Stage B - 1980 - Recall to Life 7''.
Stage B were formed by Dessie Potter and Colin Fletcher after the demise of the punk band the Batteries, the band had played one gig, subjecting the audience to their versions of various punk classics and split up after the gig which had been given some bad reviews. They were now more influenced by the likes of the early Adam and the Ants and Siouxsie and the Banshees than three chord punk. The name Stage B was taken from the stage signs that were clearly visible each week when bands played live on the tv rock show the Old Grey Whistle Test .
New members were brought in Owen Howell replacing Karl Scott on drums and Charlie Reily was now lead vocals replacing original singer John Perfect a Sid Vicious lookalike and an occasional dj in the back room of the Harp bar, and the founding members Dessie Potter (guitar) and Colin Fletcher (bass) completed the line up. The music they now played had a new atmospheric swirling darker sound . They had a different look and sound to most of the other Belfast bands involved in the punk scene. They were offered studio time by Outlet records in the summer of 79 and they recorded a 4 track demo featuring the tracks the Viper , Numbers, Lizzie Borden and Self Portrait minus Colin who was in London at the time. Their one and only single Recall to life / Light On The Hillside was recorded later in 79 .
A support slot to Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure on their first N.I. visit 5.9. 79 at the Ulster hall on the Join Hands tour was cancelled due to various Banshee members / equipment problems which meant the gig was going to start late if at all , I remember standing about outside the venue for hours with a lot of angry punks , in the end I got pissed off and went home and needless to say the gig went ahead with a makeshift Banshees performance later on . An industrial strike at the BBC also scuppered their TV debut on the local music show Green Rock . Colin Fletcher left the band in 1980 which had also seen the release of the debut single on the Shock Rock label. A number of temporary bassists were recruited to fill in , including Greg Cowan from the Outcasts for at least one gig at the Harp that I was at . They eventually supported the Banshees on their next visit to the Ulster hall 16 / 10 / 80 on the Kaleidoscope tour and they also played a couple of times on different tours as support to Toyah one of which 8 / 4 / 81 was filmed by the BBC . The band folded a while later .
Anyone who witnessed the band live especially the opening number Darkness on which Dessie took the lead vocals, if you could call them that and I use the term vocals loosely, as he just screamed and howled to the stark musical backdrop, twisting and contorting himself into all sorts of shapes and prowling around the stage as flashing strobe lights slowed his movements left you in no doubt that this was no ordinary punk band. My own personal favourite song of theirs, Open Up, was never recorded. Someone got Charlie to dedicate it to me from the stage at the Future Legend gig and I had a tape of it for a long time but it has disappeared over the years like a lot of other bits. So if you've got any copies out there in cyber world of their gigs let me know.
New members were brought in Owen Howell replacing Karl Scott on drums and Charlie Reily was now lead vocals replacing original singer John Perfect a Sid Vicious lookalike and an occasional dj in the back room of the Harp bar, and the founding members Dessie Potter (guitar) and Colin Fletcher (bass) completed the line up. The music they now played had a new atmospheric swirling darker sound . They had a different look and sound to most of the other Belfast bands involved in the punk scene. They were offered studio time by Outlet records in the summer of 79 and they recorded a 4 track demo featuring the tracks the Viper , Numbers, Lizzie Borden and Self Portrait minus Colin who was in London at the time. Their one and only single Recall to life / Light On The Hillside was recorded later in 79 .
A support slot to Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure on their first N.I. visit 5.9. 79 at the Ulster hall on the Join Hands tour was cancelled due to various Banshee members / equipment problems which meant the gig was going to start late if at all , I remember standing about outside the venue for hours with a lot of angry punks , in the end I got pissed off and went home and needless to say the gig went ahead with a makeshift Banshees performance later on . An industrial strike at the BBC also scuppered their TV debut on the local music show Green Rock . Colin Fletcher left the band in 1980 which had also seen the release of the debut single on the Shock Rock label. A number of temporary bassists were recruited to fill in , including Greg Cowan from the Outcasts for at least one gig at the Harp that I was at . They eventually supported the Banshees on their next visit to the Ulster hall 16 / 10 / 80 on the Kaleidoscope tour and they also played a couple of times on different tours as support to Toyah one of which 8 / 4 / 81 was filmed by the BBC . The band folded a while later .
Anyone who witnessed the band live especially the opening number Darkness on which Dessie took the lead vocals, if you could call them that and I use the term vocals loosely, as he just screamed and howled to the stark musical backdrop, twisting and contorting himself into all sorts of shapes and prowling around the stage as flashing strobe lights slowed his movements left you in no doubt that this was no ordinary punk band. My own personal favourite song of theirs, Open Up, was never recorded. Someone got Charlie to dedicate it to me from the stage at the Future Legend gig and I had a tape of it for a long time but it has disappeared over the years like a lot of other bits. So if you've got any copies out there in cyber world of their gigs let me know.
.
source punk77.co.uk (link)
and thanks to the czech guy for this awsome ep!
1 comment:
Well.. Got Anything From The Batteries?
Post a Comment