| DECADENT FEW They shoot children don't they?... |
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DECADENT FEW (1984- Present) KAYA BYATTA - Vocals (ex-Youth In Asia) '1984-present' MIKE - Guitar (ex-They Must Be Russians/ Disease/ Youth In Asia) '1984-present' WOMBLE - Bass (ex-Victims Of Ridicule/ Psycho Drama) 1985-present GARY - Bass (1984-5) STEPH - Bass (ex-Hagar The Womb, first few rehearsals only) SPINAL TAP ROLL CALL OF DRUMMERS.... STEVE BROWN (Victims Of Ridicule, London Losers). ANGUS (Instinks,Gaye Bykers On Acid, Astronauts). SIMON (Kuru). BREYO (Paranoid Visions, Zero Tolerance). BERNIE (Disease, Youth In Asia, DTA Mission) plus honourable mentions to TROTSKY/ PIPPO/ JUDE/ PAUL/ JASON/ MARTIN/ LEO/ BARRY/ LOL/ DAVE. Current drummer - MANNY (Moorgate & The Tube Disasters, Chaos, Horsehead Nebula Rising, Psycho Drama). OTHER INSTRUMENTS - MARK EDMONDSON (Keyboards), SIMON COHEN and JOOLIE (Electric Violin). |
| BIOGRAPHY Formed in East London,1984 by Kaya, Mike, Bernie and Mark of YOUTH IN ASIA, plus Steph of HAGAR THE WOMB briefly, Decadent Few’s first gig was at Studio One in Slough, June 1984. Mark and Steph had stepped out by this point and a friend, Gary, was taught Bass by Mike in vintage Paul Simenon-style, i.e. coloured stickers on the frets to denote where to play which note which song. Luckily, Gary learnt fast and this line up played regularly across London with bands like FLOWERS IN THE DUSTBIN, TOM’S MIDNIGHT GARDEN, STIGMA, ANDY LOVEBUG & THE TENDERHEARTS and the WET PAINT THEATRE, a Punk Theatre Company. When Gary left in 1985, Womble was brought in and this trio formed the core of the band that has survived to this day. Bernie left soon after and thus began a long rollcall of drummers, some of the most enduring of which are named above (any I’ve omitted, please email and we will add your name for posterity). Initially linked to the Anarcho Punk scene, which provided a friendlier, more self-sufficient and musically less-straight jacketed framework than the dismal Gary Bushell/’New Punk’ scene of big hair-or-no hair/ speeded-up hard rock bands, DF were always more a product of the early ’76-’77 era (despite existing long after) and perhaps found the ghost of that previous inspiration lingering in the squat venues and small self-run clubs/ pubs/ halls of London in the early 1980s. However, by the middle of that decade, the self-righteous scene-police pretty much soured the Anarcho movement with their endless backbiting, bickering and petty rules. Despite the inevitable Poly Styrene/ Pauline Murray comparisons that assail ANY female punk singer, Kaya if anything listened to Alison Moyet or Billie Holiday and brought to mind Timi Yuro, a belting and criminally-underrated 60’s singer, rather than the above (though we later covered both X Ray Spex and Penetration on occasions, just to live down to expectations). Also, her lyrics eschewed the standard moaning-by-rote / stating-the-bleeding-obvious ‘War is bad for children’, ‘Thatcher isn’t very nice’ and ‘Nuclear War could harm your health’ for personal issues or stories based on events that had happened to friends or life in London, anything but anti-war/ vivisection /Thatcher (fill in where appropriate). In comparison to YOUTH IN ASIA, on first impression more experimental and playing to the brink of their limitations, DF were often simply direct. In ten years we did hundreds of gigs across the UK, often in London and the South East and, except several jaunts to Ireland, unfortunately never made it to Europe, let alone the USA or Japan. Of the drummers listed above, a bewildering array I can barely all remember, let alone name, some recorded with us, some did a lot of gigs, some only a few rehearsals. On other occasions we used keyboards, electric violin and, on an early demo, one of the first samplers to arrive in the UK, but much of the time there was always another round of gigs to do and only enough money for a few hours in a studio.There is no narrative to tell, people joined, rehearsed, played then left and that’s how it went for over ten years. Most of the venues we played are long gone (who remembers the Ad Lib Club in Kensington, the Metropolitan Theatre in Faringdon, the Blue House in Hackney-now a national trust building-and why do so many punk venues worldwide seem to end up as carparks?). We had no ambition beyond enjoying ourselves,writing and playing music we liked to our own satisfaction. I’m not sure if this was conscious, or just became reality with time, after all by the end of the 1980’s London had effectively burnt itself out on an endless parade of fads/revivals increasingly orchestrated by a small cabal of music press writers who had parachuted into town long after the party was over. Mike Clarke (February 2006) WHERE ARE THEY NOW Decadent Few still practice and write music. They live in Kent and London respectively. Bernie left Decadent Few in 1985, continued playing drums and still lives in West London. ON RECORD DECADENT FEW Discography: We Don’t Want Your Fucking War - LP (1 track, Mortarhate 1984) DYING WE SHALL LIVE - Cassette (Self-released,1986) KAPUTT - Cassette (Self-released,1987) House Of Dolls Magazine (1 track, free 7” w/mag,1987) IRREHUUS - LP (Full Circle,1991) The Dirt Behind The Daydream - 1 Tape (2 tracks, FOAD 1991) THEY SHOOT CHILDREN - 7” (Inflammable Material,1993) Six Pack To Go - CD (4 tracks, Stiff Pole USA,1995) We Don’t Want Your Fucking War - CD (1 track, Mortarhate reissue,2004) Anti-State - CD (1 track,Overground,2005) Several other Unreleased Demos, tracks on many Tape compilations 1984-92. Unreleased 12” recorded 1988. REVIEWS VARIOUS ‘Anti-State’ (over105vp) CD June 2005 Volume 2 of this highly impressive Anarcho series see our early 80’s legions attacking the state and all its over bearing limitations. A Touch Of Hysteria from Cumbria give us their 1983 track ‘The Rulers’ which is a well crafted pop tune compared with the usual rant brigade and a neat opener. Urban Decay from Harlow are more gritty with their yobbish ‘Severalls’ and saw them supporting like minded bands like the Epileptics and the Neurotics. Things really improve with the rumbling, haunting anthem ‘Gates Of Hell’ by the Mob who were one of the real original bands to come out the whole protest scene in Britain at the time. Mark Mob these days runs a scrap yard recycling old engine parts. Flux Of Pink Indians from Bishops Stortford shouldn’t be no strangers to your eardrums and they give us their buzz saw ‘Progress’ from their debut album which really epitomised the Anarcho sound of the time. Blyth Power I was always a bit dubious about. They’re similar to the Astronauts with their folky tinged sound and bring us their ‘Hurling Time’ which has a very British sound but reminds me of Morris dancing for some strange reason? Next up are Amebix from Devon who supply a live version of ‘Axeman’ which is one of their rumbling metallurgist monsters. Actually their liner notes are way more interesting than their heavy handed growls. And You’ll be fascinated to know singer Rob Miller produces claymore swords and other hand forged weapons these days, apparently keeping his axeman fixation running. The Subhumans are probably the most famous band on here and give us a really early track ‘So Much Money’ from their very first demo recorded live in their practice space and you know what, they ain’t never looked back since. The Famous Imposters from Sunderland take things on a more melodic jangly route with ‘Fighting Again’ from the early 80’s. They were a band heavily involved with the Bunker a popular North East punk venue in the early 80's. Old guard the Poison Girls give us their rendition of ‘Bully Boys’ sung by Richard Famous which apparently got em blacklisted by Rock Against Racism who thought it was aimed at them and likewise the National Front…paranoia eh. It’s followed by another great band to feature the vocal delights of the husky Kaye (ex- YouthInAsia) in the short lived but highly entertaining Decadent Few. They give us their 1984 track ‘Lowife’ which also featured the jangling guitar slinging of Mike Clarke of Inflammable Material infamy. Toxic Waste were one of the few Anarcho bands to come outta Belfast in the early 80’s after witnessing Crass play the Anarchy centre and went on to record for the Mortarhate label. ‘Traditionally Yours’ features duel vocals, buzz saw guitars and more melodic touches akin to the A-Heads. Continuing the toxicity level come the highly impressive Scottish outfit Toxic Ephex with their impressive ‘Nothings Permissive’ from their 1987 EP ‘Punk As Fuck‘. They are followed by another good outfit called the Disruptors who come from Norwich. Their track ‘Stonehenge’ is a suitably snotty piece of punk with good arrangements, clean sound and not an ‘ippy in sight. Decadence Within feature hypnotic vocals from Andrea and a snarly alternative from Kev. On ’A Breath Of Fresh Air’ they combine the two which also features future ‘Burning Britain’ book author Ian Glasper on bass. I was really impressed with Essex Anarcho’s No Defences who slow the pace right down with a brooding almost Mob like ‘Willing Cripples’ from the never released late 80’s album that features strong female vocals from Iggy who now teaches Tai-Chi in Scotland ill have you know. Savour the delights of Chumbawamba from Leeds who give us ‘Revolution’ taken from their debut 45 circa 1985. It shows em as a band with their own sound and their own take on the protest scene, which was affectionately labeled agit-prop. Pity they lost the agitation and become an irritation when they went on to become the pop idols they wanted to kill and maim. Still in Yorkshire comes Civilised Society who give us a polished duel vocalled guitar chiming ‘I Can Be Free’. Singer Hammy went on to run metal/rock Peaceville Records. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Sinyx from Southend ever since I heard their rabid ‘Mark Of The Beast’ on Bullshit Detector 1. Here they bring us ‘The Plague’ which ain’t half as nasty but still provides a bit of malicious intent with Alien on vocals circa the early 80’s. Asssasins from East London serve up 'From The Gutter’ that dates from a 1984 demo which has some passionate vocals supplied by young Gino on top of a transistorised backbeat. Fareham trio Polemic featured Terena drums/vocals, heather on bass (who also wrote anarcho-feminist zine Lost Faith) and Gareth on guitar/vocals. On ‘Deceptive Ideals’ they were a nifty little 3 piece and reminded me of a prototype early 80s UK version of the Dread from California. Last track was the runt of the litter on this album and was left to the Erratics from Waltham Cross to do the honours. Their ham fisted ‘Punishment Squad’ was probably only included here coz the bands history was an exceedingly hilarious tale. 21 tracks in all and like its predessor this compilation comes with some delving extensive band histories and sleeve notes by our learned punk compiler Sean McGhee. UK CONTENDER www.overgroundrecords.co.uk RANDOM MEMORIES Drummers: one insisted on trying to use a speed metal-style double bass drum setup, as if we were Slayer or something. Another called up (after an incident-free period of rehearsals, a couple of gigs and a recording) to proudly announce that he had swopped his kit for one of those electronic Simmonds sets, i.e.less Slayer, more Level 42. Needless to say we had a vacancy in the drumming department seconds after the call ended. One forgot to bring his kit for a gig, another drove all the way down to Swansea then decided he didn’t want to play and drove back to London again. One took a separate flight to Ireland from the rest of us for a gig; later, as we looked anxiously at our watches awaiting his arrival, the Dublin venue got a phone call. He’d just got off the plane….in Belfast. Yet another, a Charlton fan, helped organise a benefit gig at the Woolwich Tramshed for the, then ground-less, football club. Halfway through the last bands’ set a mass brawl erupted after some Millwall fans made their prescence known, the police (who had surrounded the venue in the meantime) charged in, and that was that. There was the club in Hendon where we played the worst set of our lives and got painfully and deservedly, blown off the stage by Snuff, the PSV Centre in Hulme (Manchester) where we got so excited to be on a stage last trod by the Drones, Joy Division and the Buzzcocks that the beer flowed a little too freely and again we played so woefully that I could only laugh when headliners Neuroot later said we were the best band they’d seen on their UK tour. There was Stevenage Bowes Lyon House where we trooped out to find an audience of student crusties (think Sting with lice) warming up for headliners RDF by sitting on the floor en masse as if it were 1967 rather than 1991.There was also the Timebox in Camberwell, where the singer from James tried to scrounge his bus-fare home, this whilst his new single was aN Indie Number 1 and nudging the national charts. There was the night we drove to Holyhead to catch the ferry to Dublin, nearly driving off a mountainside en route, only to see said ferry steaming merrily away as we sped vainly into the harbour. We crammed into a B&B for the night and spent the next morning trudging miserable grey streets waiting for the next ferry, local kids shrieking “witch!” at Kay. At the Dome in Tufnell Park, N. London, the drummer for one of the support bands was none other than Terry Chimes, from the first Clash LP, but when I asked him if he had really only wanted a flash car all those years ago, our Tory preferred to button-hole a fetching female friend of ours about his new shelving. Headliners Flesh For Lulu were fresh from “L.A. y’know?”(we didn’t), complete with the guitarist from Peter & The Test Tube Babies, who sat behind our friends sneering “Punk Rock man!” at our soundcheck. Fast forward a few years and P & TTB are back on the karaoke-reunion circuit/circus, ”Punk Rock!” indeed. Along similar lines, in 1990 we ended up, somehow, at the George Robey pub in North London with none other than Beki Bondage And The Bombshells. Whilst Madam commandeered the ‘dressing room’ to trowel on the make-up, her drummer proceeded to mysteriously sidle up to the sound booth and attempt to fuck up the levels whilst we played. The Bombshells purveyed a feeble cod-Glam/Heavy Metal stodge to mass indifference, but, again we can make that quantum leap to a new millenium and find a newly-reformed Vice Squad on the reunion-gravy train and it’s ‘Punk Rock!’ all over again!! In the meantime, some would say that London has become the bland, homogenous preserve of property developers, any remaining alternative culture, or avenues to such, strangled by the profit motive, slowly squeezed dry of any innovation/ independence. However, it won’t always be so. Decadent Few still exist, occasionally, so here’s to all the hundreds of bands who ploughed the same lonely furrow: PARANOID VISIONS, GOD TOLD ME TO DO IT, SONS OF BADBREATH, UNION OF FEAR, COITUS, FLOWERS IN THE DUSTBIN, DREAD MESSIAH, UNDER THE GUN, THE SEARS, BLUE BABIES, BEST BITTER & THE LAGER LOUTS, THE NERVES, STATE HATE, PLEASE RETURN MY DOG, INSTINKS, SUBSTANDARD, HUMANOIDS, BENJAMIN LAMPSHADE, SNATCH, PMT, TERMINAL HEADS, SUICIDAL SUPERMARKET TROLLEYS, FROGS OF WAR, THE STAINS and RADIO MONGOLIA contact: mikeinflammable@gmail.com Related site: http://www.mrpibbs.com/inmat/ |
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