C86 Show - Indie Pop

A Certain Ratio special with Donald Johnson in conversation with David Eastaugh

A Certain Ratio (abbreviated as ACR) are an English post-punk band formed in 1977 in Flixton, Greater Manchester by Peter Terrell (guitar, electronics) and Simon Topping (vocals, trumpet), with additional members Jez Kerr (bass, vocals), Martin Moscrop (trumpet, guitar), Donald Johnson (drums), and Martha Tilson (vocals) joining soon after. Drawing heavy influence from funk as well as disco and Latin percussion, the band were among to first to debut on Tony Wilson's Factory Records in 1979 with "All Night Party," produced by Martin Hannett. During ACR's early years with Factory, they scored seven Top Ten U.K. independent releases, highlighted by "Flight" and "Waterline," and released five albums beginning with The Graveyard and the Ballroom (1979).

Following late-'80s and early-'90s phases with major-label A&M and Rob Gretton's independent Robs Records, ACR were intermittently active. They returned to the studio for the 2008 album Mind Made Up and since then have continued to perform, with their catalog recirculated through an arrangement with Mute Records. ACR continued to perform into the late 2010s, and during 2017-2019 expanded, reissued, and anthologized their catalog once more, this time through Mute Records.

Martin Newell in conversation with David Eastaugh

Martin Newell is an English singer-songwriter, poet, columnist, and author who leads the Cleaners from Venus, a guitar popband with jangly, upbeat arrangements. He is also regarded as a significant figure in the history of cassette culture and DIY music. His most popular work is The Greatest Living Englishman (1993), produced by Andy Partridge of XTC.

Shriekback with Barry Andrew in conversation with David Eastaugh 

Shriekback was originally formed in 1981 by Barry Andrews, and Dave Allen, expanding to a trio with the addition of Carl Marsh. They enjoyed some success on the dance chart on their original Y Records label, and had a string of hits on the UK Indie Chart, while their debut album, Care (1983) was picked up by Warner in the United States. They left Y for Arista Records for 1984's Jam Science, also recruiting drummer Martyn Barker. The album reached number 85 on the UK Albums Chart, and the single "Hand on my Heart" charted in the Top 60 in the UK. They recorded the 1985 album Oil & Gold on Arista (released on Island Records in the US). Marsh left Shriekback during the recording of Oil & Goldand was replaced on guitar by Mike Cozzi, with Andrews taking over lead vocals. Shriekback also left Arista and signed to Island Records for whom they recorded the 1986 album Big Night Music,^[4] after which Allen left to rejoin Gang of Four, and Shriekback remained a collaborative centred on Andrews. Allen would also go on to play in King Swamp and The Elastic Purejoy. Marsh was also in the band Happyhead.

After a further album in 1988, Go Bang!, the band split up. Andrews continued working on other projects before re-forming Shriekback in 1992, although after the single "The Bastard Sons of Enoch" and album Sacred City, there would be no further releases until 2000's Naked Apes & Pond Life album.

Both Allen and Marsh returned to the studio to contribute to the recording of Shriekback's 2003 release Having a Moment. Since Having a Moment, Andrews has recorded three albums^{[citation needed]} for Malicious Damage (Killing Joke's original label) under the Shriekback moniker. Film director Michael Mann was a fan of Shriekback, and used several of their songs in his films Manhunter and Band of the Hand, and in his television series Miami Vice.

Shriekback are still actively producing music and released a studio album in May of 2018, Why Anything? Why This?. In 2019, the same lineup of Andrews, Barker, and Marsh recorded their self-released, 15th full-length studio album, Some Kinds of Light on 6 December 2019.

Music composed by Shriekback is used as the theme song for the Squaring the Strange podcast hosted by Benjamin Radford and Pascual Romero. It was selected due to the duo's fondness for music from the 1980s, and particularly for this band.

Foetus special with JG Thirlwell in conversation with David Eastaugh

Thirlwell was born in Melbourne, Australia. He briefly studied Fine Art at Melbourne State College (now part of the University of Melbourne) before moving to London, England in 1978, where he played with the post-punk band prag VEC and formed the first of his numerous musical projects, Foetus. In the 1980s, under the pseudonyms Clint Ruin and Frank Want, he contributed to various releases by Nurse With Wound, Marc Almond, The The and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He co-wrote "Wings Off Flies" on From Her to Eternity, the first Bad Seeds album. Longtime Nick Cave associate Mick Harvey would later report that Thirlwell's time in the band was cut short, in part, by a clash between Thirlwell's highly structured studio routine as contrasted with Cave's at-the-time habit of "shambling through it" while recording.

