Public Disturbance (UKHC band)

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Public Disturbance
Origin Flag of Wales Cardiff, Wales
Genre(s) Hardcore Punk
Heavy Metal
Years active 1995–2000
Label(s) Household Name Records
Days Of Fury Records
Associated acts Lostprophets
Fleshbind
Knuckledust
Twist the Knife
Website Official MySpace
Former members
Stuart Butcher
Sean McKee
Justin "Speedo" Taylor
Ian Watkins
Mike Lewis
Paul Bailey
Neil Smith

Public Disturbance (often abbreviated to PD) were a hardcore band from South Wales, formed in 1995. They went on to release two demo's and two full-length albums, as well as contributing to several UKHC compilations before disbanding in late 2000 following the loss of two founding members to fellow South Wales band lostprophets.

Contents

[edit] Band members

Original Line-Up

Other Members

[edit] History

[edit] 1995 - 1997: Formation, demos and first album

The band was formed in 1995 when college friends Butcher and McKee, united by their fondness for hardcore music and bands such as Sick of it All, Agnostic Front and Warzone, decided they wanted to start a band. They recruited friends from the area, Speedo, Lewis and Watkins, who was at that time playing drums in another local band, Fleshbind. It was with this line-up that they went on to record their first 6-track demo Lash Out in March 1996.

Following frequent gigging in the local area with contemporaries Disco Assassins, Four Letter Word and Watkins previous band, Fleshbind and they were ready to record their second demo, Who's First in February 1997, comprising of six new songs. The release of this demo saw the band starting to venture further afield, playing gigs in London and Portsmouth in support of bigger name bands Knuckledust, Medulla Nocte, Stampin' Ground, Above All and Ninebar.

Whilst the gigs extended their fanbase, it also got them noticed by Household Name Records who invited the band to contribute tracks to an EP and a UKHC compilation they were putting out. This saw the band feature on the 4-Way Tie UP EP (along with three other up and coming UKHC bands, Lockdown, FLS and Freebase), with Face to Face and Blame Yourself from their Who's First demo. They also contributed Agony and Fake as Fuck, also from their second demo, to HHN's 1997 UKHC Compilation.

Following these releases and yet more gigging, the band entered the studio to record their first full length album, Victim of Circumstance, for the now defunct, Liverpool based Days of Glory Records. This recording saw the emergence of a Clevo sound in their previously NYHC-influenced style. It is this sound for which the band became better known; influenced by the more aggressive and rage driven lyrics of bands such as Integrity and Face Value.

[edit] 1998 - 2000: Later days

Public Disturbance after the line-up change.
Public Disturbance after the line-up change.

Following the release of Victim of Circumstance, drummer Ian Watkins left band to concentrate on Lostprophets, with whom he is still currently performing as the lead singer and main songwriter. He was replaced by another drummer from the South Wales scene, Paul Bailey whose more aggressive style suited the bands continuing Cleveland-hardcore influenced sound.

Following more gigging with hardcore mainstays Agnostic Front, 25 ta Life and countless London-based hardcore bands, they recorded their second full-length CD Possessed to Hate, containing what is considered to be their strongest material, by the band and fans alike. The album was also their angriest yet, seemingly acting as a release for all their pent up feelings of confrontation and negativity towards some members of the hardcore scene - in their review of the album, UK magazine Terrorizer noted that the album contained a lot of "revenege obsessed lyrics". This album also saw them celebrate their Clevo-sound by covering Integrity's No One.

Following the release of their second album, the band were invited to record a song for an upcoming UKHC tribute to the Cro-Mags, entitled Ushering in a New Age Of Quarrel. The compilation was released in late-1999 by Blackfish Records and featured PD's ferocious cover of We Gotta Know.

Not long after this, Lewis left the band to concentrate on Lostprophets. Although he was replaced by Neil Smith (former guitarist of Disco Assassins), Public Disturbance eventually disbanded in late 2000.

[edit] Life after PD and reunion shows

Public Disturbance in 2007.
Public Disturbance in 2007.

Watkins and Lewis went on to find much greater success with the now internationally-recognised Lostprophets. However, despite the fact they have achieved a great deal of mainstream exposure, including dropping a lot of their hardcore-rooted sound, the band have stayed true to their small town origins and are still signed to independent label Visible Noise in the UK.

McKee was later instrumental in the foundation of Twist the Knife, a band put together by three schoolfriends, and helped them recruit Speedo as their lead guitarist. Although McKee later left the band to work as an MC, the band have continued gigging around South Wales and London, as well as supporting bands such as Most Precious Blood, Knuckledust, Ringworm and Rise and Fall. The band have become a big part of the South Wales hardcore and UKHC scenes and in 2007 they recorded their first full length CD, Down For The Count.

It was through Twist the Knife that two Public Disturbance reunion shows came about - with Butcher joining the band on stage at a gig at Henry Africa's Hot House in Cardiff for a cover of Break Your Face in late 2006. The success of this performance led to a surprise reunion at a Twist The Knife gig in January 2007 at the Barfly venue, also in Cardiff. Here Lewis and Butcher joined Twist the Knife on stage to cover several PD songs with McKee and Watkins also in attendance at the venue.


[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio Albums

[edit] EPs

  • 4-Way Tie Up (1997)

[edit] Compilations

  • UKHC Compilation (contributing Agony and Fake as Fuck) (1997)
  • Ushering In A New Age Of Quarrel - A UKHC Tribute to the Cro-Mags (contributing We Gotta Know) (1999)

[edit] External links

[edit] Band Websites

v • d • e
Public Disturbance
Stuart Butcher | Sean McKee | Justin "Speedo" Taylor | Ian Watkins | Mike Lewis | Paul Bailey | Neil Smith
Albums
Demos and Extended Plays
Lash Out | Who's First | 4 – Way Tie Up EP
Compilations
UKHC Compilation | Ushering in a New Age of Quarrel – A UKHC Tribute to the Cro – Mags