new wave band from Liverpool formed in late 1979. They released three albums and several singles before breaking up in 1985. Two of the band members went on to form Benny Profane, Dust, and Dead Cowboys. The band reformed in 2023.

he Room, returned in 2023. Original members Clive Thomas, Dave Jackson and Becky Stringer are joined by new bloods, Ethan Kyme and Darren Brown. They have since released two albums, Restless Fate (2023) and The Telling (2024) on 9x9 Records, will release their third album, Doom Pop! in September 2026.

Album opener, Drill, Baby, Drill is a response to the orangepig-who-would-be-king and his enablers. Nine new dark-tinged pop songs, plus a re-recorded version of their 80's John Peel favourite, Things Have Learnt to Walk that Ought to Crawl. Pressed on eco-vinyl giving each copy of the LP a random colour mix.

Brian Protheroe in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://brianprotheroe.bandcamp.com/

English singer, songwriter, narrator and actor. He is best known for his first single, "Pinball", released in August 1974, which entered the UK Singles Chart at number 40 and reached a peak of number 22. 

n 1973 Protheroe was playing the part of a pop singer in a play called Death on Demand, when a representative from Chrysalis Records heard a song he had written for the show. His first single, "Pinball", was released in August 1974, and it entered the UK Singles Chart at number 40 and reached a peak of number 22. Then followed by an album of the same name. The follow-up single "Fly Now" made Capital Radio's "Capital Countdown" chart.

Tim Quirk in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://wonderlick1.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Wonderlick/

Wonderlick is a Los Angeles–based indie rock band established in 2001 by Too Much Joy members Tim Quirk and Jay Blumenfield.

Tom Bailey in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://thompsontwinstombailey.co.uk/

Thompson Twins were an English pop band, formed in 1977 in Sheffield. Initially a new wave group, they switched to a more mainstream pop sound and achieved considerable popularity during the early and mid-1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States, and around the world. In 1993, they changed their name to Babble, to reflect their change in music from pop to dub-influenced chill-out. They continued as Babble until 1996, at which point the group permanently broke up.

At various stages they had up to seven members, but their best known line-up was as a trio from 1982 to 1986. The band became a prominent act in the US during the Second British Invasion, and in 1985 performed at Live Aid in Philadelphia, where they were joined on stage by Madonna.

Jerome Soligny in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://www.accartbooks.com/uk/book/david-bowie-music-lover/

David Bowie: Music Lover is a compelling mix of personal insight and expert commentary, jointly written by Bowie’s lifelong friend, collaborator and listening companion, Geoff MacCormack, and Jérôme Soligny, author of the seminal Rainbowman, who knew Bowie for 25 years.

From Classical to Britpop, Electronica to Delta Blues, the book explores Bowie’s eclectic playlist, redolent of the decades he lived through but also of his deep interest in all genres and eras of music. It’s a story that begins with Little Richard on Bowie’s childhood Dansette record player, and ends with Kendrick Lamar, a go-to listen during the recording of Blackstar, released just two days before he died.

An indispensable guide for Bowie fans and all Music Lovers.

Jason Stoll in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://jaawband.bandcamp.com/

https://godunknownrecords.bandcamp.com/album/zones-3

https://deadneanderthals.bandcamp.com/album/twin-sister

https://sexswing.bandcamp.com/

Jason Stoll is a prolific musician and has featured in many bands including Mugstar, KLÄMP, Sex Swing, Twin Sister and now JAAW.

Plus he also runs the God Unknown Records label who have put out records by a diverse range of artists

Frank Sweeney in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://www.facebook.com/frank.sweeney1

After forming in June 1983, they first played live as a band in August that year, soon attracting the attention of future Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who gave them several gigs at the 'Living Room', but reputedly decided not to sign The June Brides to his new label as it would have been "too obvious". Two Joe Foster-produced 1984 singles on The Pink Label, "In The Rain" and "Every Conversation" saw The June Brides receive much attention, and these two songs appeared frequently on compilation albums from that era. A year later, the mini-album There Are Eight Million Stories... appeared (produced by John O'Neill of That Petrol Emotion) and went straight to number one in the UK Indie Chart, staying there for a month.

The album remained in the indie chart for 38 weeks. Disillusioned with Pink, the band moved to Marc Riley's In-Tape label for two further singles - "No Place Like Home" and "This Town" and, in 1986, opened for The Smiths on their Irish tour dates. The June Brides were asked to contribute to the NME's C86 compilation but declined for fear of being pigeonholed.

Nicholas Freeman & Ramiel Petros in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bpJfIG03yE

Former Norwich City star Tony Powell vanished from professional soccer in the 1970s. Decades later, he's found managing a West Hollywood motel, the last tenant of a disappearing place and of a life lived in secret.