The Lurkers

The Lurkers

Arturo Bassick 2013
Background information
Origin Uxbridge, London, England
Genres
Years active
  • 1976–1979
  • 1982–1984
  • 1987–1997
  • 1999–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website www.thelurkers.co.uk
Members Arturo Bassick
Dave Kemp
Stuart Meadows
Past members Pete "Manic Esso" Haynes
Nigel Moore
Pete Stride
Howard Wall
Marc Fincham
Nigel Moore
Billy Gilbert
Damo Waters
Dan Tozer
Nelly
Tom Spencer
Craig Casson
Steve Straughan
Pete "Plug" Edwards

The Lurkers are an English punk rock band from Uxbridge, West London.[1] They are notable for being the first group ever on Beggars Banquet Records.

Career

The Lurkers formed late in 1976, the original line-up consisting in Pete Stride on Guitar, Pete "Manic Esso" Haynes on drums, Pete "Plug" Edwards on vocals and Nigel Moore on Bass. Edwards was replaced by Howard Wall after a few rehearsals, with him becoming the band's road manager. Stride was the band’s main songwriter. The band played their first gig at Uxbridge Technical College in December supporting Screaming Lord Sutch to an audience of 10. The band were one of the pioneering punk bands that played live in the first few months of the now-legendary Roxy Club in London. Nigel was swiftly replaced by Arturo Bassick. They supported The Jam in February 1977, Eater in March, and Slaughter & The Dogs in April.[2]

The Lurkers recorded four sessions at Maida Vale 4 studio for John Peel at BBC Radio 1, on 18/10/1977, 18/04/1978, 25/07/1978, and 24/01/1979. Their debut single "Shadow", the first release on Beggars Banquet Records, was voted by John Peel's listeners as twelfth best track of the year in 1977's Festive Fifty. with "Love Story", the B-side, at number 31.[3] Bassick left the band after this first single, and was replaced by former Saints member Kym Bradshaw, who left before the recording of the third single, 1978's "Ain't Got a Clue"/"Ooh, Ooh I Love You" which saw the return of Nigel Moore to the band. That single was their biggest hit, reaching No. 45 on the UK singles chart.

The following month, the band’s debut album, Fulham Fallout, reached No. 57 on the UK albums chart. One reviewer described it as "by far their best with production that really makes the guitar kick. It's sloppy and amateurish, but that's what makes it so great."[4] "Be My Prisoner", a song from the album, also appeared on Streets, a 1977 compilation album of early UK punk bands from a variety of independent record labels.[5]

In January 1979, The Lurkers’ fifth single, "Just Thirteen", was released, and in 2001 it was included in Mojo magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time.[6] A month after the release of this single, The Lurkers' track "I'm on Heat" appeared, alongside songs by more famous bands like The Jam and The Stranglers, on the punk compilation 20 of Another Kind (Polydor, POLS 1006). The album reached number 45 in the UK charts. Another of the band's tracks, "Out in the Dark", appeared on the follow-up 20 of Another Kind Volume 2.

The band’s second album was not as well received, critically or commercially, as their debut, and the band split for a few years. Pete Stride collaborated with ‘Honest’ John Plain (of English punk band the Boys) and released an album in January 1980.[7] In 1982, Stride re-formed the Lurkers.[8] They signed for Stoke-on-Trent-based label Clay Records, for whom they released four singles and one album. The band broke up again in 1984.[9]

In the years since, they have reunited with various members numerous times, and continue to record and perform around the world to this day, although its really just Arturo and some of his mates.[10] Their legacy, however, is primarily based on their late 1970s output. "Shadow", "Ain't Got a Clue", and "Just Thirteen" in particular are cited by punk cognoscenti as classic examples of the style, and still show up from time to time on genre overview compilations. The current line-up is: Bassick (bass and vocals) who also plays for 999, Steve Straughan (guitar), and Nelly (drums), ex Hangups and Fiend.[11] In January 2009 the band supported punk legends the Buzzcocks on fourteen dates of their UK tour.[12] Esso, Stride and Moore are jamming again under the name of God's Lonely Men and released a CD in 2012 entitled 'Chemical Landslide' which contained tracks considered a lot heavier than anything they had previously recorded under the Lurkers name.

Reviews

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Live albums

Appearances on various artist compilations (Selective)

Listing of those various artist compilation albums mentioned in the text of the main article:

Singles

See also

References

  1. ↑ Larkin, Colin: "The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music", 1992, Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0-85112-579-4
  2. ↑ Thompson, D. (2000) Punk, Collector’s Guide Publication, Ontario, Canada, p. 61-62
  3. ↑ "Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - Sessions". BBC. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  4. ↑ "Hiljaiset Levyt: PUNKNET 77 - 100 Best Punk LP's". Hiljaiset.sci.fi. 1996-03-04. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  5. ↑ Johnny Forgotten (January 2004). "Punk Rock Compilation classics". trakMARX (issue13). Retrieved 2014-09-20.
  6. ↑ Mojo (October 2001) - 100 Punk Scorchers , Issue 95, London
  7. ↑ Joynson, V. (2001) Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk, Borderline Productions, Wolverhampton, ISBN 978-1-899855-13-1, p.216;
  8. 1 2 Strong, M.C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, Edinburgh, p. 94;
  9. ↑ Thompson, D. (2000) Punk, Collector’s Guide Publication, Ontario, Canada, p. 83;
  10. ↑ "Official Website of early UK Punk band". The Lurkers. 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  11. ↑ "Band History". Thelurkers.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  12. ↑ The Lurkers. "Latest News". Thelurkers.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  13. ↑ Joynson, V. (2001) Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk, Borderline Productions, Wolverhampton, p. 215;
  14. ↑ Thompson, D. (2000) Punk, Collector’s Guide Publication, Ontario, Canada, p. 82;
  15. ↑ "Lurkers". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  16. ↑ Buckley, J. & Ellingham (ed.) (1996) Rock: The Rough Guide, Rough Guides, London, p. 528;
  17. ↑ Dave Thompson’s review of "Fulham Fallout", Allmusic;
  18. ↑ Johnny Forgotten (January 2004). "Punk Rock & Roll". trakMARX (issue13). Retrieved 2014-09-20.
  19. ↑ "Hiljaiset Levyt: PUNKNET 77 - 100 Best Punk singles / EP's". Hiljaiset.sci.fi. 1996-03-04. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  20. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links

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