Crazyhead
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| Crazyhead | |
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.jpg) Crazyhead (c.1986)
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| Background information | |
| Origin |  Leicester, England |
| Genre(s) | Garage rock, Punk, Grebo |
| Years active | 1986–2000, 2007–present |
| Label(s) | Food, Parlophone, Revolver, Snatch |
| Former members | |
| Ian R. Anderson Kevin Bayliss Alex Peach Richard Bell Robert Morris Christine Wigmore Peter Creed |
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Crazyhead are an English punk rock/garage rock band from Leicester.[1] Though lumped in with the largely media-created Grebo scene, they were more influenced by the Garage Rock of the late 60's, as well as bands like The Ramones, The Stooges and Captain Beefheart. They described themselves as an "urban bastard blues band", and their songs ranged in theme from trenchant social commentary to the surreal, but always with an underlying vein of black humour.
Contents |
[edit] Personnel
- Kev Reverb (Kevin Bayliss) – Guitar, Keyboards, Sitar
- Anderson (Ian R. Anderson) – Vocals
- Vom (Robert Morris) – Drums
- Fast Dick (Richard Bell) – Guitar (1985-1997)
- Peter Creed – Guitar (1997-2000)
- Porkbeast (Dr. Alex Peach) – Bass (1985-1990)
- Christina X (Christine Wigmore) – Bass (1990-Present)
They were occasionally joined by:
who were credited as "The Phantom Horns" or "The Space Bastards".
- PP Arnold and Katie Kissoon sang backing vocals on the single "Rags".
[edit] History
Formed in 1986, they signed to independent label Food later that year and their début single "What Gives You The Idea That You're So Amazing, Baby?" reached number 2 in the UK Indie Chart in March 1983.[2] For the rest of the year they toured extensively, supporting The Cult, then Julian Cope, and also played the Glastonbury Festival. Their second single "Baby Turpentine" reached number 4 in the Indie Chart.
In mid-1988 their third single "Time Has Taken Its Toll On You" reached #65 in the Top 100, their label now owned by EMI. The band embarked on another UK tour to promote their début album Desert Orchid, released in October 1988, along with another single, "Rags", and then toured Europe supporting Iggy Pop. They then released the Have Love Will Travel EP (which reached #68) before embarking on yet another UK tour.
In 1989 they made two brief tours of the United States, and appeared at the Reading Festival. At the behest of the British Council, they played an international music festival in Moscow, USSR, and in early 1990, along with Skin Games and Jesus Jones were one the first western bands to tour post-Ceauşescu Romania. Later that year they played at the Namibian Independence Day concert to an audience of 50,000.[3]
The band were dropped by Food Records in 1989, and their second album Some Kind Of Fever was released through Revolver Records. In 1992 they gigged across Europe, and in 1993 embarked on a tour of the UK in order to promote an album of cover versions Live In Memphis, even though the deal to release it fell through.
Over the next few years Crazyhead made sporadic live appearances. In 1997 they released Fucked By Rock - a collection of previously unreleased material, demo versions, and live tracks, and an EP of new material 13th Floor. They again toured the UK, supporting The Mission on a number of UK dates. They started recording material for a new album, but the departure of Anderson to work abroad meant the end of the band. They played their farewell gig in Leicester on 21st December 2000.
The band reformed in 2007 and plan to start playing live again in 2008.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Label | Cat. No. | UK Top 100[3] | UK Indie Chart[2] |
| 1987 | What Gives You The Idea That You're So Amazing, Baby? | Food | FOOD 8 | 2 | |
| 1987 | Baby Turpentine | Food | FOOD 10 | 4 | |
| 1988 | Time Has Taken Its Toll On You | Food | FOOD 12 | 65 | |
| 1988 | Rags | Food | FOOD 14 | ||
| 1990 | Everything’s Alright | Revolver Records | REV 64 |
[edit] EP's
| Year | Title | Label | Cat. No. | UK Top 100 | Notes |
| 1989 | Have Love Will Travel | Food | Food 16 | 68 | |
| 1989 | The Food Christmas EP | Food | Food 23 | Shared release with Jesus Jones and Diesel Park West | |
| 1998 | Chemical Lunch | Self-released CD-R of cover versions | |||
| 1999 | 13th Floor | Snatch Records | ATOG1 |
[edit] Albums
| Year | Title | Label | Cat. No. | Other information |
| 1988 | Desert Orchid | Food | LP1 | |
| 1990 | Some Kind Of Fever | Revolver Records | REV 162 | |
| 1995 | Live In Memphis | Unreleased Covers album | ||
| 1995 | Grind | Bliss Out | BOE-003 | |
| 1999 | Fucked By Rock | Snatch Records | Gash 3 | Compilation of demos, unreleased tracks and new material |
[edit] Afterwards
- Kev Reverb worked as a record producer and engineer at his "Memphis Studio" (in Leicester, named in tribute to Elvis) and has worked with such diverse artists as Cornershop, Kevin Hewick, Zodiac Mindwarp, Diesel Park West, MJ Hibbett, Volcano The Bear, Bill Drummond and Satan's Little Heartbreakers, until the studio recently closed down.
- Vom has played drums with Zodiac Mindwarp on and off since 1993, while Reverb played bass and produced Zodiac's 2001 album I Am Rock. Vom currently plays with Diesel Park West. Contrary to what various websites say Vom was not the drummer with Dr & The Medics.
- Christine now works in Community Arts. With Debs Bracher from the infamous babble sound system,she formed "Timeless Banditz" who released an album of house music Hose Down on Communicato Records in 2004.
- Porkbeast gained a PhD in Social History and is currently teaching English at The Pingle School 6th Form. He also sings and plays lead guitar for Leicester garage rock band "Stressbitch" with underground popster "Moses Presley", ancient enigma "Spaceman" on Bass man and "Uncle Flash" a cross between John Bonham and an explosion in a percussion factory on acid... Stressbitch have excelled lately...their 2007 performance at Hawkfest was reported as one of the 'greatest gigs of all time' on more than one BBC radio show!
- Anderson gained a degree in Fine Art, worked as a teacher of English in Europe, and is currently living in Thailand.
[edit] References
- ^ Larkin, Colin (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-579-4.
- ^ a b Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1999. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.
- ^ a b Strong, Martin C. (1999). The Great Alternative & Indie Discography. Canongate. ISBN 0-86241-913-1.
