| Anti-Pasti | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Derbyshire, England |
| Genres | Punk rock |
| Years active | 1978–1984, 1995, 2012 |
| Labels | Dose Rondelet Anagram Captain Oi! |
Anti-Pasti was a British punk band, founded by vocalist Martin Roper and guitarist Dugi Bell in 1978, featuring Kev Nixon on drums and Will Hoon on bass guitar. Later they were joined by a second guitarist, Olly Hoon. Their first album, The Last Call, spent seven weeks in the UK Albums Chart, peaking at #31.[1] Roper left the band in 1982, and Anti-Pasti effectively ended.
From Derbyshire, England, Anti-Pasti were part of the third wave of punk of the early 1980s. The group were formed from a local outfit called The Scrincers, and comprised Dugi Bell on guitar, Martin Roper on lead vocals, Russell Maw and Eddie Barke. Barke and Maw soon quit. Maw went on to play for The Allies, Aftermath UK and The Egyptian Kings. Barke went on to become a notable cognitive neuroscientist. With the addition of Stu Winfield on bass and Stan Smith on drums, they released their debut EP, "Four Sore Points", on their own Dose record label. They played many gigs in and around Derby, most notably The Cosmo Club and soon built up a large local following.
Winfield and Smith were then replaced by Kev Nixon and Will Hoon before the group signed to Rondelet Records and re-releasing the "Four Sore Points EP" and "Let Them Free" in January 1981. Later that year, Anti-Pasti released their debut album, The Last Call, which reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart.[1] Their growing profile was confirmed when a third single, "Six Guns", appeared at the end of the year and reached number 1 in the UK Indie Chart, as did the successful joint venture with The Exploited on a 12" single EP, "Don't Let 'Em Grind You Down". The latter spent one week at #70 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1981.[1]
"East To The West", released in 1982, preceded the final Anti-Pasti album and single, both titled "Caution In The Wind", which featured Will Hoon's brother Ollie on guitar. A self-titled singles retrospective surfaced a year later, but the group split in 1984 following the firing of Roper. There was a reunion in 1995, leading to mini-tours of the UK and Germany. Rumours circulated about them reforming to play the 2009 Punk and Disorderly festival in Berlin, but this never occurred.
Martin Roper currently runs Real Ale Tours of Derby (www.realalederby.com) and has various food related business interests. Dugi Bell has a financial interest in the Golddigga fashion chain.
At the end of December 2011 there have been strong indications that the band plan to reform in 2012 with a tour in early planning stages for mid-year.