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Post by BB on Mar 2, 2009 17:58:00 GMT
Combat Shock were a female fronted Anarcho Punk band Band history coming soon.
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Post by melshock on Apr 9, 2009 10:31:54 GMT
COMBAT SHOCK originated in 1994, rising from the Fenlands of Wisbech (Cambridgeshire). We formed after the initial split up of local anarcho punk band, ‘P.U.S’ of which I used to drum for. We formed in the same way that many bands form, and that is through boredom. The original line up was a Wisbech /Peterborough hybrid, which featured Mel and Matty on vox (shouting), sh*thead on guitar, Dave on bass, and Sonny on the pots and pans. We played our first gig (without a bass player) at the ‘Bowling Green’ pub in Wisbech, with London legends, ’Suicidal Supermarket Trolleys’ and ‘Decadent Few’ plus Norwich all-girl punx ‘P.M.T’. Our first full band line-up was at the same venue with ‘Red Flag 77’ (who we still keep in touch with to this day!) and ‘The Shrinking Violets’ from London (recently reformed ex-Highliners hoe-down punx). Our bassist wore a stocking over his head and Mel was wearing a rah-rah skirt and angel wings for good measure…That spurned us on to record our first 8 track demo (on tape format…remember them?) under the name of ‘Born To Booze’ which we sold all over the country and Europe etc via gigging and D.I.Y correspondence. One of the tracks featured on the demo (Eat A Nazi) we included in our set right to the very end! We followed that release with an ecstasy and alcohol fuelled split demo with Plymouth’s ‘Bus Station Loonies’ which was aptly named ‘In Cider We Trust’. We played many gigs around the UK with this line-up, climaxing with a tour with Brum crust merchants, ’Police Bastard’. It was a drunken chaotic tour which resulted in our bassist sacking himself from the band, with the rest of the Peterborough contingent soon to follow suit. Mel and I didn’t want to let the band slip, so we roped in two local skate punks, just in time to play the annual Edinburgh ‘European City Of Punk Rock’ festival. The line up at this point (and most prolific to come) was Mel on vox, Mooner on guitar and Lee Seavers on the bass. We gigged our arses off around these shores and recorded an album for Bomb Factory Records called ‘Wishful Drinking’ which sold out before we could screw the caps back onto our cider bottles! This was a highpoint for us and probably our most busiest time gig-wise. We promptly recorded a 7inch Ep called ‘Hospital Food’ for Weird Records and headed off for a tour of France with tractor boy buddies ‘Red Flag 77’. For Mel and I , it was time to relocate , so it was off to Brighton we go! We’d previously played the Prince Albert at a 2 day festival (courtesy of Buz Punker Bunker) at the end of a tour with Chesterfield’s ‘W.O.R.M’ (our seaside tour!)….The placed tickled our fancy, and a while later our decision was made. We explored many Brighton public houses and managed to form a new version of The Shock, still keeping Mooner (guitar) in tow. (Lee left after becoming a dad and house husband!). The Brighton line-up was to be Mel on vocals, Mooner on guitar, Garth on second guitar, Bemble (from ‘Anal Beard’) on bass, and Sonny on the drums. We played our first gig at the short lived Brighton ‘Racehill’ pub with ‘Disorder’ which was a great night. At this time, we gigged mainly in the South but took in a tour with ‘Anal Beard’ to promote a split CD EP we had recorded together (Beat Bedsit Records) called ‘Celebrity Hit List’. ‘Asbest’ from Germany tagged along with us too! Later on, we recorded a CD EP called ‘T.W.A.T’ which was one of our best recordings, but alas, heard by few… We carried on playing gigs mainly in the South (not through choice!) and ended up deciding to sadly call it a day…We had been treading water for too long. Gigs were hard to come by and line-ups were hard to stabilse. We played our last few gigs in our favourite places (ie. Ipswich, Birmingham and Derby) and played our very last gig (after 14 years) at the Prince Albert in Brighton. It was an afternoon matinee show and the beer was flowing. The last song we ever played was ‘I Love My Liver’….. Where are they now? Mel (vocals) : Still resides in Brighton and is married to Sonny (Shock drummer). She can be seen propping up many a local bar and is currently interested in travelling etc. She is currently training to be a health and safety manager! Garth (guitar) : is currently living in Wales and has set up his own silver smith metal underwear business under the name of ‘Fetish Forge’. (One of his current customers is Toyah Wilcox!). Mooner (Guitar) : is still living in Wisbech and is a shift manager of a haulage firm. He can still be seen occasionally, lurking behind ‘Vanilla Pod’ merchandise stalls! Bemble (Bass) : is teaching English in Spain and has formed a new band (the name escapes me for now). He is currently preparing himself for an ‘Anal Beard’ reunion tour. Sonny (Drums) : is married to Mel and plays drums for local anarcho-crust merchants ‘Constant State Of Terror’. He can be often seen propping up the same bars as his wife. Matty (vocals) : Ran a bar in Peterborough for a while. He drank the bar dry though, and became a proud father instead. sh*thead (Guitar) : Writes for a London newspaper and once created a ‘Spot The Ball’ page ,but left the ball in shot…(People still got it wrong!). He currently plays in Peterborough melodic punkers ‘7 Foot Monster’ (ex – Monks Of Science) Dave (Bass n Booze) : Dunno. Rob Mardelli (stand –in Bass) : Lives in Italy and plays for local band, ‘Too Rude’. Malcy Walcy (stand – in Guitar) : Inbetween breaking his hips, he plays for Brighton’s ‘Little Trophy’ and ‘The Lovely Brothers’ (so he can carry on his fancy dress habit!) Joe Dunton (stand – in Bass) : Chopping logs of wood at his ranch near Kings Lynn. Currently driving about his daughter’s band, ‘The Hoodwinks’. Steve (stand – in guitar) : Lives in Wisbech. Currently trying to reform his old band ‘The Anti Patriots’. (Rumoured to have Mooner on guitar!)
