Stalag 17 (band)

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Stalag 17 were an anarcho-punk band from Belfast, Northern Ireland that existed from 1979 to 1987.

[edit] History

Formed in Belfast by the members of two other punk bands, Stillborn and Maimed, the band began by covering contemporary punk bands such as The Mekons. After several gigs in and around Belfast the band recorded their first demo and began playing in the Belfast Anarchy Centre, supporting the larger anarcho-punk bands of The Poison Girls and Crass. In the early 80's line-up changes and hostility from National Front activists plagued the band.

It wasn't until 1983 that established punk venues began to be formed around Belfast, notably the Manhattan near Belfast city centre as well as Giros. This allowed a punk scence to become developed within the city with Stalag 17 playing alongside bands such as Toxic Waste. The band then began to establish associations with stalwarts of the anarcho-punk scene that began to tour Belfast such as Conflict, The Subhumans and Disorder. Conflict offered Stalag 17 a place on the Mortarhate compilation We Don't Want Your Fucking War, and the interest created by that compilation led to a split 12" with Toxic Waste, The Truth Will Be Heard.

In 1984/85 the band left for an ill-fated seven-date tour of mainland Britain, beginning in Edinburgh where they supported the later to be famous Primal Scream and Shop Assistants. During this tour many of the gigs were badly organized and over half were cancelled and the band had to spend all their money to repair their tour van after the camshaft fell off, and eventually resorted to siphoning their way back home. During the rest of 1985 the band recorded a track for the Words of warning Label alongside Oi Polloi and then in 1986 spent a more successful three-week tour in Europe.

The band recorded two more demos (And all the birdies Sang Fuck this for a lark and Erection 87) as well as another split album with Toxic Waste. In 1987 the band played several gigs in Scotland, however general dissatisfaction within the band meant the gigs would be their last. The demo 17 from 17 was released after the bands demise. Petesy, the bands bassist, vocalist and sometime drummer was later to play in FUAL and join Northern Irish 'Supergroup' Shame Academy.

[edit] Discography

"Society's Fairytale" on We Don't Want Your Fucking War! (Compilation LP, Mortarhate, 1984)
The Truth Will Be Heard (Split with Toxic Waste) (12" EP, Mortarhate, 1985)
We Will Be Free (split with Toxic Waste and Asylum) (LP, Mortarhate, 1986)
"Harmless Fun" on You Are Not Alone (Compilation 7", Words of Warning, 1986)
And All the Birdies Said Fuck This For a Lark (Cassette, Self-Released, 1986)
Erection 87 (Cassette, Self-Released, 1987)
17 from 17 (EP & Cassette, Self-Released, 1989)