Thirlwell released his first 7" single, OKFM/Spite Your Face, in 1981, on his own Self-Immolation record label in his first incarnation as Foetus. Over the next few years, he would release two more singles, a 12" EP, and four full-length albums, Deaf, Ache, Hole and Nail (Some Bizzare Records) . After visiting the United States during a live stint with the Immaculate Consumptive (Lydia Lunch, Nick Cave and Marc Almond) Thirlwell settled in New York City, where he is still based. Since his move he has released several singles, fourteen EPs (including Stinkfist, with fellow New York artist Lydia Lunch and Thurston Moore), and seventeen full-length albums.

In addition to being a prolific artist in his own right, Thirlwell has remixed and produced numerous pieces for artists including Faith No More, Nine Inch Nails, Pantera, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The The, Zola Jesus and Swans. He has also done voice-over work for MTV and other entities.

Since 2000 Thirlwell has become more active as a composer, having written commissions for Bang on a Can, League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots, and the Kronos Quartet, and scoring cartoons The Venture Bros. for Adult Swim and Archer for FX. He also revived his primary instrumental project, Steroid Maximus, and initiated a more experimental instrumental project in Manorexia. He continues to write and perform regularly as a solo artist and with various ensembles. He is also a member of the freq_out sound art collective, and has created solo sound installations in Kaliningrad, Santarcangelo and Vienna.

Jethro Tull special with Martin Barre in conversation with David Eastaugh

Mediæval Bæbes with Katherine Blake in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Bæbes' first album, Salva Nos (1997), reached number two on the UK specialist classical charts, and was certified silver 15 May 1998. Subsequent albums include Worldes Blysse (which went to No. 1^{[citation needed]}), Undrentide, (co-produced by John Cale), The Rose, (produced by Toby Wood), and the Christmas-themed album Mistletoe and Wine.

Mirabilis (2005), was launched at a concert and party in London, August 2005. A self-titled DVD was released in July 2006. The first 300 preorders were autographed by the band and received a special mention in the DVD credits.

A live album was released on 25 November 2006 and features two new studio tracks.

Each album features traditional medieval songs and poetry set to music, mostly arranged by Blake specifically for the ensemble, alongside varying numbers of original compositions. They sing in a variety of languages, including Latin, Middle English, French, Italian, Russian, Swedish, Scottish English, German, Manx Gaelic, Spanish, Welsh, Bavarian, Provençal, Irish, modern English and Cornish. Their vocals are backed by medieval instruments, including the recorder and cittern, played by the singers or fellow musicians.

The Bæbes' musical pieces run the gamut from extremely traditional, such as their version of the "Coventry Carol" on Salva Nos, to songs that feel traditional but are much more modern, such as their rendition of "Summerisle", a song written for Robin Hardy's 1973 cult film, The Wicker Man. John Cale added non-medieval instruments, including saxophone and electric guitar, to some of the arrangements on Undrentide, although with subsequent albums the band returned to more traditional instruments. Even with these instruments, however, the band's current style is quite different from medieval authentic performance groups, as it displays significant modern influence - this juxtaposition is apparent in the album Illumination (2009) produced by KK (Kevin Kerrigan).

Tav Falco in conversation with David Eastaugh

Impressed by a 1978 performance of Falco's at The Orpheum in Memphis that culminated in the chainsawing of a guitar, Alex Chiltonteamed with him. They developed the self-styled "art damage" band, Tav Falco's Panther Burns. The group recorded a first album for Rough Trade at Ardent Studios in Memphis. Their previous 1980 session for the label at Phillips Recording was temporarily shelved (it was later re-released in 1992 on Marilyn Records as The Unreleased Sessions).

Falco devoted some of his musical career highlighting great traditional artists who had not gained media attention. He introduced their work to his audiences and to writers following his work by performing Panther Burns shows on billings with these artists, recording interpretations of their songs, and occasionally collaborating with some of them on projects for small record labels he's been associated with, such as Au Go Go and New Rose. Among these artists were blueswoman Jessie Mae Hemphill and rockabilly pioneer Charlie Feathers. Falco and Lux Interior of The Cramps worked on the photography and liner notes, respectively, for the 1982 Honky Tonk Man album by Feathers. Both younger vocalists had been influenced by Feathers' energetic, hiccup-styled vocals of the 1950s. Falco has invited such musicians as Cordell Jackson, R. L. Burnside, Mose Vinson, and Van Zula Hunt to perform at this Panther Burns concerts. Falco has released numerous Panther Burns albums on small international indie labels. He also has co-released some recordings by his band and other Memphis-area artists on his own Frenzi label.

