C86 Show - Indie Pop

Rolf Brendel in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://rolfbrendel.de/

The band was formed in 1981 when vocalist Gabriele Kerner (Nena) came to West Berlin with drummer Rolf Brendel, her boyfriend at the time. 

The band wrote all of their songs themselves, typically working in pairs. They became overnight sensations in Germany when they performed their debut single "Nur geträumt" on German TV in August 1982

The single reached number 2 in the German charts, a position it occupied for 6 weeks, and also climbed high in the Austrian, Belgian, Dutch and Swiss charts.^[ In early 1983 the follow-up single "99 Luftballons" spent a further 7 weeks at number 2 before finally reaching the top slot, a position the debut album matched.

Philip Sanderson in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://snatchtapes.bandcamp.com/

Storm Bugs are a post-punk band formed in 1978 in Deptford, London, by Philip Sanderson and Steven Ball who had met in the Medway Towns, England. The band have been linked to a number of genres including: cassette culture, industrial music and DIY. Storm Bugs were initially active between 1978–82 and defying gravity reformed in 2001.

After moving to London in late 1978 Sanderson wangled out of hours access to the electronic music studio at Goldsmiths College and also purchased a valve Revox reel to reel tape recorder setting up a DIY home studio to annoy the neighbours. Using both these faculties Sanderson recorded much of the Storm Bugs output from 1878 to 1980 with Ball designing the artwork for the releases.

The first Storm Bugs release was as part of Snatch 1 - on the Snatch Tapes cassette label. Snatch Tapes was part of the cassette culture scene and also released tapes by David Jackman (later of Organum), and Claire Thomas & Susan Vezey as well as tracks by the Lemon Kittens, Alien Brains, Cultural Amnesia and the Beach Surgeons (led by a young Graham Massey, later of 808 State).

Storm Bugs went on to release three cassettes albums on Snatch Tapes: A Safe Substitute (1980), Storm Bugs (1980) and Gift (1981). In 1980 the band released their first vinyl record the Table Matters EP on Loop Records (UK) featuring Cash Wash and Eat Good Beans. In 1981 Storm Bugs released their second single an industrial rockabilly 7-inch called "Metamorphose", on the French L'invitation au Suicide label with this time Ball providing lead vocals. Further recordings were made in 1981/1982 but not released with the band effectively going into hibernation for 20 years. Sanderson and Ball however continued to collaborate on other projects including a short-lived pop experimental band called Swoon Baboon and in 1988 the film Green on the Horizon.

Storm Bugs were rediscovered in 2000 when they were included on the bootleg LP I Hate the Pop Group, on Vertical Slum Records. In an attempt to cash in a year later Snatch Tapes reactivated and released a compilation of some of the bands finer moments from the past, entitled Let's Go Outside And Get It Over, this was the start of a re-issue programme that saw much of Storm Bugs original material being rereleased on vinyl.

The following year, 2002 rare and previously unreleased recordings were collected by the Fusetron label, and released on an LP called Up The Middle Down The Sides. In the same year the band also released a 4-track EP of new material called The Bugs Are Back on the Austrian label Klanggalerie. In 2006 the German label Vinyl On Demand issued a Snatch Tapes compilation called Snatch Paste and this was followed in 2007 by a Storm Bugs LP entitled Supplementary benefit featuring the two 7 inch singles as well as tracks from the early cassette releases. 2008 saw Car Situations (Nasal Passage) included on the Messthetics Greatest Hiss compilation whilst in 2011 the A Safe Substitute cassette on Snatch Tapes was reissued on red vinyl by Harbinger records. In 2013 the track Cash Wash/Eat Good Beans was included on the 7th and final Anthology of Noise and Electronic Music compilation on Sub Rosa.

In 2013 Storm Bugs made their back catalogue available digitally on Bandcamp and released their first new material in ten years the digital single No Nothingness/Triangulation with an accompanying video.

Storm Bugs live appearances have been rare. An unadvertised performance was given at Maidstone Art college in 1979 and a further performance in the summer of 1980 in Brenchley Gardens Maidstone, Kent. On that occasion the band included David Jackman on esraj. In 2012 Storm Bugs performed live for the first time in 30 years at the Rammel Weekender in Nottingham alongside other acts such as the New Blockaders and Cheapmachines. Reviewing the Weekender in the Wire Magazine, Storm Bugs's contribution was judged by Derek Walmsley to be "everything that's right about the weekend"

Mark Flunder in conversation with David Eastaugh 

The McTells - Formed in 1985 in Hertford, UK. Initially a 4 piece comprising Paul Rixon on guitar and vocal, Bill on guitar, Stuart on bass, Mark Flunder from the Television Personalities on stand up drums. Bill later left to form The Big Paintings but the rest of the band continued as a three piece releasing records on Pauls own Bi-Joopiter label and on Frank, K, Little Teddy Recordings and Vinyl Japan.

