The Adventures

The Adventures are a Northern Irish rock group, formed in Belfast in 1984. The band later moved to London where they signed to Chrysalis Records and released their first single in 1984. Following their debut album released a year later the group moved to Elektra Records and scored their biggest hit, "Broken Land". The song was written by guitarist Pat Gribben and reached number 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and was also the most played song on BBC Radio 1 in 1988.

The band were actively recording and touring from 1984 up until 1993, but despite the backing of Simon Fuller, The Adventures never achieved a significant commercial breakthrough. In recent years, the band have reformed to play low key live gigs and festivals in Belfast, although no further studio recordings have been made. 

Lead vocalist Terry Sharpe and guitarist Pat Gribben first worked together when in 1978 they joined punk band The Starjets. The band experienced limited success and disbanded in the early 1980s. Sharpe and Gribben then formed The Adventures in early 1984 with Gribben's wife, Eileen, Gerard Murphy, Tony Ayre and Paul Crowder, performing their first show in February 1984 in North London. They signed to Chrysalis Records and were taken on by upcoming manager, Simon Fuller, who saw them achieve much publicity and promotion in the music press, including an appearance on BBC's "Crackerjack". Despite this promising start, their debut single, "Another Silent Day", released in the summer of 1984, barely scraped into the chart. Further singles were released, "Send My Heart", "Feel the Raindrops", and "Two Rivers", all of which were minor hits in the UK Chart, but no major breakthrough was achieved. Their debut album, 'Theodore and Friends', was released in 1985 while the group were on a world tour supporting Tears For Fears. It received much critical acclaim, but again no significant sales. 

The band laid low for the next two years. During this time, main songwriter Pat Gribben composed some new songs for a second album and the band left Chrysalis Records and were picked up by Elektra Records. With another burst of promotion and heavy airplay, their new single "Broken Land" became their first significant hit, reaching No. 20 in the UK Singles Chart and spent 10 weeks on the chart. The single was quickly followed up by the album, 'The Sea of Love', which reached No. 30 and also remained on the charts for 10 weeks. The follow-up singles, "Drowning in the Sea of Love" and "One Step From Heaven", failed to reach as highly and stalled at No. 44 and No. 82 respectively, though the album was certified Silver (for 60,000 copies sold) by the BPI in 1989, a year after its release. 

The band combined pop/rock with a folk music sound for their third album, 'Trading Secrets with the Moon'. Released in early 1990 along with a couple of singles, the album failed to capitalise on their earlier success and only appeared briefly on the UK Albums Chart, stalling at No. 64. This ended their contract with Elektra. 

  

With another rethink and now down to a quartet, The Adventures returned in 1992 with the single "Raining All Over the World". Now signed to Polydor Records, the song reached No. 68, and was to be the group's final chart appearance. A fourth album, 'Lions and Tigers and Bears', was released in 1993, produced by ex-Vibrators bassist Pat Collier at London's Greenhouse Recording Studios. Despite featuring a new single, a contemporary reworking of the 1960s hit "Monday Monday", the album met with tepid response and failed to chart. The group were then dropped by Polydor, and essentially broke up soon after. 

Pat Gribben continues to write songs and is currently working with singer Ryan Molloy, while Terry Sharpe spent some years performing in a cover band, The Dead Handsomes. The Adventures regrouped briefly in 2007 for some gigs in Belfast, but no major reunion was ever organised. They regrouped again in 2009 to perform further small scale gigs in Belfast, as well as appearances at the Time To Be Proud and Féile an Phobail festivals during the summer. Former bass player Tony Ayre died on 20 December 2009. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

We Are Going To Eat You

This UK band was formed in 1986 by Julie Sorrell (b. London, England; vocals), Paul Harding (b. London, England; guitar), Paul ‘Veg’ Venables (b. London, England; bass) and Chris Knowles (b. London, England; drums). The cumbersomely named group peddled a hybrid of pop and rock infused with a punk spirit. After several years of intense gigging and low-key releases, an appearance on BBC Television’s alternative show Snub TV, at the start of 1989, attracted copious amounts of interest from music business circles, resulting in a burst of media activity and much talk of a major record label contract. Unfortunately, the band’s independent backers refused to allow the band to sign unless the price was right. In the ensuing legal mess the band lost the all-important momentum, and therefore, by the time they were free of their old constraints, the quartet struggled to rekindle outside interest in spite of a prestigious American contract. These frustrations eventually came to a head in 1990 when the band vanished into the studio and reappeared with a new, more fashionable sound and the infinitely more sociable name of Melt. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Virgin Prunes

One of the more adventurous and avant-garde acts to rise out of the punk era, Virgin Prunes formed in Dublin, Ireland in mid-1977. The group was led by the theatrical singer/songwriter Gavin Friday (born Fionan Hanvey in 1959), who as a teen fell in with a group of like-minded individuals who dubbed themselves the Lypton Village. While some of the social club's members, including a pair of youths named Paul Hewson and David Evans -later known as Bono and the Edge- went on to form the superstar group U2, the remaining members founded the less-commercial Virgin Prunes, taking their name from the local slang for so-called "outsiders" and "freaks," a recurring lyrical theme. 