Falco has appeared as an actor with small parts in films such as Great Balls of Fire! (1989 - USA), The Big Post Office Robbery (1992 - Hungary), Highway 61 (1991 - Canada), Downtown 81 (2001 - USA), and Wayne County Rambling (2002 - USA). Long a student of the tango under European and Argentine instructors, he appeared in Dans Le Rouge du Couchant (2003 - France) as a tango dancer, and choreographed his part in the film. He has appeared in several short films, most of which he produced and in some cases served as the filmmaker. These have been shown in underground arts venues such as The Horse Hospital in London.

In 2003 six of Falco's short films were accepted and archived into the permanent collection of the Cinémathèque Française in Paris. The short films archived are Love's Last Warning(1996), Born Too Late (1993), Helene of Memphis (1991), Memphis Beat (1989), Shadetree Mechanic (1986), and 71 Salvage (1971). A selection of Falco's short films were shown in a retrospective at the Cinémathèque Française in 2006. His first feature film, Urania Descending, was announced in 2014, having been completed the prior year.

Tav Falco has collaborated with Erik Morse, an American underground author, rock writer and journalist, on a two volume encyclopedic history and psychogeography of the city of Memphis, Tennessee, entitled MONDO MEMPHIS. Falco's book, Ghosts Behind The Sun/Mondo Memphis: Volume 1, is a study of Memphis beginning with the Civil War up to more recent autobiographical accounts set in the city. Morse's Bluff City Underground/Mondo Memphis: Volume 2 roman noir follows a West Coast graduate student and his encounters with a Memphis secret society. They were published by Creation Books; a paperback edition of Falco's volume was published in November 2011.

Falco has said his main artistic purpose is "to stir up the dark waters of the unconscious."

Falco has released more than nine album recordings.Conjurations was released in 2011 on a German label, Stag-O-Lee, and a French label, Bang! Records, followed by an American CD release on the Cosmodelic label in October 2011. A live album, Live In London, was released on Stag-O-Lee in 2012. In 2014, Falco compiled a double album of some of his favorite tracks from his music collection, Tav Falco's Wild & Exotic World of Musical Obscurities, released on Stag-o-Lee Records. The album set included a Panther Burns song, "Real Cool Trash", and liner notes by Falco.

In 2015, Falco's first book of photography, a collection of images of the gothic South called Iconography of Chance: 99 Photographs of the Evanescent South, was published by Elsinore and distributed by University of Chicago Press. The same year, he toured with Panther Burns and released another album, Command Performance.

Tav's most recent studio album is Cabaret of Daggers, released by ORG Music in November 2018.

Salad special with Marijne van der Vlugt in conversation with David Eastaugh 

Van der Vlugt had previously worked as a model, and as a video jockey for MTV Europe. The band started performing as The Merry Babes but changed to Salad in 1992, when Pete Brown was recruited on bass. Their first two releases, the Kent EP and "Diminished Clothes", were released on their own Waldorf label, gaining them significant music press coverage and leading to a deal with Island Records, initially on the 'indie' sub-label Island Red. Early singles reached the top 75 of the UK Singles Chart, with "Motorbike to Heaven" just missing out on a top 40 placing. First album, Drink Me (1995), reached No. 16 of the UK Albums Chart. The next three singles were all minor chart hits, but second album Ice Cream (1997) failed to match the success of the first. The band were dropped by Island Records and ultimately disbanded in 1998.

Van der Vlugt later formed Cowboy Racer, whose song "Yellow Horse" featured on the US television show, Grey's Anatomy. Pete Brown and Rob Wakeman established the popular entertainment site, BoreMe, which Pete Brown now runs on his own. Charley Stone has gone on to play in a number of bands including The Fallen Women and The Abba Stripes. Rob Wakeman released a few Tech House and Techno singles between 1999 and 2002, including Legs With Wings on City Rockers (2002). Wakeman, together with Jo Addison, formed the band Lapwing in 1999, appearing on various compilation albums from record labels including Mind Horizon Recordings and Dishy.

