Dead Beats & Kings Cross Indie 80's
Released on the Indie Red Rhino Record label. I guess kind of described as Mod Revival/New Wave and appears to be their only record.
The Track Listing:
- Choose You
- Julie's New Boyfriend
- Oh No!
They Were:
- Mel Jefferson - Bass/Vocal
- Kelvin Knight - Drums
- Alan Riggs - Guitar/Vocals
Oddly on Discogs there are 3 credited vocalists, I can only assume that a different one was singing on each of the tracks?
- Nick Jackson - Vocals
- Philip Seaton - Vocals
- Steve Durkin - Vocals
Red Rhinos & The Cartel...And This In York!
Red Rhino was an interesting label, it was formed in York in 1977 from a record shop of the same name by Tony Kostrzewa (aka Tony K) and his wife, making their first record release on the Red Rhino label in 1979, from there they moved on to distribution and forming the 'Cartel' which was a group of Independent record labels that included names such as 'Rough Trade Records' from London, 'Probe Records' from Liverpool, 'Backs Records' from Norwich and Bristol based 'Revolver Records'. The consortium of record labels working together and distributing for each other in a 'collective' and working together against the 'big labels', I guess that for music artists this would be a plus, in that they didn't have to get signed up to major labels as their work would be distributed on the 'Indie Scene'.
Memories & The Ever Changing Landscape
I remember 'Rough Trade' Records were behind the building I used to work in at Kings Cross, Collier Street in 1986, there were also plenty of 'unexpected pop-ups' of known faces in our local boozer called 'The Malt & Hops' on Caledonian Road, back at the time it was a proper 'spit and sawdust' pub. I remember having a pint with a session bass guitarist who had played with some pretty big names regaling stories from the recent tours he'd been on and Ped and Nasher from 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood' all popping in for a cheeky pint one afternoon. Back in the late 70's and early 80's the pub used to be frequented by half of the Arsenal Football Club, 'off duty' coppers and loads of bank workers as the building on Pentonville Road used to be owned by NatWest. The other main 'watering hole' tended to be the 'Thornill Arms' (which is still there) further up the Caledonian Road heading towards 'Chapel Street Market'. It is a beautiful old building, again like my previous post and photograph from Twenty Yards Behind With Essex Pub Rock it was from a different era, one of elegance and style in building. I am really happy it it still going and I am planning a trip 'up town' to pop in one day soon, watch this space...
So, I went back recently as I had a couple of days leave, I did quite a bit of walking that day, trotting from King's Cross down Grays Inn Road onto Theobalds Road, Chancery Lane, Farringdon and Liverpool Street, the old legs and feet hurt next day but it was nice to go back, a few 'snaps' I took on my travels...
Today the 'Malt & Hops' is closed, Rough Trade is long gone, NatWest moved out and the building I used to to work in is now apartments. How times change! The area has cleaned up it's gig somewhat, in the 80's working in Kings Cross could be a little bit 'eventful', if you weren't either propositioned, offered drugs or assaulted by a homeless person with far too many 'pints 'o' heavy in them you got away lightly. You could see the used needles of junkies around the building I worked in as well as plenty of 1980's style 'special phone cards and numbers' in many a red phone box. Must admit made going to work every day a bit 'special' as an 18 year old. Today the area is a bit smarter, I am sure it still has it's issues though. Funny, I never got 'danger money' for working there.
In 1987 all of us who worked there were hit (with some losses) by the fire at Kings Cross Station, fortunately I wasn't working a later shift or I may have been caught up in it as well. I also remember quite vividly several years later in a era of terrorism a problem when I worked there as someone had left a 'Walkman' on in a rucksack, when it reached the end of the tape it kept 'clicking', someone called the 'bomb squad' which closed the building and attempted to destroy the 'potential bomb threat'.
And So It Goes...
I started work in 1985 and after my 'probation' moved to Kings Cross as a Graphic Artist (something I left school with qualification in and wanted to do).