Deb Googe in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://dagoogie.bandcamp.com/album/the-golden-thread

https://www.dagoogie.com/

English musician, who achieved international fame as the bassist for the band My Bloody Valentine. Their studio albums Isn't Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991) established Googe as a pioneering figure in the shoegaze genre. She has also worked with Snowpony, Primal Scream and Thurston Moore.

Nick Hobbs in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://soundcloud.com/nikolaigalen

https://www.youtube.com/user/nikolaigalen/featured

The Shrubs were an English rock music group, formed in 1985, releasing three albums before splitting up in 1989.

Shrubs contributed Bullfighters Bones to the NME's famous C86 album.

A further 12", Blackmailer followed towards the end of the year, with debut album Take Me Aside for a Midnight Harangue hitting the shops in July 1987. With the collapse of the Ron Johnson label and the indie distribution network The Cartel, several hundred copies of "Harangue" were incinerated, much to Hobbs' annoyance. Shrubs signed with the Hertfordshire-based Public Domain label for a studio/live 12", Another Age, and second and final album Vessels of the Heart, both in 1988, after which the band split.

Hobbs went on to form Mecca, who toured the former Soviet Union with Nitzer Ebb and others, and subsequently Infidel, along with current Pere Ubu guitarist Keith Moliné and Nico's former drummer Graham Dowdall (a.k.a. Dids), at the same time carrying on in artist management. He carries on making music solo and with different groups under the name of Nikolai Galen.

Mike Howlett in conversation with David Eastaugh

Howlett was the bassist in Sydney pop band the Affair, which included vocalist Kerrie Biddell. The group travelled to England after winning a prize in the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds band competition. Howlett settled in London and in 1973 joined renowned British progressive rock group Gong, which had been founded by an Australian Daevid Allen. He remained with Gong until 1977, recording several albums with them and co-writing much of their material later in this period with drummer Pierre Moerlen.

After leaving Gong, Howlett formed the short-lived band Strontium 90, which consisted of himself, Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers.

Michael Kerr in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://preciousrecordingsoflondon.bandcamp.com/album/pre-052-the-motorcycle-boy-john-peel-session-140987

The band consisted of Alex Taylor (vocals, formerly of Shop Assistants), Paul McDermott (drums), Michael Kerr (guitar), and Eddy Connelly (bass) (all formerly of Meat Whiplash), and David "Scottie" Scott (guitar). They were signed by Rough Trade Records, who issued their debut single, "Big Rock Candy Mountain", which reached number 2 in the UK Independent Chart. The band were then signed by Chrysalis Records, with two singles, but failed to achieve great success despite considerable press attention. Their debut album Scarlet (which had additional drumming by Anthony Cooper and keyboards from former Jesse Garon and The Desperadoes guitarist Stuart Clarke) was never released. The band then split with Chrysalis, with two further singles released on the Nymphaea Pink Sensation label in 1990, before the band themselves split up

Zander Schloss in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.facebook.com/zander.schloss

http://www.circlejerks.net/Home/

https://www.blindowlsd.com/zander-schloss

American musician, actor and composer. He is known as bass player for the Circle Jerks, the Weirdos, his many collaborations with Joe Strummer musically and in film and for his contributions to independent feature films.

His first screen appearance was as "Kevin the Nerd" in Repo Man. He went on to appear in a number of Alex Cox films as well as to make significant musical contributions in other Cox features such as Sid and Nancy (1986), Straight to Hell (1987)

Gail Petersen in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.thecatholicgirls.net/

The Catholic Girls are a hard rocking all female band from New Jersey. The Catholic Girls are: Gail Petersen (lead vocals/rhythm guitar) Roxy Andersen (lead guitar/backing vocals) Doreen Holmes (drums and percussion)

Bob Bert in conversation with David Eastaugh

Based in Hoboken, New Jersey, Bert initially came to prominence as drummer for the experimental rock band Sonic Youth during the early to mid-1980s. Bert played on the Sonic Youth releases Confusion Is Sex, Sonic Death, and Bad Moon Rising. After Bad Moon Rising, Bert quit the group.

