| The Janitors | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Leicester/Sunderland/Newcastle, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1984–1989 |
| Labels | In-Tape, Abstract |
| Past members | |
| Andrew Denton Craig Hope Simon Warnes Tim Stirland Pete Crow Jeff Murray Phil Storey |
|
The Janitors were an alternative rock band from Sunderland & Newcastle, formed in 1984.[1]
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They were led by singer Andrew Denton, who was backed by Craig Hope (guitar, keyboards), Simon Warnes (bass guitar), and Tim Stirland (drums).[1][2] Described as "a mixture of Membranes meeting Captain Beefheart, they signed to Marc Riley's In-Tape label, releasing their debut single, "Chicken Stew" in July 1985.[1] It went on to reach the top 10 of the UK Independent Chart.[2] Second single "Good to be King" was also an indie hit, reaching number 14, and debut album Thunderhead, produced by Jon Langford of The Mekons, peaked at number 6 on the indie albums chart.[2] The band recorded three sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show, one each year between 1985 and 1987.[3] Warnes left, to be replaced by Pete Crow, who was subsequently replaced by Jeff Murray, and the band moved to the Abstract label. In 1988 Phil Storey joined on rhythm guitar. After two further singles, their second album, Deafhead, was released in June 1988.[1] The band split up after releasing one more single.