The bands we played most frequently with over the years have to be ,Red Flag 77, Anal Beard, The Chineapple Punx and W.O.R.M….But, here’s a list to bore you with, of some of the bands we shared the stage (or gutter) with over the years : G.B.H / Icons Of Filth / Disorder / Excrement Of War / Police Bastard / Road Rage / One Way System / Hard Skin / Lost Cherees / Active Slaughter / Haywire / Demented Are Go / Truth Decay / P.M.T / Refuse All / Constant State Of Terror / Terminal City Ricochet / Sham 69 / UK Subs / The Hangmen / Derita Sisters / Extinction Of Mankind / Red Letter Day / Last Years Youth / M.D.M / Bloodshot / Excathedra / Stage Bottles / Zounds / Peter And The Test Tube Babies / Anal Beard / Too Many Crooks / Urko / Substandard / Slum Gang / Defiance (USA) / Newtown Grunts / Oi Polloi / The Lurkers / The Shrinking Violets / Bug Central / Airbomb / Chaos UK / Atilla The Stockbroker / Slaughterhouse 57 / Oily Rag / Red Lights Flash (Austria) / Stratford Mercenaries / Barnyard Masturbator / The Grit / Deadline / The Crack / Lambrusco Kids (Brazil) / Argy Bargy / Fitz Of Depression (US) / Forfeit / Coffin Nails / Short n Curlies / Dog On A Rope / Discharge / Scatha / Crowzone / Running Riot (Ire) / Inner Terrestrials / Destination Venus / Cop Car Pile Up / Casualties (US) / Varukers / In The sh*t / M.T.A / Chester / English Dogs / Conclude (Japan) / Bus Station Loonies / The Filth / 999 / The Warriors / Contempt / Special Duties / The Bad f*cks / Shut Up Grandad / The Accidents / The Anoraks / Zero Tolerance / Instant Agony / Goober Patrol / Funbug / Vehicle Derek / Napalm Death / Incarcerated / U.X.B (Pre-Deadline) / Cowpuncher / Terminal Heads / Razorface / Ragitty Anne / Norma Jeans / The Flaps / Drongoes For Europe / Born Ugly / P.O.A / The Nags / The Fish Brothers / Little Trophy / Itchy Tits / Pork Dukes / The Pissed Twats / Braindance / The Steptones /Ciderfex/ Hitch Your Wagon / Sad Society / 2000 D.S / Chinese Burn / Freebase / Set Against / J.P.E / Fallout / Warp Spasm / Hellkrusher / Cress / Rectify / One Chord Wonders / Assert / Unslug / P.A.I.N / Third Estate / I’m A Mess / Hyperjax / Blue Demon / Los Cunos Electricas / sh*tty And The Poo-Boys / Flatpig / Teasing Lulu / Andy Baron And The Believers / Barnstormer / Mc Dermott’s Two Hours / Helen Mc Cookerybook / The Lovely Brothers / Two Finger Salute / Beerzone / Capo Regime / God’s Lonely Men / The Filaments / The Foamers / Imbalance / Lowlife UK / Nervous Tension / Eastfield / Pog / Logan Five / Strychnine (US) / Natural Disasters / Brambilla (Austria) / Hateball / Intensive Care / Victims Of Radiation / Active Minds and loads more. Thanks for reading and see you at a pensioner’s punk festival in 10 years time, no doubt! Combat Shock (RIP).
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Post by BB on Apr 14, 2009 18:11:37 GMT
Thanks Sonny, Mel for doing the band history. Tis a great read and also brings back some memories. Derby, London. Sweet
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