Serious Drinking

Serious Drinking
Origin Norwich, England
Genres punk rock
Years active 1981 - mid-1980s, and intermittently since
Labels Upright, Musical Tragedies, Worker's Playtime, Damaged Goods
Associated acts The Higsons, The Farmer's Boys
Members
Martin Ling
Eugene McCarthy
Andy Hearnshaw
Jem Moore
Lance Dunlop

Serious Drinking were a humorous punk rock band from Norwich, England whose lyrical themes often covered football and drinking.[1]

Contents

History

The band formed in February 1981, taking their name from a Sounds headline to an interview with The Cockney Rejects, with most members having met at the University of East Anglia.[2] Band members were Martin Ling (vocals, formerly of The Higsons), Eugene McCarthy (vocals), Andy Hearnshaw (guitar, formerly of The Farmer's Boys), Jem Moore (bass), and Lance Dunlop (drums).[2][3] Debut EP, Love On The Terraces (produced by Madness's Mark Bedford[2]) reached number 9 on the UK Indie Chart in 1982, follow-up "Hangover" reaching number 4 the following year.[3] Debut album The Revolution Starts at Closing Time also reached number 4, and was followed up in 1984 by a second album, They May Be Drinkers Robin, But They're Still Human Beings. After another single, "Country Girl Became Drugs and Sex Punk", Moore and Dunlop left the band. The new line-up continued with sporadic gigs.

The band were firm favourites of John Peel and recorded four sessions for his BBC Radio One show.[4] "Love On The Terraces" also reached number 38 in the 1982 Festive Fifty.[4]

A compilation of their finest moments, Stranger Than Tannadice - The Hits, Misses and Own Goals was released in 1990 on the Worker's Playtime label, to coincide with the 1990 World Cup,[2] with a couple of singles also emerging in the 1990s.

Discography

Chart placings shown are from the UK Indie Chart.[3]

Singles/EPs

Albums

References

  1. ^ Strong, Martin C. (1999). The Great Alternative & Indie Discography. Canongate. ISBN 0-86241-913-1. 
  2. ^ a b c d Larkin, Colin (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-579-4. 
  3. ^ a b c Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1999. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4. 
  4. ^ a b "Keeping It Peel - Serious Drinking". Keeping It Peel. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/s/seriousdrinking/. Retrieved 8 March 2008.