At present:
Christian Riou,
Rick Williams,
Ben Christo,
Johnny Bass,
Dan Roth,
Influences
In order of the first record I bought in 1977 & when music finally made sense, Sex Pistols (GSTQ)), The Damned (New Rose, on Skydog!), The Clash (White Riot), Generation X (ReadySteady Go), Xray Spex (Oh Bondage), Eater (Outside View), The Cortinas (Defiant Pose), Adam & The Antz (Deutscher Girls).
You should have listened to: Never Mind The Bollocks, The Cult, The Doors, Led Zep II, Theatre Of Hate, New Model Army, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Leonard Cohen, Marc Bolan, Sinatra, Telephone, David Bowie, Elvis, The Stranglers, Kasabian, Tino Rossi, Morrissey, Gang of Four, Depeche Mode, Tears For Fears, Orange Juice, The Sisters oF Mercy, Plastic Bertrand, The Southern Death Cult, The Death Cult, Play Dead, Danse Society, Balaam & the angel, Motorhead, A Certain Ratio, REM, The Wonder Stuff, The Mission, Ed Hardourt, Nick Cave, the entire Motown collection until 1969, PWEI, Raging Slab, UK Subs, Pearl Jam, Carter USM, EMF, Piaff, Magazine, Aztec Camera, Joy Division, Psychedelic Furs, Portishead, Dean Martin, Culture two sevens, General Saint & Clint Eastwood, NIN, G & R, Velvet Revolver, Gene Vincent, Claytown Troupe of course and your mother etc..
Current listening - MoonDogg, The Wonder Stuff
“Claytown Troupe” have recently re-formed after a very long time away from the music scene, despite this, they put in an awesome performance have recently re-formed after a very long time away from the music scene, despite this, they put in an awesome performance at the Shepherds Bush Empire as support to 'The Mission'.
Their guitar and keyboard based rock was just perfect for a night like this, “Prayer” and “Hey Lord” from their album “Through the Veil” got a very warm reception from the crowd. Ending their set with “Alabama” the band left the stage with the audience wanting more"
CLAYTOWN TROUPE - Back in the late 80's this lot were the only real alternative to The Cult. More anthemic and more authentic than Astbury & Co's rawk; Moving a few hundred thousand units internationally over their short period in the limelight, they even broke the UK top 40 before disappearing.
Formed in Bristol in 1984 by lead singer Christian Riou (who claimed in a 2004 interview that a famous local clairvoyant advised him to form a band called the Clayton Troop!)
Claytown Troupe was an Alt-Rock act touted as a cross between The Cult's fake rock and the authentic crusty rock of Pop Will Eat Itself and Crazyhead.
In truth there was more to them than that and they suffered much in coming from England at a time of 'Crusty'; a time when high expectations in Rock, and Rock itself, were generally frowned upon.
By 1986 they had an accomplished yet chaotic live show which earned them an exciting reputation on the underground scene.
They signed to Island Records in 1988 without management, Christian & Rick then assigned Steve Abbott, (known as Abbo, who had been the singer in seminal punk act UK Decay) who was introduced to them by The Bolshoi manager Pete McCarthy.
Abbo created Bedlam Management (which even today is still running), the CTT advanced Abbo the cash to release the first single for Carter USM, another unknown CTT story!
Ron Fair and Ralph Jezzard produced the debut 'Through The Veil' which was universally well received & achieved solid international sales (yet only made it to a criminally underrated number 74 in the UK album charts in the days prior to computer controlled sales stats).
'Through The Veil' shares The Cult's sensibilities for anthemic rock bluster coupled with a tinge of indigenous Americana and everyman lyrics: "If I could drink the world dry, then I could maybe cry."
It has a genuine atmosphere to it and sounds unlike anyone else, either then or now; there is a swagger and confidence on this album that promised great things and a stadium rock future.
What followed was a string of high profile tours and excellent releases.
The Claytown's played the Marquee, Astoria and the Town & Country Club and supported The Cult on the 'Sonic Temple' tour, Pearl Jam, The Wonder Stuff, The Damned, Julian Cope, Jesus Jones and The Mission.
Switching labels to EMI Records in the 90's Claytown Troupe cut their next album, the excellent 'Out There', with David Bianco producing at the Hit Factory, New York.
They toured Britain in 1992 with Terrorvision supporting and subsequently opened for Seattle behemoth's Pearl Jam (It had been arranged the other way round with PJ to support CT but the Grunge kings were kind of riding the whirlwind in '92.)
The second album didn't relaunch the band further than where they had been previously & disagreements with EMI compounded the frustrations.
After parting company with EMI, drummer Andy Holt and bassist Paul Waterson made their exit.
Recently the band returned to the UK music scene, Christian Riou and Rick Williams reforming to headline the Whitby Goth festival to good overall reviews mixing old songs from their two previous albums with newer material.
And this year (2008) the band are joined by guitarist Ben Christo (Sisters Of Mercy, AKO), Johnny Thrornton (Bass) & are planning more live outings & new material after their successful support at the Shepherds Bush Empire with The Mission & Spear Of Destiny at the Islington Carling Academy.
THE RETURN OF THE BAT
Specimen will bring their special brand of glam mayhem, The Batcave to London again.
After last year’s wildly-successful 25th anniversary Batcave event, The Batcave returns to its original spawning ground of London’s West End on Sunday July 19 for another night of blasphemy, lechery and blood.
Specimen (Fresh from a fantastic show at Leipzig’s Waves Gotik festival), the original Batcave instigators will headline the lurid frolics at the Embassy Club, (29 Old Burlington St, London W1S3AP) Also on the bill are original Batcavers Sexbeat, with DJs Hamish and Cavey Nick, cavorting from decks to decadence with the usual brutal, trouser-dropping surprises & suitably confronting & barbaric entertainment.
The 2009 Batcave will feature installations from exciting new artists of the ‘Dark London Underground’ and visuals from the upcoming ‘Welcome To The Batcave’ book, along with this year’s bitcrushed message from the creature in t
Cheers for the add chaps, great to see your back again, saw you loads back in the day, even had you in for a signing session in one of my old shops !Robx
Hello, Greenwood Studios have introduced new prices for practicing and recording, so if you fancy a practice for just £10 an hour, contact us now on 07977688998, 07964556970 or here on myspace.
* NEW YEARS SPECIAL OFFER*- Book 2 hours of practice with us and recieve an extra hour for free on the same day!
Ex Sigue Sigue Sputnik drummer and protagonist Ray Mayhew is playing at the 12 Bar Club, London on December 4th 2008. A slightly different format to this show from that which has gone before - think Suicide .. Alan Vega minimalism and you have the drift of it! See you there?