Originally comprised of Friday, vocalists Guggi (born Derek Rowen) and Dave-id (David Watson), bassist Strongman (Trevor Rowen), drummer Pod (Anthony Murphy), and guitarist Dik (Richard Evans, the Edge's brother), Virgin Prunes baffled audiences at their outrageous first concerts, which borrowed more from the approach of performance art than the traditions of rock music. After gaining a cult audience, they issued their first single, the independently produced "Twenty Tens," which earned them a deal with the Rough Trade label. After the departure of Pod (replaced by Haa Lacka Binttii), Virgin Prunes released 'A Different Kind of Beauty', a sprawling, ambitious project made up of four interlocking chapters, released separately on the 7", 10", 12", and cassette formats.

Mary D'Nellon took over the drumming chores in time to record 1982's '...If I Die, I Die', a difficult work produced by Wire's Colin Newman which was released simultaneously with the box set 'Heresie', a performance art piece which mixed studio and live recordings. In 1984, both Guggi and Dik, disenchanted with the music business, left Virgin Prunes, prompting D'Nellon to take up the guitar and allowing Pod to return to the fold. The band then set about recording the album 'Sons Find Devils', which went unreleased. 

When Virgin Prunes resurfaced with 1986's 'The Moon Looked Down and Laughed', their music had gone through another stylistic change into melodic, ballad-driven pop, signifying Friday's increased fascination with cabaret music. He ultimately left the group in November; the liner notes of the 1987 live release, 'The Hidden Lie', contained a short statement confirming the band's breakup. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

That Petrol Emotion

After The Undertones broke up, Sean (formerly known as John) O'Neill and fellow Derry DJ Reámann O'Gormain formed That Petrol Emotion, with Sean's brother and Undertones bandmate Damian O'Neill joining on bass after the band moved to England. While they were more politically oriented and noisier than The Undertones, they managed to keep their former band's energetic, melodic kick. With their first album, 'Manic Pop Thrill', That Petrol Emotion became critics' favorites, as well as earning a respectable following in the U.K. Over the years, their music remained endlessly diverse, incorporating elements of every style of independent guitar rock. Occasionally, their albums were wildly uncohesive because of this, yet they managed to turn in several excellent songs on each record. Sean left the band after their third album, 'End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues'. The album showed signs that That Petrol Emotion's exuberant diversity was beginning to wear thin; their next albums proved that they were running out of things to say. After eight years, That Petrol Emotion broke up in 1994. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

The Sea Urchins

The Sea Urchins were formed in West Bromwich, England, during 1986 by James Roberts (b. 4 March 1970, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England; vocals), Simon Woodcock (b. 2 December 1969, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England; guitar), Mark Bevin (b. 21 January 1970; bass), Bridget Duffy (b. 28 June 1970, Birmingham, England; tambourine, ex-drummer for The Velvet Underwear), Patrick Roberts (drums) and Robert Cooksey (b. 14 November 1969, Solihull, West Midlands, England; guitar). Two flexi-discs in the summer of 1987, ‘Clingfilm’ and ‘Summershine’, were available with several fanzines, and revealed the band’s love of Byrds harmonies and the more tranquil aspects of the 60s. After Bevin was replaced by Darren Martin (b. 25 March 1967) and Duffy had moved onto Vox organ, The Sea Urchins unleashed their first single, and the first for Bristol’s Sarah Records in November 1987. The EP 'Pristine Christine' was a well-received slice of jangly guitar pop, but the following year’s ‘Solace’ was stronger, the start of their self-confessed mod-rock phase. Both singles had fared well, but Sarah were reluctant to issue a complete album, and Duffy and Martin soon left, Woodcock switching to bass and James Roberts moving to guitar. Eventually, ‘A Morning Odyssey’ surfaced in the summer of 1990, but when the label refused to issue the rockier ‘Low Scene’, the band left Sarah for good. In the meantime, Welsh label Fierce issued a Sea Urchins ballad from 1988. The band signed to the Cheree label early in 1991 for ‘Please Don’t Cry’, and were joined on stage by Andy Ellison (ex-John’s Children and Radio Stars). In fact, John’s Children’s John Hewlett was to produce their next single, until Woodcock quit and The Sea Urchins split up after a particularly dismal gig in the summer of 1991. James Roberts, Patrick Roberts and Robert Cooksey went on to form Delta. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

