Stiv Bator and ex-Sham 69 bassist Dave Tregunna united with ex-Damned/Tanz der Youth guitarist Brian James and ex-Barracudas drummer Nick Turner to form the Lords of the New Church This is a live tape from City Gardens on I believe their first US tour on Spetember 18, 1982. (Thanks Rich for the tape from George’s collection.)
The Vels began when Charles Hanson, former member of the 1970s New Orleans punk group, The Normals, invited Chris Larkin and Alice Desoto to join him for a show at the now defunct Love Club in Philadelphia. The band used lo-tech synthesizers, drum machine, and bass guitar. The Philadelphia Inquirer music critic, Lee Paris was there, and wrote a positive review. The Vels were a prominent fixture on the Philadelphia music scene of the early 1980s. They caught the attention of Mercury Records and were signed to a recording contract.
The Vels’ first album, Velocity was recorded in Nassau, Bahamas at the Compass Point Recording Studio, and was produced by Steven Stanley, who also produced the Tom Tom Club. Their second album, House of Miracles was produced by Steve Levine, who had produced Culture Club.
A little bit of Philly music trivia happened on this night. Virtually unannounced, The Pretenders opened for The Vels at this show, this was the night before Live Aid in Philadelphia where The Pretenders appeared that next day.
Members: Alice DeSoto, Chris Larkin, Charles Hanson
A music video for their song “Look My Way” was filmed in London, and became popular during the early days of MTV.
In 1986, The Vels toured the U.S. as the opening act for The Psychedelic Furs, but disbanded in 1987. Keyboardist and singer, Chris Larkin, died from complications due to pneumonia, on November 21, 2007. -Bill Doherty
Lee Paris Radio shows from September 1981with Frank Blank before the first Punk Fest. (Thanks for the files Frank) Than a show split into 9 parts with an interview with the Sic Kidz while they were on tour in California. The entire recording was labeled Lee Paris bit he seems to sign off kind of early on but I just kept t he rest of the music which was probably music XPN used to fill up dead air. Thanks to Flipo from the Excuses for the audio.
Lee Paris: Yesterday’s Now Music Today; Punk Rock Top 10: Nov 1978 WXPN Radio Broadcast
Lee Paris: Yesterday’s Now Music Today | Jan 19, 1979 Punk and New Wave Music Live Radio Broadcast
Th original London new wave band Ultravox with John Foxx as frontman and the main driving force behind the band before Midge Ure took over.
John Foxx: “March 1979 – Island had dropped us, and I was planning to leave because I thought synthesizers were going to change music in the same way that the electric guitar did. Then we were offered a tour of America by Miles Copeland and his brother [Ian] – there was a big audience for British new wave acts at that time. We flew over on the cheap with Laker Airlines and, as there were no luggage restrictions, took all of our instruments and our backline amps. When we got off the plane Miles’s brother was waiting for us with a van and we did six weeks with one day off. People like the artist Jean Michel Basquiat and John Frusciante from the Chili Peppers came to see us. The tour ended in Hollywood at the Whisky A Go-Go. After the last show I just told them all that I had had enough and was leaving, that they could have the name and the band identity. Things were already tense – at the end of long tours everyone is full of adrenalin but very tired – and a minor argument broke out although I can’t remember what it was about. Billy and Chris walked out of the dressing room and Warren stayed hut was really angry, although he didn’t shout, as we weren’t that sort of people. We left the venue in separate cars and I flew back to England on my own the next day. It was a great wrench to leave, but the grey suits were waiting. I wanted to work alone with a tape recorder, drum machine, a synthesizer and get rid of anything that was rock’n’roll. As for their later success with Midge Ure, I have nothing to say about them, as that band has nothing to do with me.” Source: Mojo, the Music Magazine – September 2006
Stranger to Stranger video from the Lee Paris/PCHA benefit show – Houston Hall, U of Penn 05/03/86
Mid-80s Philly band leaning more torwards 4AD bands and early Cure.
Check out there first album here
The Go Go’s from Emerald City in Cherry Hill. This show was on August 31st of 1981 less than 2 months after Beauty and the Beat was released and they got big in the mainstream.
To the best of my knowledge all of the music links are for recordings that are out of print but if you enjoy what you hear, buy other records and support the artist(s) and/or labels: if you don't approve of having your material displayed and would like to have it down...
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