Old Billingsgate Fish Market - Evidently now just used for events, you can check out the site here oldbillingsgate.co.uk, have to say looked pretty 'dead' when I went passed it recently, it used to house 'originally' London's fish market and in the 80's early 90's a bank dealing 'disaster recovery centre' and I.T. centre. The main bottom floor being a mostly 'just in case' dusty place full of redundant p.c.'s, the overhanging 'Galleries' around the edges filled with I.T. people. All the galleries were fish related and nicknamed e.g. 'Haddock Gallery'.
- Goodman's Fields - Now a 7 acre entertainments centre in Aldgate used to be an I.T. Data Centre
- Kings Cross 200 Pentonville Road - Student and Private Apartments
- 210 Pentonville Road - Office and apartments
And finally...
- NatWest Tower - Now Tower 42 evidently still used for some office space, oh! and restaurant
It has almost become a bit of a standing joke in that when my wife, kid and I go through London you'll guarantee one of them will shout 'Dad used to work there!'....that does however include pointing at bins, man-hole covers etc.😡 So I have worked in a few places, sigh! They haven't been to other places like Sheffield where I used to work yet! When we trip up there I am sure it will be the same family joke.
Kings Cross had quite an 'underbelly' of insalubrious characters from way back, so much so that the 1955 Ealing black comedy film 'The Ladykillers' was set around near the station and about bank robbers. I have seen the film and also theatre productions of it, It is a really very good comical story with a wonderful 'twist'.
Liberty & Pride
The 'Cross' does have some venues as well. The Water Rats is housed on Gray's Inn Road (aka The Pindar Of Wakefield). The pub changed its name to the Water Rats after being purchased by 'The Grand Order of Water Rats' a British entertainment industry fraternity and charitable organisation based in London. It hosted many acts including Bob Dylan and The Pogues to name a couple. Check out The Water Rats venue at the link.
The Scala is another venue that back in the day used to show 'adult' movies, then changed to hosting music acts (Iggy Pop and also Hawkwind played there). Have a look at the link it still runs and hosts many music acts scala.co.uk
And finally The Bell Pub (later known as Cross Bar), now like many others it is sadly closed as a pub. It was next to Kings Cross Thameslink station and opposite where I used to work was a mecca for the gay community as a gathering place to drink, dance and socialize, evidently rather than playing the expected 'Hi NRG' music that most gay clubs opted for The Bell attracted a crowd that preferred music like Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Cult and The Associates to name a few. Have a look at the link about it's history www.gayinthe80s.com. The venue also did a lot of good work for the 'Miners Strike' back in the day and also 'The Terrence Higgins Trust'. Also catch the article from The Guardian Kink, Drink And Liberty.
And supporting Pride there is obviously the march in London every year. Please go along and support and enjoy after all it is commemorating 50 Years since the first march took place!
Anyway enough reminiscing about Kings Cross...
Indie Releases, Successes & Demise
The above track by The Dead Beats was one of it's first releases released as 'RED 3'. The label also produced records for Skeletal Family, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, The Mekons and even a first release by Pulp! If you follow the link to discogs you can see some of the artists on their books including Skeletal Family with their 1984 release 'Burning Oil' which scored a #1 in the UK Indie Charts of the day.
The Cartel made an impact on the Indie Scene of the day nailing it by distributing for acts such as The Cocteau Twins, The Smiths and Depeche Mode to name but a few. Sadly by 1989 Red Rhino had gone into liquidation and other members of 'The Cartel' followed in an almost 'domino effect' with Rough Trade following on it's heels in 1991.
Have a catch of of Red Rhino's very first release by another Mod Revival Band called The Odds with their track 'Saturday Night' released as RED 1 in 1979.
The Odds Were:
- Sam Leyland - Vocals
- Bill McKeown - Bass
- Stuart Matthewman - Sax / Guitar
- Colin Brockwell - Drums
The Odds feature in my recent post with Hull related acts on Indie Happy Hour Again!
This post for me is another short trip down memory lane filled with some 'indie sounds' of the day.
Video Thanks
Video Source: eamonnor74.youtube.com
Photos
Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash
'Ladykillers' poster source mythicalmonkey.blogspot.com via Pinterest
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Photo Liz Truss by Robert Edwards
Info Sources
Wikipedia, The Scala. The Guardian, The Water Rats. gayinthe80's, my memories
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