| Spear of Destiny | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Post-punk, alternative rock, indie rock |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | S.S., Burning Rome, Epic Records, Virgin Records, Eastworld, Do-Little |
| Associated acts | Theatre of Hate Dead Men Walking Crazy Pink Revolvers Boy Boy Nova Plastic Eaters Stiff Little Fingers Tom Robinson Band Howard Devoto Bush |
| Website | Kirk Brandon’s Website Spear of Destiny on Myspace Stan Stammers' Website |
| Members | |
| Craig Adams Kirk Brandon Mike Kelly Adrian Portas |
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| Past members | |
| Pete Barnacle Steve Barnacle Chris Bell Stevie Blanchard Chris Bostock Mark Celvallos Mickey Donnelly Robin Goodridge Volker Janssen Lascelles James John Boy Lennard John McNutt Marco Pirroni Neil Pyzer Art Smith Alan St. Clair Stan Stammers Dolphin Taylor Mark Thwaite Mick Proctor Graham Wilkinson |
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Spear of Destiny is a British rock band, established in 1982 by singer and songwriter Kirk Brandon and bassist Stan Stammers. It has had an ever-changing line-up through the years.
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Brandon had previously been in The Pack, and from 1980 to 1982 in the post-punk Theatre of Hate with its album Westworld and single "Do You Believe In The Westworld?", which was a UK Top 40 hit in 1982, whilst the album made the Top 20.
As had happened with Joy Division and New Order, the band were criticised for using the name Spear of Destiny, with its potential Nazi overtones. Any such links were fiercely denied, particularly since the band were politically left-leaning.
Spear of Destiny recorded one session for John Peel (recorded 22 November 1982, transmitted on BBC Radio 1 on 29 November 1982). Between 1980 and 1982, Theatre of Hate recorded three.[1]
"The band played a punk-influenced form of power rock, which often had an anthemic feel."[2]
The critical consensus is that Spear of Destiny's second album, One Eyed Jacks (1984), is their best album. (It reached number 22 in the UK Albums Chart[3] However, arguably, Spear of Destiny’s reputation in the mid-1980s depended to a greater extent on their live performances.
In 1985, their album, World Service reached the UK Top 20. Founder member Stan Stammers left in 1986. In the wake of the release of the fourth album, Outland (1987) and its Top 15 hit "Never Take Me Alive", the band began achieving some chart success and staging sell-out concerts, including a support slot to U2 at Wembley Stadium. However, ill fortune struck on the eve of the band’s appearance at the Reading Festival, as Brandon contracted Reiter disease which obliged the band to put all their plans on hold for nearly a year.[4] After recovery, Brandon and Spear of Destiny never regained their momentum. Indeed, the band have failed to chart with any of the albums they have released after the 1980s.[3]
To date, Spear of Destiny have had 10 UK Singles Chart entries. Four reached the Top 50 but only one made the Top 20 - "Never Take Me Alive" (1987).[5]
Aside from Brandon and Stammers, past members of the band in the 1980s included former Gillan drummer Pete Barnacle, former JoBoxers bassist Chris Bostock, former Adam and the Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni, and former Tom Robinson Band and Stiff Little Fingers drummer Dolphin Taylor.[6]
Brandon once played in an early incarnation of Culture Club. In the mid 1990s, Brandon embarked on unsuccessful legal action against Boy George over allegations of a homosexual relationship, revealed in George's autobiography. The judgement went against Brandon and he was ordered to pay a significant part of the legal costs.[7] Brandon is married.
Brandon is also a member of the supergroup, Dead Men Walking.
| Title | Release date | Album | UK Singles Chart[3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Flying Scotsman"/"The Man Who Tunes The Drums" | February 1983 | Grapes of Wrath | 83 |
| "The Wheel"/"The Hop" | May 1983 | Grapes of Wrath | 59 |
| "Prisoner Of Love"/"Rosie" | January 1984 | One Eyed Jacks | 59 |
| "Liberator"/"Forbidden Planet" | April 1984 | One Eyed Jacks | 67 |
| "All My Love"/"Last Card" | May 1985 | World Service | 61 |
| "Come Back"/"Cole Younger" | July 1985 | World Service | 55 |
| "Mickey"/"Up All Night" (Original version) | July 1985 | World Service | - |
| "Strangers In Our Town"/"Somewhere Out There" | January 1987 | Outland | 49 |
| "Never Take Me Alive"/"Land Of Shame" | March 1987 | Outland | 14 |
| "Was That You?"/"Was That You?" (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon) | July 1987 | Outland | 55 |
| "The Traveller"/"Late Night Psycho" | September 1987 | Outland | 44 |
| "So In Love With You"/"March Or Die" | September 1988 | The Price You Pay | 36 |
| "Radio Radio"/"Life Goes On" | November 1988 | The Price You Pay | 78 |
| "Black Country Girl"/"Babylon Talking" | September 1992 | Sod's Law | - |
| "Uphill Backwards"/"Never Take Me Alive" (1999 version) | 1999 | Volunteers | - |