UK Decay



UK Decay, Clarendon hotel

Im pretty proud of this photo, in the bad old days before digital you'd be lucky if you got one good shot from a roll of film , seems like that night I got two : One of Abbo and the Clarendon Chandelier and one of Blood and Roses. Keith reckons Sisters of Mercy played too but I didn't get a photo of them, too much dry Ice probly.

The image that stays with me is the UK Decay posse going mental under that chandelier, studded belts removed and swung arond their heads like football scarfs, there must be people who still have scars from those nights at the klub Foot.

Sexual - UK Decay

This is my copy of a recording of the last show released by the band as the  "night for celebration" cassette and its a bit weird to think that UK decay had called it a day when "Positive punk" was still fresh and the term "Goth" hadn't been coined.
Of course now they are recognised as the godfathers of the movement and their sound appropriated by the  black clad legion that followed them. But when you listen to these songs and put them in the context of what else was happening musically in 1981/82 you can appreciate what a special band they were.

Side A:
•Unwind
•Werewolf
•Dresden
•Barbarian
•Barbarians
•Sexual
•Stage Struck
•Rising From The Dead
•Twist In The Tale
Side B:
•Unexpected Guest
•Testament
•Black Cat

•UK Decay

•For My Country

•Unwind

   

Blood And Roses

 

Killdozer

'poor sods, first time in the UK and they get picked up in the Van by us. They look worried, they dont really want a red stripe at this time of the day , thanks. Chris lights one of his medicinal cigarettes:"could we open the window to let the smoke out?...."  Kernahan hits the M1 and puts the pedal to floor : "What speed is that guy doing? ya know the imit is 55 in wisconsin....." and then before we get 1/2 way to to the first venue: "can you pull over my brothers nose is bleeding...."

 

But strap em into their gear and they all grew 2 feet into babyeating southern redneck serial-killer worshiping rock monsters -and they went off - this was the first time Id seen anyone use a ceiling beam as a guitar slide. Like all US bands they only get to europe after spending years gigging and were as tight as the proverbial ducks, each night they seemed to work at getting a bit slower and a bit louder so by the time the tour ended they sounded like the swans playing lynrd skynrd.
And play lynrd Skynrd they did, Neil Diamond too......

Killdozer - I am I said

This was recorded at the Liverpool Bierkellar ,26th May 1988. The venue was a great big hall and was pretty empty all the key ingredients of a crap recording! There were some great nights and crowds though , northampton, bristol and the Greyhound rocked....bloody scousers dont know what they missed.