Autumn Poison

Autumn Poison were an anarcho punk group from Southend, and were formed around the core members of Graham Burnett, Sheena Fulton and Paul Brown. They existed between 1980-1985 and played many concerts in and around Southend, often with the likeminded Kronstadt Uprising. When they first formed, they were originally called Enola Death, but soon changed their name to Autumn Poison. Graham had switched to vocals after previously playing drums in Stripey Zebras, whom had played many great shows in 1980 around the area.

The band were an important part of the "cassette culture" of the 1980's (Graham ran his own label, New Crimes Tapes, that was affiliated with his fanzine, New Crimes) and released two key cassettes on New Crimes Tapes. The first 'Songs of Anger, Songs of Hope', was originally issued with a free lyric booklet and badge and was a good document of the first phase of the bands career, featuring songs such as "Police Force", "The Sun Says" and "Fox Hunting". With the key line up of Graham and Sheena on vocals, Julian Ware-Lane on guitar, Steve on bass and Kevin Hickling on drums, the band played a lot of concerts in the period, often in conjunction with the Kronstadt Uprising, many of which were benefits for the CND or local Animal Rights groups. Key shows of the time would have included The Thorpedene Community Centre gig with Kronstadt and Hagar The Womb on the 14.08.82, a local headliner at The Cliff Hotel with The Committee on the 06.08.83 and a gig at The Grand Hotel in Leigh with The Omega Tribe and Youth in Asia on the 25.09.83. 

The band eventually disbanded around 1985, but fast forwarding to 1994, Graham and Paul reformed the band in order to record a track for 'Bullshit Detector Volume #4', a compilation put together by Resistance Productions, a Swiss-based Anarcho Punk record and cassette label, who wanted to continue the tradition of the earlier Crass compiled 'Bullshit Detector' Volumes. (Autumn Poison's track was notable too for including a sample of Crass drummer Penny Rimbaud). After Autumn Poison disbanded, Graham and Paul would go on to occasionally collaborate under the title of Love Over Law, and released several cassette albums in the late 1980's early 1990's. [SOURCE: SOUTHEND PUNK ROCK HISTORY]