In 2016 Van der Vlugt and Kennedy began performing Salad songs acoustically as "Salad Undressed". They also performed their first radio session in 19 years at Phoenix FM in Brentwood. The duo, now joined by long time collaborator Donald Ross Skinner released an album entitled Good Love Bad Love in March 2018 – their first as Salad Undressed.

In 2017 the band announced that they would be playing two dates as a full electric band (with original bassist Pete Brown, guitarist Charley Stone and drummer Donald Ross Skinner joining van der Vlugt and Kennedy) in London before releasing a new album as a full band.^[5] Third album The Salad Way was released on 30 August 2019.

Dissidenten special with Uve Mullrich in conversation with David Eastaugh

Around 1981, "Embryo's Dissidenten" were founded in India by Friedemann "Friedo" Josch (b 21 July 1952, Mainz, wind instruments, keyboards) and former Embryo band members Uwe "Uve" Müllrich (b 7 December 1947, Rügen, bass, oud, guitar, vocals) and Michael Wehmeyer (keyboards,piano). Still in 1981, Marlon Klein (b 13 December 1957, Herford, drums, perc, keyboards, vocals) replaced Wehmeyer, and the band renamed themselves to Dissidenten. 1982/83, they founded their own record label Exil in Berlin.

Following a one-year tour of Asia, the group decided to stay in India to produce their first album Germanistan, with the help of the Karnataka College of Percussion, female singer R.A. Ramamani and percussionist Ramesh Shotham. The live line-up was joined by Indian pianist Louis Banks and American saxophonist Charlie Mariano. Concerts in Calcutta, Madrid, Casablanca and Stockholm are documented on the live album Germanistan Tour 83.

They then moved on to Morocco to record Sahara Elektrik in 1982 at the Palace of Abdesalam Akaaboune in Tangier with the help of friend Paul Bowles and local sha'abiband Lem Chaheb. The track "Fata Morgana" became a dance hit in Europe (especially Spain and Italy) and Canada, and the group toured worldwide.

In 1986 the Dissidenten moved to Spain, producing Life At The Pyramids and began to receive recognition in the US and UK.

In 1989 they moved back to Morocco, recording Out Of This World with the Royal National Orchestra of Morocco, and other leading North African musicians including Cherif Lamrani and other members of Lem Chaheb. The album was released world wide and the band toured around the globe to promote it. In 1991, the album Live In New Yorkwas released, and the following year The Jungle Book was recorded, weaving recordings of Indian life into dance tracks.

In 1995, Klein stayed in the US to work as producer for two albums by singer Gary Wright, featuring George Harrison. In 1996, the group reunited to produce the album Instinctive Traveler, their first album with mostly English-language songs sung by Müllrich's daughter Bajka, which was followed by a tour of international festivals. Two years later they appeared at the Glastonbury festival and released their second live album, Live in Europe.

In 2000, with American composer Gordon Sherwood, video artist Stefanie Seidl and the Bratislava Orchestra under Petr Feranec they created The Memory of the Waters, a “documentary opera” about the River Danube, debut performed at the International Danube Music Festival in the city of Ulm. The following year, they issued an album of remixes, A World Beat Odyssey, which they then performed live with accompanying DJs.

In 2005, the opera "La Memoria de las Aguas" with the choir and orchestra of Pamplona under the direction of conductor Tomas Garridoand was broadcast by the Spanish National Radio at the Navarra Festival. In 2006 the group worked on a new Moroccan project, The Tanger Sessions, with the legendary Moroccan cult group Jil Jilala.

In 2007, Dissidenten toured North Africa with Jil Jilala. Between concerts they worked together in Tangier and Casablanca to complete The Tanger Sessions. Also in 2007, the band composed and arranged the musical program for the final party of Germany’s spectacular CREOLE-Award for World Music. French/German TV ARTE and German TV WDR broadcast a lengthy feature about Dissidenten’s Moroccan experiences, "The Hippie Trail".

In 2008, The Tanger Sessions was released and they toured Europe and North Africa. The first gig of the tour was broadcast live and online by German National Radio SWR in April 2008. Since summer 2008, Dissidenten & Jil Jilala performed live in Europe and North Africa. 2009 sees them again at various festivals around Europe/Northafrica and North America.