Bert contributed during the last half of the 1980s as percussionist for noise band Pussy Galore. 

In the early 1990s, Bert drummed for the Chrome Cranks (which also included Peter Aaron on vocals; Jerry Teel on bass; and William Weber on stun guitar).

After the dissolution of the Cranks, Bert joined forces with guitarist Kid Congo, guitarist Jack Martin, bassist/vocalist Jerry Teel and organist Barry London in the rootsy New York City band Knoxville Girls.

Casino Steel in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.facebook.com/casinosteel

https://www.theboys.co.uk

The Hollywood Brats were a British glam rock and protopunk band in the early 1970s. They found little commercial success at the time, and split up in 1974, but are regarded as influential on the later punk rock scene.

Peter Holsapple in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://peter-holsapple.bandcamp.com/album/the-face-of-68

https://label51recordings.com/peter-holsapple/

American musician who, along with Chris Stamey, formed the dB's^. He became the band's principal songwriter and singer after Stamey's departure. The band, with Stamey back in the fold, reformed with new material in 2005–2006.

After the dB's disbanded in 1988, Holsapple played as an auxiliary musician with R.E.M. and Hootie & the Blowfish, before joining the Continental Drifters, a rock band originating from Los Angeles.

In 1997, he released his first solo album, Out of the Way. He followed it up twenty-one years later with 2018's Game Day and will follow it in 2025 with Face of 68.

Markus Zizenbacher in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://www.sixpackfilm.com/en/catalogue/2916/

A blazingly colourful and exuberantly transgressive personality who dazzled Los Angeles' underground musical and artistic scenes in the late-1990s and 2000s, Sean DeLear (1964-2017) suddenly emerged as a genuinely seminal cultural figure via the posthumous 2022 publication of their intimate and explicit teenage diaries from 1979. I Could Not Believe It joyously chronicles the experiences of a young Black, queer creative finding their identity, voice and style decades before Barry Jenkins' (rather more downbeat) Moonlight.

The Life of Sean DeLear is a vibrantly multi-faceted, buoyantly propulsive documentary portrait of this irresistibly charismatic one-off — sketched in celebratory but commendably clear-eyed style by writer-director Markus Zizenbacher. There can be very few people better qualified to do justice to this particular tale. Zizenbacher befriended DeLear — born Anthony Robertson in Simi Valley, an obscure California backwater — after the latter relocated to Vienna in the early 2010s.

There the former frontperson of Silver Lake postpunk-combo Glue reinvented themselves as a cabaret performer and collaborated with famed art-collective Gelitin before passing away aged just 52. "SeanDe" entrusted their treasure-trove audiovisual archive to Zizenbacher, who with co-editor Sebastian Schreiner has crafted an eclectic collage generously spiced with effervescent extracts from DeLear's own extensive video-diaries.

These jagged hand-held snapshots bring back to often-hilarious life the electric days (and especially nights) from a quarter of a century ago, placed in retrospective context by present-day testimony from the survivors who knew SeanDe best and loved them the most. Sean DeLear — as in "chandelier" — lit up their world; Markus Zizenbacher now illuminates Sean DeLear for ours. (Neil Young)

Jonathan Segel in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.jonathansegel.com/

https://campervanbeethoven.com/home

Segel joined the indie rock group Camper Van Beethoven in 1984, while in college at Santa Cruz. His contributions as violinist became the band's hallmark, creating a distinctive identity and sound

n addition to the revived Camper Van Beethoven, Segel records solo projects and leads the Jonathan Segel band, performs improvisational electronic or avant-garde music (either solo or, since 2004, with Chaos Butterfly), and he is an occasional contributor to music from the Big City Orchestra. His compositions have also included six chamber music scores written between 1989 and 2011.

Patrick Dougher in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.godbodyart.com/new-page-3

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/patrick-dougher/concrete-dreamland/9780316571043/

https://lionsgatesound88.bandcamp.com/album/algorhythm

Born in Brooklyn in 1963, Patrick Dougher grew up in some of the most turbulent and culturally impactful periods of NYC's history. Often neglected as a child by his parents-a father who struggled with alcohol addiction and an overworked mother who struggled to make ends meet-he learned to fend for himself. Now a renowned visual artist, musician, actor and writer, Dougher brings to the page his memories, struggles, personal revelations, and a life intimately tied to the realities of growing up Black and disenfranchised on the streets of one of the most remarkable cities in the world.

Concrete Dreamland is tragic and triumphant, gritty and hard, poetic and outrageously funny. Told in Dougher's brutally raw and courageously honest voice, these stories act as snapshots of a life lived in extremes: from gangsters to God, street style to sexuality, to recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism. He tells of his adventures as a pre-hip hop "hard rock' and an original Black punk rocker surviving during the dangerous days of the crack and AIDS epidemic in NYC, while also sharing tales of racism, homelessness, and his many brushes with fame and death.

Peter Coyne in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.thegodfathersofficial.com/

2025 sees The Godfathers celebrate the historic milestone of the 40th anniversary since their formation with multiple record releases as well as tours & festivals across the UK, Europe and around the world.

An 18-track compilation entitled Electric Déjà Vu featuring numbers personally selected by The Godfathers’ founder and frontman Peter Coyne from the band’s three most recent critically acclaimed studio albums - 2013’s Jukebox Fury, 2017’s A Big Bad Beautiful Noise and 2022’s Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - is set for release in early April.

A brand new studio single will follow in the Summer with an archive double-live album promised for later in the year. These releases pave the way for a much anticipated album of new material in 2026.

The Godfathers were formed in 1985 by brothers Peter Coyne (vocals) and Chris Coyne (bass/vocals) from the ashes of their previous band The Sid Presley Experience. They toured extensively and quickly earned a serious reputation for their electrifying brand of primal rock & roll & their incendiary live shows around the world.
 
Forming a recording partnership with famed producer Vic Maile, they released four critically acclaimed, smash hit independent singles on their own Corporate Image label (‘Lonely Man’, ‘This Damn Nation’, ‘I Want Everything’ and ‘Love Is Dead') which alongside a brutal cover of Lennon’s ‘Cold Turkey’ were compiled into their seminal debut album release Hit By Hit in ’86 and signed a worldwide deal with Sony/Epic records in ‘87.
 
The Godfathers unleashed the storming rocker ‘Birth School Work Death’ as a single in '87 and scored a US Billboard top 40 hit after massive college radio airplay and heavy MTV rotation. Then the classic Birth School Work Death album was released in ’88 (includes the hit anthem title track and singles ‘Cause I Said So’ and a re-recorded ‘Love Is Dead’) and was promoted with extensive tours of the UK, Europe and America as they cemented their reputation as one of the best live acts of the period. Celebrity fans included among others David Bowie and Johnny Depp.

Brian Bilston in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://brianbilston.com/

https://catenarywires.bandcamp.com/album/sounds-made-by-humans-by-brian-bilston-and-the-catenary-wires

Bilston has published three collections of verse, You Took the Last Bus Home (2016); Alexa, What Is There to Know About Love? (2021); and Days Like These: An Alternative Guide to the Year in 366 Poems (2022). He has also written a book of football poems, 50 Ways to Score a Goal (2021). His first novel, Diary of a Somebody (2019), was shortlisted for the Costa Book Award for First Novel, and his poem "Refugees" has been published as an illustrated book for children. In 2023, he published a book of "seasonally adjusted poems", And So This Is Christmas.

He also recorded and released an album, Sounds Made By Humans, with indiepop band the Catenary Wires.

Jeff Trott in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.jefftrott.com/

Perhaps most well-known for his collaborations with American singer Sheryl Crow, having co-written some of her biggest hits, including "If It Makes You Happy", "Everyday Is a Winding Road", and "Soak Up the Sun"; he also produced tracks on her albums C'mon, C'mon, Wildflower, Be Myself, and Threads. Trott won the BMI Songwriter of the Year award in 1998.

David Walker in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.facebook.com/groups/952963613406389

https://www.cloudberryrecords.com/blog/?p=2806

Manchester-based indie four-piece, active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Three members went on to form Brassy.

Robert Dean in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://lightofdaycr.bandcamp.com/album/dimensions

https://vivabeat.bandcamp.com/album/the-house-is-burning-the-best-of-vivabeat

https://vivabeat.bandcamp.com/album/party-in-the-war-zone-expanded

https://robertdeanmartinbirke.bandcamp.com/album/triptych

Perhaps best known as the original guitarist in the British band Japan.

Upon leaving the group after the "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" album, Robert provided guitar backing to a number of artists including ABC with his good friend Martin Fry as well as Gary Numan & Sinéad O'Connor. Robert also was a member of several subsequent bands including Illustrated Man and the Australian-based The Slow Club who released a number of singles & an album "World Of Wonders"

Now lives and enjoys a lifestyle as an ornithologist & published artist (usually the Costa Rican bird population).