The Revillos

Following the same template of fast, witty rock & roll informed by mid-'60s pop and late-'70s punk as their previous band The Rezillos, The Revillos were formed in March 1979 by the group's vocalists, Eugene Reynolds (b. Alan Forbes) and Fay Fife (b. Sheilagh Hynde, Scotland). Hi Fi Harris (guitar), Rocky Rhythm (drums), and three backing singers -Jane White, Jane Brown and Tricia Bryce- completed the band's original lineup, but within months the latter trio had been replaced by Babs and Cherie Revette. The Revillos made their debut with the 1979 single "Where's the Boy for Me," but although this exciting performance recalled the best of the previous band, it failed to emulate their success. Internal friction undermined the unit's undoubted potential -guitarists, bass players, and singers were replaced with regularity as core members Reynolds, Fife, and Rhythm pursued their uncompromising vision. An album, 'Rev-Up', successfully captured The Revillos' pumped-up mixture of girl group, beat, and science fiction, but Dindisc Records were uphappy with the sales figures and soon dropped the band. Undeterred, the band inaugurated Superville Records for their second album, 1982's 'Attack!', and they embarked on two grueling tours of the U.S.A. and Canada, which they financed themselves. However, an anticipated record deal failed to materialize and this ebullient act later disintegrated. The Revillos briefly re-formed in the mid-'90s to tour Japan, and three live albums were released between 1995 and 1998. In 2003, Reynolds and Fife returned to the studio to cut a third Revillos album, 'Jungle of Eyes'. No new releases have emerged since, though in 2015 Reynolds and Fife revived The Rezillos for an international tour and a new album, 'Zero'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

The Photos

Best remembered for the U.K. Top 60 hit "Irene" and an eponymous Top Five album, The Photos evolved out of the short-lived and ill-fated punk band Satan's Rats. Guitarist Steve Eagles, bassist Dave Sparrow, and drummer Olly Harrison remained together when the band broke up in 1978 and, casting around for a new vocalist, were initially hoping to link with Jayne Casey from the recently sundered Big in Japan. However, she had already launched her own new band, Pink Military, and the trio returned home to Evesham, near Birmingham, and began scouring the local club scene. There they met the ultra-photogenic Wendy Wu and, following a series of very well-received live shows, signed with CBS in August 1979. 

With Wu being touted as the next Debbie Harry, the band was launched with the single "I'm So Attractive" in late 1979. It sold well and, with the band having shifted over to the sister Epic label, hopes were high for the follow-up, "Irene". In fact, its chart peak of number 56 was scarcely remarkable. But the band's debut album followed in June and stormed to number four, which should have established The Photos among the era's most popular bands. Instead, they lurched into almost instant obscurity. Three singles were released over the next year, "Life in a Day", "Now You Tell Me That We're Through", and "We'll Win", while the band's second album, 'Crystal Tips and Mighty Mouse', never even saw the light of day. By the time Wu quit, to be replaced by new vocalist Ché Zuro in late 1981, few people even remembered the band. The Photos broke up in 1983. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

The Nuns

Formed in San Francisco, California, USA, in 1977, The Nuns were one of the city’s leading punk/new wave attractions, forerunning the rock and outrage antics of the Dead Kennedys. Their insubstantial progress was further limited by continual line-up problems, but such frustrations coalesced to astonishing effect in their ‘Savage/Suicide Child’ single. Their work appeared on several compilations, including "Rodney On The Roq" and "Experiments In Destiny", but having split up in 1979, they re-formed the following year to complete The Nuns, only to disband once more. Ritchie Detrick (vocals), Jeff Olener (vocals), Alejandro Escovedo (guitar), Jennifer Miro (keyboards, vocals), Mike Varney (bass) and Jeff Raphael (drums) were among those passing through The Nuns’ ranks, of whom Escovedo subsequently joined Rank And File and The True Believers, before embarking on a solo career. The Nuns re-formed again in 1986, without Escovedo, to record a completely different record, the icy, dance-fixated 'Rumania'. Olener and Miro resurrected The Nuns in the late 90s, although their trashy goth rock fixations by now seemed rather dated. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

The Membranes

Post-punk noise merchants The Membranes were one of the most powerful and polarizing British bands of the '80s and '90s. Their music was deliberately abrasive and forceful, full of jagged shards of guitar, deep slabs of bass, and crashing drums with a soupçon of electronic noise laid over the top as the group barked out lyrics about the chaotic state of the world around them. 