King Kurt special with Gary "Smeg" Cayton with David Eastaugh

King Kurt are a psychobilly rock band from the UK. They formed in 1981 and split up in 1988, although they have reformed sporadically and played a reunion concert in 2010. They are best known for their hit single, "Destination Zululand" (1983).

Harvey left in 1982 to be replaced by Gary "The Smeg" Clayton as vocalist, and it was at Harvey's farewell concert at the 101 Club in Clapham, London that the infamous "food fight" gigs started. The band were known for their stage performances in which eggs and bags of flour were thrown around both on and off stage. Free haircuts and other audience participation included stage props such as "The Wheel of Misfortune", a wheel on which a fan was strapped and fed Snakebite through a tube. Themed concerts included "Kurt Skirts", where admittance was refused to men unless wearing a skirt, or Easter concerts with the band dressed as legionaries, angels on flying trapeze, and an extra in a loincloth on a cross at the back of the stage.

Clare Moore special talking The Moodists, Dave Graney & The Coral Snakes & much much more with David Eastaugh

Moore began performing in 1974, playing drums for a singing nun (Sister Janet Mead) in Adelaide. The Moodists went to the UK in 1983 on an independent record deal, touring extensively in Europe and the USA. In 1986, singer Dave Graney decided to pursue a solo career and, with Moore as his virtual music director, formed The Coral Snakes before returning to Australia around 1990. In the following five or six years they worked with Universal Records, for whom they recorded four albums, then continued to forge ahead independently with Dave Graney & the mistLY.

She also plays drums as part of Harry Howard and the NDE and Jane Dust and the Giant Hoopoes and plays vibes with the Ukeladies.

Moore has made about 30 albums and many EPs. Other than the drums, she sings and plays the vibraphone and keyboards. She works in the studio to make her own CDs and remix the work of other artists. She released her first solo album The Third Woman in 2001. Working with Dave Graney, Moore co-wrote the soundtrack to the Tony Martin film Bad Eggs.

Other film soundtrack work has been done for various ABC documentaries as well as the short film "ray" by Tony Mahony and the feature JOHNNY GHOST (Donna McRae 2012) .

Boothill Foot Tappers special with Wendy May in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Boothill Foot Tappers was a British folk/skiffle/bluegrass band that was formed in 1982 and associated with the folk music revival in the United Kingdom.

They were featured in the Ben Elton-presented show South of Watford on London Weekend Television in 1984, as part of the emerging British roots movement based in London, along with other acts including the Pogues. The Boothill Foot Tappers had a minor hit in July of that year, in the UK Singles Chart with "Get Your Feet Out of My Shoes". The band split up at the end of 1985.

On 28 January 2011, the band reunited (minus the deceased Kevin Walsh) for a performance at the London venue, the 100 Club.

Anna Domino in conversation with David Eastaugh

Early in her career, Domino sang with a number of New York City bands, but didn't catch the attention of American record labels until she had released several albums with the Belgian record label Les Disques du Crépuscule, releasing a single in 1983, Trust In Love. Two E.P. releases, East and West and Rythm, followed in short order. In 1986, her first full-length album Anna Domino was released. In 1987, she met Michel Delory, guitarist for Bel Canto and Univers Zéro, and they collaborated on her second album This Time, which received positive critical attention and airplay in Japan. In 1989, Domino released another E.P., Colouring In the Edge and the Outlinefollowed by her third album Mysteries of America in 1990. Since then Domino has not released any further albums under her own name—other than compilations, re-releases on the label LTM and a few new songs—due to intractable disputes with publisher.

In 2010 Anna Domino released two new songs on a compilation that included a number of her Crepuscule colleagues. The album was called "After Twilight" and the songs are The Light Downtown, Wonderkey and a new version of the song 'Rhythm'.

Also in 2010, Domino recorded two versions of Suzanne Vega’s classic Blood Makes noise for the Allergy To Consciousness singles series that was released on minimalist independent label EnT-T.

In January 2012, she collaborated with producer/remixer Dub Mentor on the single Johnny - which is based on the traditional When Johnny Comes Marching Home and Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya (also released on EnT-T). Domino also made the video for the song.

A short tour of Europe in early 2013 sparked new interest in Domino's work, giving her the opportunity to record again and the hope of realising projects in theatre and film. A few months later, the death of a good friend, a surprise legacy and a number of other shocks and demises, followed by the loss of her mother in early 2014, sidelined these ambitions.

