C86 Show - Indie Pop

The Primevals with Michael Rooney

 

 

Formed in 1983, the original line-up was Michael Rooney (vocals), Tom Rafferty (guitar), Malcolm McDonald (bass), Kevin Key (guitar), and Rhod Burnett (drums). Their first release was the self-financed "Where Are You?" single in 1984, produced by McDonald, after which they were signed by French independent label New Rose. Their first release for the label was the mini-LP Eternal Hotfire. A further single followed before Gordon left, to be replaced by Malcolm McDonald.^[1] They recorded a session for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1985(Don Gordon played guitar on this along with Malcolm McDonald), which was released as an EP in 1987. Rafferty left before the band recorded Sound Hole (New Rose 1986) with McDonald handling all guitar duties as the band built up a following in continental Europe, with a further album following for New Rose in 1987 (Live a Little). Gordon Goudie was recruited as rhythm guitarist in 1986. In late 1987 there was a further line-up change with Burnett and McDonald leaving, the remaining members recruiting Richard Mazda (guitar) and Paul Bridges (drums).

Big Dipper with Steve Michener

Big Dipper with Steve Michener with David Eastaugh

American indie rock band who formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, in 1985 by former members of Volcano Suns and the Embarrassment. They released four studio albums between 1987 and 1990, before splitting up. The band reunited in 2008. They were described in a New York Times article as "musical contortionists: they love to toy with extremes, juxtaposing ferocious guitar noise with celestial vocal harmonies or planting a delicate melody in jagged rhythm".

Styx with Lawrence Gowan

Styx with Lawrence Gowan in conversation with David Eastaugh - with a new album and tour planned this year

American rock band from Chicago that formed in 1972 and is best known for melding hard rock guitar balanced with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre.^[6] The band established itself with a progressive rock sound in the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s.

The Glitter Band with John Springate

The Glitter Band with John Springate in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first four hit singles by Gary Glitter from 1972 to 1973.

The Glitter Band had seven UK Top 20 hit singles in the mid-1970s, and three hit albums.

The Cannibals with Mike Spenser

The Cannibals with Mike Spenser in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Cannibals are a British rock band formed in 1976 by Mike Spenser, formerly of The Count Bishops, after his new band, the Flying Tigers, had split up. They have released seven full-length albums, numerous singles, EP's, split LP's, and appeared on several compilations. The band perform Trash rock and garage punk.

Whipping Boy with Paul Page

Whipping Boy special featuring Paul Page in conversation with David Eastaugh

Whipping Boy formed in Dublin in 1988, the band comprising Fearghal McKee (vocals), Paul Page (guitar), Myles McDonnell (bass, vocals), and Colm Hassett (drums). They initially performed cover versions of songs by The Velvet Underground and The Fall, and went by the name Lolita and the Whipping Boy, shortening their name when their female guitarist left. After a couple of EP's on the Cheree label, they released their low-key debut album, Submarine in 1992 on Liquid Records .

Candy Clark - talking David Bowie, American Graffiti etc

Candy Clark - talking David Bowie, American Graffiti etc with David Eastaugh

American actress and model. She is well known for her roles as Debbie Dunham in the 1973 film American Graffiti, for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Mary Lou in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth.

The Aardvarks with Ian O'Sullivan

The Aardvarks with Ian O'Sullivan in conversation with David Eastaugh

London-based The Aardvarks, purveyors of 60s influenced Brit-Pop extraordinaire, have played their socks off over the last ten years. Formed whilst at high school, they have played the clubs & pubs of London, Mod Rally's and European tours, with two German singles and an album on Delerium under their belt. "Bargain" has been licensed by Toy's Factory in Japan, and they recently played a support for Bonnie Tyler as part of Spain's Radio Onde ten year celebrations.

Hurrah! with Paul Handyside

Hurrah! with Paul Handyside in conversation with David Eastaugh

Paul Handyside is a folk and roots singer songwriter, formerly of eighties indie darlings Hurrah! whose songs now fuse pop with folk-tinged americana. The fourth album "Loveless Town" will be released on the 21st of May 2021.

Hurrah! were one of the first acts signed to Kitchenware Records, who issued the band's debut single, "The Sun Shines Here", in 1982. Second single "Hip Hip" was released the following year, and gave the band an indie chart hit, reaching No. 21.

The third single, "Who'd Have Thought," was another indie hit in 1984, reaching No. 7 on the British charts. After one more single, "Gloria" – produced by Jimmy Miller, the band's early recordings were compiled on the Boxed album in 1985.

Hurrah! signed to Arista Records via Kitchenware's deal with the major label, and the Tell God I'm Here album was re-released by the record company. On Arista's release, the future single "How Many Rivers" was re-recorded with new drummer Steve Price, and produced by Steve Brown.

Green on Red with Dan Stuart

Green on Red special with Dan Stuart in conversation with David Eastaugh 

Plus, just published the third book in the trilogy of Marlowe Billings - a 'false memoir'. 

 

Dan Stuart founded punk band The Serfers in 1979. The next year the band moved to LA, changed the name to Green On Red, and became associated with the paisley underground (along with Rain Parade and The Dream Syndicate). After releasing two EPs, the band recorded their first full album, Gravity Talks for Slash Records in 1983. Green On Red toured America and Europe extensively and released eight more records before disbanding in 1992

The Seers with Steve Croom

The Seers with Steve Croom in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Roots of the Seers lie in two places; Bristol (obviously) and Billericay (not so obviously). Leigh Wildman grew up in Billericay and it was there he met Jason Collins, a guitarist from nearby Brentwood. They had spent some time in bands around the Essex region and they, along with a few friends, had decided to up sticks and try somewhere else. At the suggestion of one of their number, Bristol was decided upon, and a mini Essex invasion took place in the summer of 1984.

