A demo tape was recorded and a nationwide tour embarked upon, during which a self-financed single 'Miles Apart' was released. Reviews were promising, and they were championed by John Peel, leading to a re-issue on independent label Decoy records, who effectively provided the band with a stable home. 'Distant Relatives' followed, and was awarded single of the week in the N.M.E. by Steve Lamacq. This was in turn followed up by 'Less Than Senseless' during a 300 date touring schedule in 1989.
Debut album 'Tranzophobia' was titled in reference to the psychosis brought on by such constant movement between gigs in a cramped transit van, and although initially this perfectly summed up the hard-working nature of the band, it soon became a label of unsophistication they were unable to shake off. Their music had evolved into a catchy, punchy, punk-pop hybrid, and a place on the main stage at the Reading Festival in 1990 saw them gaining greater exposure.
Sadly, the following album 'Who Cares Wins' suffered from a poor production just as they seemed to be gaining critical respect, and saw the band lose momentum as fans wrote them off believing their debut was more of a fluke than an indication of talent.
A change of label saw two singles regain their lost ground and enter the UK charts. 'Words That Say' and 'Stop' were both melodic indie-pop tunes reflecting on subjects such as regret and ignorance. These themes continued on 'Sebastopol Road' (named after their rehearsal studio), their debut LP for Big Life Records, and lead vocalist Wiz's growing lyrical maturity was backed up at long last with an energetic but equally mature display of musical ability.
To follow this with a live album seemed pure folly, but nonetheless, a still touring Mega City Four put out 'Inspiringly Titled - the Live Album', which unsurprisingly met with a less than excited public, and ground was again lost by what seemed a cynical attempt to exploit their loyal fanbase.
When new material arrvived in the form of 1993's 'Magic Bullets', the introverted concerns of Wiz's songwriting were falling out of step with the alternative scene, based as they were on an anti-glamour (the most visible band achieving a rise in popularity at this time were the Manic Street Preachers, who had once sent begging letters to the MC4 in a desperate plea for support slots). Whilst still retaining their catchiness and melodic prowess, it seemed their fans had realigned their allegiances to newer bands, and acts such as Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine breaking into the UK charts with a sound not entirely dissimilar to that which Mega City Four had been peddling on their early releases.
Following the inevitable split, the ex-members remained inactive through disillusionment, with Wiz even going so far as to sell his guitars, although he did re-emerge with a new band, Serpico, after a short break from the music industry.
IF YOU LIKED THESE, YOU'LL LIKE MEGA CITY FOUR: Carter USM, Buzzcocks, Husker Du, Midway Still, Serpico.