On February 2019, she was featured on Dub Mentor’s rendition of her classic Lake. Domino re-recorded the vocals for one of the versions and the second version, a spoken word version, featured the vocals of Stephen Mallinder. The double single was also released on EnT-T.

Anna Domino is expected to return with new music.

Spear of Destiny special with Kirk Brandon in conversation with David Eastaugh

Formed in 1983, the band's original line-up consisted of Kirk Brandon, Stan Stammers, Chris Bell and Lascelles James. In late 1983, this line-up was superseded by Dolphin Taylor on drums, Alan St Clair on guitar, John Lennard on sax and Neil Pyzer on keyboards and additional saxophone. In 1984, John Lennard was replaced by Mickey Donnelly on saxophone.

Spear of Destiny recorded one session for John Peel (recorded 22 November 1982, transmitted on BBC Radio 1 on 29 November 1982).

"The band played a punk-influenced form of power rock, which often had an anthemic feel."

Their second album, One Eyed Jacks was released in 1984. It reached No. 22 in the UK Albums Chart^[4] Spear of Destiny’s reputation in the mid-1980s depended to a greater extent on their live performances.^{[citation needed]}

In 1985, their album, World Service reached the UK Top 20. Founder member Stan Stammers left in 1986. In the wake of the release of the fourth album, Outland (1987) and its Top 15 hit "Never Take Me Alive", the band began achieving some chart success and staging sell-out concerts, including a support slot to U2 at Wembley Stadium. However, ill fortune struck on the eve of the band’s appearance at the Reading Festival, as Brandon developed reactive arthritis which obliged the band to put all their plans on hold for nearly a year.

In addition to Brandon and Stammers, past members of the band in the 1980s included former Gillan drummer Pete Barnacle, former JoBoxers bassist Chris Bostock, former Adam and the Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni, and former Tom Robinson Band and Stiff Little Fingers drummer Dolphin Taylor.

Brandon is also a member of the supergroup, Dead Men Walking.

The Membranes with John Robb in conversation with David Eastaugh 

The Membranes are an English post-punk band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1977, the initial line-up being John Robb (bass guitar), Mark Tilton (guitar), Martyn Critchley (vocals) and Martin Kelly (drums). Critchley soon left, with Robb and Tilton taking on vocals, and Kelly moving to keyboards, with "Coofy Sid" (Coulthart) taking over on drums.

Their first release was the "Flexible Membrane" flexi-disc in 1980, and over the next 11 years they went on to release six studio albums. Their first single proper, "Muscles", was a single of the week in the UK music press and a big club hit in New York being played in the Danceteria by the Beastie Boys eventual DJ Mojo^{[clarification needed]} and other New York DJs. Kelly left after "Muscles", to be replaced by Steve Farmery on guitar for the follow-up Pin Stripe Hype EP.

The band pioneered the avant noise scene of Big Black and Sonic Youth for several years with their critically acclaimed "Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder" single and Death To Trad Rock EP and their debut Gift Of Life album. They were destined to be the first band to be signed to Alan McGee's Creation label, but the deal fell through when McGee could not afford to pay their studio bill for the "Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder" single. The band relocated to Manchester in 1983, and "Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder" was issued on the Criminal Damage label, which met with a positive critical response but distribution problems limited its impact

After The Membranes, Robb went on to form Sensurround and later Goldblade.

In 2009, the band reformed after My Bloody Valentine asked the band to play their All Tomorrows Parties festival. The Membranes then recorded the critically acclaimed Dark Matter/Dark Energy album and have been playing festivals across Europe since then as well as special event gigs such as at the top of Blackpool Tower. The band received press acclaim for a series of concerts they played with choirs in Estonia and Portugal as well as the BIMM choir in the UK.

The Primitives special with Paul Court in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Primitives were formed in the summer of 1984 by PJ Court (born Paul James Court) (vocals, guitar), Steve Dullaghan (born Stephen Anthony Dullaghan, ex-Nocturnal Babies) (bass), Peter Tweedie (drums) and Keiron McDermott, ex-Nocturnal Babies (vocals). Vocalist McDermott was later replaced by Tracy Tracy (born Tracy Louise Cattell). Tig Williams replaced Pete Tweedie on drums in October 1987.