The Bristol punk scene in 1984 was a more cider fuelled version of what Crass was peddling, with a very much Do it yourself vibe. Bands squatted venues like the old Beetle Centre on Stokes Croft and encouraged the squatting of disused houses, which many lived in. It was in one of these squatted houses, Turdy Way, named for the amount of dog shit in the house when it was first squatted, that the Essex invasion landed.

Calvin Party, Levellers 5, JD Meatyard & John Donaldson

John Donaldson aka JD Meatyard in conversation with David Eastaugh 

Calvin Party were a British indie-rock band from Darwen, Lancashire, based around the talents of John Donaldson (writer/guitar/vocals). Formerly known as Levellers 5, they renamed themselves after the 16th century theologian following the success of The Levellers. As Calvin Party, the band released four albums between 1994 and 2008.

Levellers 5 were a British indie-rock band from Darwen, Lancashire, based around the talents of John Donaldson (writer/guitar/vocals). They renamed themselves Calvin Party following the success of The Levellers.

 

Clan of Xymox with Ronny Moorings

Clan of Xymox with Ronny Moorings in conversation with David Eastaugh

Clan of Xymox, also known as simply Xymox, are a Dutch rock band formed in 1981. Clan of Xymox featured a trio of songwriters – Ronny Moorings, Anka Wolbert, and Pieter Nooten and gained success in the 1980s, releasing their first two albums on 4AD, before releasing their third and fourth albums on Wing Records and scoring a hit single in the United States. Their 1980s releases included synthpop/electronic dance music. The band is still active, continuing to tour and release records with Moorings the sole remaining original songwriter.

Miles Copeland - The Police, REM, IRS Records

Miles Copeland in conversation with David Eastaugh - talking about his new book, Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back tells the extraordinary story of a maverick manager, promoter, label owner, and all-round legend of the music industry. It opens in the Middle East, where Miles grew up with his father, a CIA agent who was stationed in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon. It then shifts to London in the late 60s and the beginnings of a career managing bands like Wishbone Ash and Curved Air - only for Miles's life and work to be turned upside down by a pioneering yet disastrous European tour.

Joel Selvin - Hollywood Eden: Electric Guitars, Fast Cars, and the Myth of the California Paradise

Joel Selvin in conversation with David Eastaugh

From the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean to the Byrds and the Mamas & the Papas, acclaimed music journalist Joel Selvin tells the story of a group of young artists and musicians who came together at the dawn of the 1960s to create the lasting myth of the California dream.

Compelling, evocative, and ultimately tragic, Hollywood Eden travels far beyond the music into the desires of the human heart and the price of living out a dream. A rock 'n' roll opera loaded with violence, deceit, intrigue, low comedy, and high drama, it tells the story of a group of young artists and musicians who bumped heads, crashed cars, and ultimately flew too close to the sun.

Thatcher on Acid with Andy Tuck

Thatcher on Acid with Andy Tuck in conversation with David Eastaugh

Thatcher on Acid were an English anarcho-punk band. They formed in Somersetduring 1983. Their name is a satirical reference to former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher.^[3] Ben Corrigan, Bob Butler and Andy Tuck also played in Schwartzeneggar with ex-Crass member, Steve Ignorant. The band opened the anarcho-punk band Conflict's "Gathering of the 5000" show at Brixton Academy,^[2] an event which resulted in many arrests and achieved a degree of infamy.

Kristin Hersh - Throwing Muses

Kristin Hersh in conversation with David Eastaugh - discussing her new book 'Seeing Sideways'

 

American singer-songwriter, musician and author, known for her solo work and with her rock bands Throwing Muses and 50FootWave.^[1]She has released eleven solo albums. Her guitar work and composition style ranges from jaggedly dissonant to traditional folk. Hersh's lyrics have a stream-of-consciousness style, reflecting her personal experiences.^[2]

Clare Hirst - Belle Stars, David Bowie, Hazel O'Connor, Communards etc

Clare Hirst in conversation with David Eastaugh

UK saxophonist with a distinguished career in pop and jazz music.  Clare has performed with iconic British groups including Bronski Beat, Communards and David Bowie among others. However, Clare made her name with all female band the Belle Stars in the early 1980s; playing saxophone and keyboards on hits like “The Clapping Song”, “Sign of The Times” (not the Prince tune) and “Iko Iko”

Medium Medium with Andy Ryder

Medium Medium with Andy Ryder in conversation with David Eastaugh

Emerging in 1978 out of the Nottingham punk/rhythm & blues band The Press, Medium Medium's first single was "Them or Me", which was released in late 1978 and was still selling well enough in 1980 to appear in the UK Independent Chart.^[2][3] The second single, "Hungry, So Angry", was released in February 1981 on Cherry Red Records. One of the first records to introduce slap bass - a technique borrowed from black funk music - to a generally white audience, "Hungry, So Angry" reached #48 in the Billboard Disco chart - the single and the album were released in 1981 on the New York-based indie label Cachalot Records - and has appeared on over a dozen compilations over the years.

The band released one studio album, The Glitterhouse, in late 1981. Its stark, stripped-down dub and dance rhythms and chiming, funk guitar with occasional saxophone and other sounds, failed to attract a large following.

Ava Cherry talking about David Bowie & her life in music

 

Ava Cherry in conversation with David Eastaugh

Ava Cherry is an American singer and model. She collaborated with David Bowie between 1972 and 1975; the two met in New York City when she was a nightclub waitress and Bowie was touring for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Afterwards, they began a period of personal and artistic collaboration that heavily influenced the Young Americans "blue-eyed soul" era. Following this, she struck out as a solo singer and backing artist for musicians such as Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan.