I've Been To A Post Punk Postcard Fair...
Post Punk Postcard Madness
Remembering this little gem from way back when...(Has it really been that long! 🤯)
...In Me Joy Division Oven Gloves
Released to help save BBC Radio 6 and on their album released in 2005 called 'Achtung Bono' released on the Liverpool based 'Probe Plus Records' a label that started out as a record shop (similar to a label I discovered on an earlier post Birmingham Indie Surf Drums). Have a read about both labels on the above links, they are quite fascinating.
So, this track was released at a time when there was a threat to axe BBC 6 in 2010, with the help of Jarvis Cocker from Indie Band 'Pulp' a petition was launched, this song being pulled in to stop the closure. The track reaching #54 in the mainstream U.K. Charts and #6 n the U.K. Indie charts.
Dance To The Radio
Catch the awesomeness of Joy Division performing 'Transmission' on the T.V. Show 'Something Else' from 1979. It was part of the BBC's 'Youth Culture' and was often derided by comedians at the time as 'Yoof Culture'. It was a show shown on BBC2 from 1978-1982 and featured acts such as The Jam, The Clash and an early U2.This particular clip from the show was aired on 15th September 1979 and on that particular program also featured John Cooper-Clarke and The Jam.
'Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance To The Radio'...
HMHB Formation
They formed in '84 and by 1985 had released their album 'Back In The D.H.S.S.' a play on 'Back In The U.S.S.R.' by the Beatles. Pretty much all of their songs took a big tongue in cheek swipe at most things, really very cunning, cutting, somewhat surreal at times lyrically, but always genius lyrics that took a great big scythe to British culture.
In my opinion most underrated and possibly not getting to the chart positions they perhaps deserved, but beyond that they are a cult in their following and devotion by their loyal and die-hard fans. Evidently a band so dedicated to their beloved Tranmere Rovers F.C. they turned down the chance to play on Channel 4's 'The Tube' (which was a hugely popular music show in the '80's) as their team was playing that night! (I can immediately identify with their love of their football team over anything else!)🤪
The band consists of:
- Neil Crossley - Bass
- Nigel Blackwell - Vocals, Guitar
- Simon Blackwell - Guitars
- Paul Wright - Drums
Both Crossley and Blackwell were friends, Crossley was originally in local punk band called 'Venom'. Simon and Paul joined later and were previously in a brilliantly named new wave band called 'Attempted Moustache'. Catch their track 'Superman' at the link it was released on the Skeleton Label in 1980 and was their only 7" release, however checking out on Discogs they appeared on several 'compilations' by Skeleton, you can check it out on the link above. The record label was based in Birkenhead and appears to have been a Record Shop flogging new and second hand records as well as releasing records for local bands.
Attempted Moustache Were
- Roy Wilding - Vocals/Flute
- Michael Wilding - Bass
- Simon Blackwell - Guitar
- Paul Wright - Drums
- Rod Gilliard - Guitar
After Attempted Moustache they went on to form Half Man Half Biscuit. Have a check out of their web site for more of their history at https://www.hmhb.co.uk/.
Catch 'Time Flies By' from the 'Back In The D.H.S.S.' Album with the wonderful video from a Children's T.V. series from my childhood called 'Camberwick Green' which also included 'Trumpton' and 'Chigley'.
Lyrical Tongue Twisters & Other Gigs
Many of their song titles are quintessentially British and I guess will perhaps mean more if you are a certain age, for example 'Dickie Davies Eyes', 'Trumpton Riots' and 'F**kin 'Ell It's Fred Titmus'. Other classics include 'All I want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit' and 'National Shite Day' with the wonderful lyrical tongue twister of 'There's a man with a mullet going mad with a mallet in Millets'.
The boys are still gigging with dates scheduled still for 2022...Catch them at a town near you! Check their website at https://halfmanhalfbiscuit.uk/
Just visit discogs for their releases and go and buy some of their stuff, it is awesome!
Video Thanks
So many thanks to: [email protected] and John Jones for possibly one of the best music videos of all time.🤣
And Lemming [email protected] with an equally good video
And for the Joy Division Video cheers to [email protected]
Info Thanks
Discogs.com, Wikipedia.com
Picture Thanks
Photo by Julia Morales on Unsplash