The first edition of the band was formed in Blackpool, Lancashire, England in 1979 by John Robb after an unsatisfying series of experiments making music with makeshift instruments and tape recorders convinced him he needed worthy collaborators. Recruiting guitarist Mark Tilton, who showed up with a guitar rescued from a junk shop, Robb volunteered to play bass, and they chose to name their new band The Membranes, while also launching a music magazine called Rox. The first lineup was complete with the addition of drummer Martin Kelly and vocalist Martin Critchley, but Critchley didn't last long in the group, and Robb and Tilton took over as singers, while Kelly moved over to keyboards and a guy known as Cooft Sid (all of 13 years old at the time) became the new drummer. The Membranes made their recorded debut on a compilation coordinated by Rox Magazine, 1979's "Blackpool Rox", and in 1980, they issued a flexidisc EP, 'Flexible Membranes'. 1982 saw the release of their first proper vinyl single, "Muscles", which fared well in clubs and won the endorsement of the iconic BBC disc jockey John Peel, who played it on his show. That same year, Kelly left the band, and The Membranes opted to add a new guitarist, Steve Farmery, rather than another keyboardist. The independent label Rondolet Records signed The Membranes and released the 'Pin Stripe Hype' EP, but Rondolet soon went bust, and the band jumped ship to Criminal Damage, who issued their album 'Crack House' in 1983, and the single "Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder" the following year. By this time, Farmery was already out of The Membranes, and the band's sound was becoming even darker and more intense, anticipating the first shadows of the growing industrial movement. 

In 1985, The Membranes' 'Death to Trad Rock' EP became an underground hit, rising to number eight on the U.K. independent music charts, and the group was signed to Creation for their next album, 'The Gift of Life'. The set was recorded after Tilton parted ways with The Membranes, with Robb moving to guitar and Stan Batcow signing on to play bass. In 1986, a disagreement between The Membranes and Creation founder Alan McGee led to the band leaving Creation and signing with In Tape, founded by Marc Riley; the same year saw Batcow gone from The Membranes, and Wallas Terror coming on board. In Tape released 'Songs of Love & Fury', produced by Jon Langford of The Mekons (who had guested on 'The Gift of Life'); it was a chart success in the U.K., and became the band's first proper American release via Homestead Records. In 1988, guitarists Nick Brown and Keith Curtis joined the lineup and The Membranes recorded the album 'Kiss Ass, Godhead', with noted fan Steve Albini engineering the sessions. 1989 saw the release of the album 'To Slay the Rock Pig'; the band was vocally unhappy with the results, and in 1990, The Membranes split up, releasing the compilation 'Wrong Place at the Wrong Time' in 1993. (Another career summary, 'The Best of the Membranes', appeared in 1999.) 

In 2009, My Bloody Valentine curated that year's All Tomorrow's Parties music festival, and they invited The Membranes to reunite for the occasion. The new lineup of The Membranes featured John Robb, Nick Brown, and Keith Curtis, with Peter Byrchmore and Rob Haynes from Robb's post-Membranes band Goldblade filling out the group. After their first successful ATP appearance, they appeared at the festival again at the request of Steve Albini and Shellac, and the band played standalone shows in the U.K. and Istanbul. The Membranes released a new EP, 'There's No Place Like Home', in 2009, and in 2015, the group issued their first studio album since 1989, 'Dark Matter/Dark Energy', with a lineup comprised of Robb, Brown, Byrchmore, and Haynes. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Let's Active

Mitch Easter carved his place in music history as a hip producer in the '80s, most notably for the early R.E.M. albums 'Murmur' and 'Reckoning'; unfortunately, these achievements often overshadowed and distracted him from giving his full commitment to his own recording career with Let's Active, a band that, between 1983 and 1988, released some of the finest Southern power pop/jangle pop of the decade. 

After a short stint with The Sneakers, a band he formed with future dB's member Chris Stamey in North Carolina in the late '70s, Mitch Easter set up his legendary Drive-In Studios in 1981 and formed Let's Active with bassist Faye Hunter and drummer Sara Romweber. The trio released a six-song EP, 1983's 'Afoot', on IRS Records. In 1984, the band released the more experimental 'Cypress'. While the EP and album sold modestly, they found a strong following in the emerging alternative/"college rock" audience. Hunter and Romweber left shortly after the release, leaving Let's Active as essentially a solo project for Easter. Romweber later went on to join Snatches of Pink. 

Easter recruited drummers Eric Marshall and Rob Ladd along with multi-instrumentalist Angie Carlson (Hunter returned temporarily for bass duties) for 'Big Plans For Everybody' in 1986, another critically praised yet commercially undervalued album. The harder-edged 'Every Dog Has His Day', which replaced Hunter with a full-time bassist, John Heames, was released in 1988. Following a small-scale promotional tour of college campuses, the band hung in limbo -no subsequent albums were recorded. Easter has continued producing in subsequent years while also playing with such other bands as Velvet Crush, Vinyl Devotion, Shalini, and The Fiendish Minstrels. He released his first solo album, 'Dynamico', in 2007. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]