!Action Pact!
| !Action Pact! | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Bad Samaritans |
| Origin | Stanwell, London, England |
| Genres | Punk rock |
| Years active | 1981–1986 |
| Labels | Subversive, Fall Out, Captain Oi! |
| Past members |
George Cheex Wild Planet (Des Stanley) Dr. Phibes (KIm Igoe) Joe Fungus Grimly Fiendish Elvin Pelvin (Phil Langham) Thistles |
!Action Pact! were a punk rock band, formed in 1981 as the Bad Samaritans by guitarist Wild Planet, bassist Dr. Phibes, and drummer Joe Fungus.[1]
History
!Action Pact! were from Stanwell in Middlesex. The John from Dead Mans Shadow (D.M.S.) was the band's original lead singer. He left the band to concentrate on D.M.S. He was replaced by George Cheex, who got the job because of "her courage to scream along with the band's songs." Both George and Joe were 15 years old and still attending school when the Heathrow Touchdown EP was released in October, 1981. Two of the band's contributions to the EP, "London Bouncers" and "All Purpose Action Footwear", got the attention of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel. He played the single many times and wanted the band to record their first session, which they did on 22 February 1982.[2] They recorded "People", "Suicide Bag", "Mindless Aggression", "Losers", and "Cowslick Blues". The resulting demo tape caught the attention of the fledgling label Fall Out Records, which signed the band as the first act on its roster. !Action Pact!'s label debut, the Suicide Bag EP, was released in July 1982 and rocketed to the top of the British punk chart.
Original bass player Kim Igoe (also known as Dr Phibes) was the bands lyricist; he left after the first album. The band would later be joined by drummer Grimly Fiendish and bassist Thistles, and producer Phil Langham would also moonlight on bass under the name Elvin Pelvin. The band split in 1986.
In early 2016, Wild Planet (Des Stanley) passsed away from cancer.[3][4]
Other projects
Wild Planet managed the heavy rock band, Purge, in which his son, Mark Stanley, plays bass guitar; Purge has sometimes played a live cover version of !Action Pact!'s "London Bouncers". Joe Fungus also played with the punk band called Savage Upsurge. moving on to join The Final Hour also a Stanwell-based band, with whom he recorded some demos before leaving to play in a series of covers bands.
Discography
Chart positions shown are from the UK Indie Chart.[5]
Albums
- Mercury Theatre - On the Air! (UK Fall Out, 1983) No. 5
- Survival of the Fattest (UK Fall Out, 1984)
Compilations
- The Punk Singles Collection (Captain Oi!, 1995)
Compilation appearances
- Punk And Disorderly - Further Charges (Vol 2) (Anagram, 1983)
- A Triple Dose of Punk (Cleopatra, 1999)
- Blitzkrieg Over You!: A Tribute to the Ramones (Nasty Vinyl, 1998)
Singles/EPs
- Heathrow Touchdown EP
- Suicide Bag EP No. 6
- "People" No. 13 (Times Must Change & Sixties Flix heard on John Peel Session)) - FALL 10
- London Bouncers EP No. 23
- "Question of Choice" No. 36
- Yet Another Dole Queue Song EP No. 7
- "Cocktail Credibility" No. 33
References
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/!action-pact!-mn0000925979
- ↑ BBC - Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - Action Pact
- ↑ http://louderthanwar.com/rip-action-pacts-des-stanley-aka-wild-planet/
- ↑ http://www.punk77.co.uk/talkpunk/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=46100
- ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1999. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.