According to legend, McDermott left the band claiming that he could not work with new manager Wayne Morris and so reformed the Nocturnal Babies. Needing a singer for an upcoming gig, Paul wrote on a piece of scrap paper "male singer wanted" and posted it at the Coventry library. Tracy responded that afternoon.

The band were part of the indie music scene of the mid-1980s alongside bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, The Soup Dragons and The Wedding Present. Their major rivals within the 'blonde pop' scene were Transvision Vampand The Darling Buds. They received valuable publicity when The Smiths singer Morrissey was photographed wearing a Primitives t-shirt.

The band's early singles were released on their own Lazy Records imprint. In late 1987, they signed the label over to RCA, who released the band's material from then until their split. Their first album, Lovely (1988) reached No. 6 in the UK Albums Chart, and produced two Top 40 hit singles: "Crash" (UK No. 5, US Modern Rock No. 3) and "Out of Reach" (UK No. 25). "Way Behind Me" was released as a single soon after, and was included on later versions of the debut album, as well as on the follow-up. Towards the end of 1988, the band had a sell-out tour of the UK, ending in two nights at London's Town & Country Club.

The band's second album Pure (1989) was preceded by three singles - "Way Behind Me" (UK No. 36, US Modern Rock No. 8), "Sick of It" (UK No. 24, US Modern Rock No. 9) and "Secrets", (UK No. 49, US Modern Rock No. 12).

In 1990, the band did a co-headlining tour of the US with The Sugarcubes as well as a short tour of Japan. They split in 1992 following the commercial failure of their 1991 album, Galore.

Banco De Gaia with Toby Marks in conversation with David Eastaugh

In 1978, Marks began his musical career as a drummer in a heavy metal band.

Marks moved to Portugal in 1986 and played Beatles music for tourists. He first delved into electronic music in 1989, when he bought a digital sampler. The first tune he recorded on it was called "Maxwell House".

Having cut his teeth on the early 90s ambient dub compilations, in 1994 he released his first studio album Maya on Planet Dog records, which was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize on its release. It was followed in 1995 by the critically acclaimed Last Train to Lhasa. Both albums reached No. 1 in the UK independent charts and featured in the national album chart top 40. In the following decade Banco De Gaia released Live at Glastonbury, Big Men Cry, The Magical Sounds of Banco De Gaia, Igizeh and You Are Here.

In 1997, Banco De Gaia put together a five-piece band that included Ted Duggan (drums), Ashley Hopkins (bass), Larry Whelan (wind synth, saxophone and ethnic flutes), and Gary Spacey-Foot (percussion and saxophones). The band reduced in number to just Marks, Duggan, and Hopkins in 1999, and then just Marks and Duggan from 2000 until 2003, when Marks went back to being a solo artist.

On 20 September 2009, Banco De Gaia played an album launch show for his album Memories Dreams Reflections at Dingwalls in London. This show was to celebrate 20 years of Banco De Gaia. Marks was joined on stage by three members from the original five-piece band: Hopkins, Whelan, and Duggan and vocalist Maya Preece, who sang on the latest album.

He released a studio album Apollo on 8 April 2013, on his own Disco Gecko Recordings.

In 2015, Banco (Toby Marks) returned to playing with a live 3-piece band, Ted Duggan (drums) and James Eller (bass).

On 7 October 2016 he released his ninth studio album The 9th of Nine Hearts, featuring collaborations with Sophie Barker (Zero 7), Tim Bowness (No-Man), Dick Parry (Pink Floyd) and his band.

The Young Gods with Franz Treichler in conversation with David Eastaugh

Their name is taken from an early EP by the no wave/noise rock band Swans. Artists influenced by the Young Gods include Pitchshifter, Mike Patton, Sepultura, The Edge (as stated in U2 by U2), Devin Townsend, Ithak, Econoline Crush and David Bowie; asked in 1995 if his album Outside was influenced by Nine Inch Nails, Bowie answered: "The band that I was actually quite taken with was three guys from Switzerland called the Young Gods... I’d been aware of them previous to knowing about Nine Inch Nails."

Roli Mosimann of Swans has worked with the group as a producer. In 2007 they did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session. Notable hits are: "Did You Miss Me?", "Envoyé!", "Longue Route", "Skinflowers", and "Kissing the Sun".

In December 2012, the Young Gods gave a small series of concerts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their first album (1987). The group will play songs from their first two albums ("The Young Gods" and "L'eau rouge"). The line-up will be Franz Treichler (vocals), Bernard Trontin (drums) and Cesare Pizzi (samplers).

The group supplied original music for the 2012 animated short film, Kali the Little Vampire, which went on to win over 20 international awards.

Gaye Bykers on Acid with Mary Byker aka Ian Hoxley with David Eastaugh

Gaye Bykers on Acid were formed in late 1984 by Ian Reynolds (Robber) and Ian Hoxley (Mary). They were later joined by guitarist and art student Tony Horsfall and drummer Kevin Hyde. Their first gig was at The Princess Charlotte in Leicester in mid-1985.

Their first releases – the single Everythang's Groovy and the Nosedive Karma EP – were both recorded in Leeds with Jon Langford of The Mekons, and released on the InTape label. They then signed to Virgin Records releasing the albums Drill Your Own Hole and Stewed to the Gills. Initial quantities of the vinyl version of Drill Your Own Hole were pressed without a hole in the centre, so it was necessary to drill your own hole to play it. The album spent one week at number 95 in the UK Albums Chart in November 1987.

They also played gigs (dressed in women's clothing) under the name 'Lesbian Dopeheads on Mopeds', supporting themselves, and thus getting paid twice. They also performed as a fictitious East German thrash punk band "Rektüm" (they claimed to have jumped over the Berlin Wall), recording an LP Sakredanus and an EP Real Horror Show under the name.

However management problems and poor sales meant that they were dropped by Virgin in 1989. They subsequently released the album Cancer Planet Mission on their own record label, Naked Brain. They also recycled and used the band name 'The Purple Fluid Exchange' (PFX) to release their dance cross-over material. It was at this time that Rocket Ronnie joined the band as DJ, sample player and dance advisor.

In 1990 they released Pernicious Nonsense, their last studio album, recorded with Jon Langford at the Stone Room Studios and at Alaska St. Studios with house engineer Chelo Zambelli. After difficult tours in the US and UK the band broke up, the final blow being when the label Rough Trade, who distributed their Naked Brain recordings, went bankrupt owing them and many other bands considerable amounts of cash.

Two compilation albums were subsequently released on the Receiver record label, From the Tomb of the Near Legendary… (1992) and Gaye Bykers on Acid (1993). A further bootleg compilation of Virgin records studio demo's was sold by their ex-manager (Tracy Lamott) to Cherry Red Records – Everything's Groovy (2001).

Tony and Kev collaborated in 1993 to form 'Steroid', releasing one just CD album entitled Jism Harvester on Clay Records, a crazy industrial mish mash of samples and guitar riffs.

The groups Total Anthology on DVD is available from Robber Byker at their official site and via their MySpace page.

The group often included samples from other artists or films in their music, usually from cult films such as Repo Man, Taxi Driver or Dune.

On 22 February 2016, it was announced that Gaye Bykers on Acid would be reforming for a final performance at Indie Daze in October 2016. This was later expanded into a nine date tour.

The Field Mice special with Mark Dobson in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Field Mice initially formed as a duo from South London suburb of Mitcham comprising Robert Wratten (for vocals and guitar) and Michael Hiscock (on bass guitar). The group's first EP, Emma's House, was released in November 1988, and reached number 20 in the UK Independent Chart. But it was with their second single "Sensitive" that they first received significant critical attention, giving them a top-20 indie hit and with a subsequent placing in John Peel's 1989 Festive 50. Debut mini-album Snowball reached number 3 on the indie albums chart.

The original duo were joined by Harvey Williams(of Another Sunny Day) on guitar: the first fruits of this new line-up being the Skywriting mini-LP and in late 1990 the band expanded to include Annemari Davies on vocals, keyboards and guitar and Mark Dobson on drums. This five-piece line-up later recorded what was to be their final album (but their first full length for Sarah Records), For Keeps.

Over a three-year career the band were often dogged with the reputation of having a post-C86 indie pop or generic Sarah Records sound despite producing tracks with numerous styles and influences. Early singles and even their sleeves harked back to early Factory Records bands such as New Order and The Wake, with many tracks often featuring sequencers and samples. Many of the group's recordings, notably "Triangle" and their epic seven-minute swan song, "Missing the Moon", displayed a strong influence from the popular dance music of the time. Most of the group's records were produced by Ian Catt, who later went on to develop the pop dance sound of "Missing The Moon" further with Saint Etienne (whose second single was a cover version of The Field Mice's "Let's Kiss and Make Up").