ADS (band)
Encyclopedia
ADS was a Danish gothic punk band with among others Stig Pedersen (later in D-A-D
) and Lars Top-Galia (later in Sort Sol).
Genre-wise ADS was a mix of punk rock
and post-punk
not infrequently with a dystopian / doomsday-like expression. Inspiration from Sex Pistols
and other early punk bands, early Siouxsie And The Banshees and The Birthday Party
can be found in the music, but ADS had their own recognizable style and sound.
The band's sound is more grandiose than traditional punk rock, and more in line with post-punk.
Despite that frontman Funder is more yelling than singing the expression is neither desperation-filled or outright angry, but instead powerful and efficient, which matches the instrument's also powerful and expressive style.
The band debuted on the 14th of September 1980, when they played together with Martin Hall's Ballet Mécanique at a venue in Copenhagen.
ADS supported U.K. Subs at Saltlageret, 27 November 1981, Dead Kennedys
at Saltlageret 19 December 1982 and Nick Cave
at Ungdomshuset
(the Youth House) 23 May 1984. In addition ADS played at the LP-documented Nosferatu Festival on the 7th of March 1982 at Saltlageret - a festival which was initiated by guitarist Lars Top-Galia.
The band played at various occupied houses in Denmark and toured in Germany
.
ADS played together with other bands on the Danish punk scene such as Disneyland After Dark
, Ballet Mécanique, UCR, Before, City-X, Electric Deads, NRG, Razorblades, Enola Gay and The Zero Point among others
), Michael "Funder" Thorlasius (vocals), Karsten Hjarsø (guitar, also in the post-punk band UCR), Søren "Slys" Johnsen (guitar, also in UCR) and Peter Top-Jensen (drums).
In 1981/82 Søren "Slys" Søndergaard Johnsen and Karsten Hjarsø who both mainly played in the punk / goth band UCR were replaced by Lars Top-Jensen (later Top-Galia, guitar, later in Sort Sol). In 1982 Stig Pedersen, who went off to form the cowpunk band "Disneyland After Dark
" was replaced by Martin Krogh (bass, also in "Martin And The Martians" and Martin Hall's "Front and Fantasy").
In approx. 1983 Mads Nordheim (also in the Post-punk band "Before") joined the band on keyboards, and later Martin Krogh was replaced by Tolle Tolstoy (Lars Bo "Tolle" Tolstoy Jacobsen, bass, also in "Before").
The bandmembers in ADS were 100% punks who were gripped by the punk dynamics and language, and wanted to be a part of the story. Guitarist Lars Top-Galia played at age 16 in 1980 with Franz De Zaster from the early Danish punk band "Brats
" at the "Concerto de Nobrainos insanos" punk-festival and at age 18 in 1982 arranged the LP-documented punk/post-punk festival "Nosferatu Festival".
ADS in their familiar style-conscious version (from around 1982) appeared at a time when the first Danish punk scene was well on its way to die. Already in 1981 several of the old punk bands either disappeared or had moved away from the original punk-rock genre, and in 1983 the first Danish punk scene was in reality dead. So it was important that ADS found a newer and different musical expression that pointed forward and marked their own territory.
Although the band members had grown up with Sex Pistols
, Ramones
and all the old favorites ADS' style in pace with the times were more gothic and post-punk'ish with inspiration from Siouxsie And The Banshees and The Birthday Party
and alike.
D-A-D
D-A-D is a Danish rock band previously known as "Disneyland After Dark", a name that had to be changed after a threatening lawsuit from The Walt Disney Company. Their style of music is often categorized as melodic heavy rock...
) and Lars Top-Galia (later in Sort Sol).
Genre-wise ADS was a mix of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
not infrequently with a dystopian / doomsday-like expression. Inspiration from Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
and other early punk bands, early Siouxsie And The Banshees and The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
can be found in the music, but ADS had their own recognizable style and sound.
The band's sound is more grandiose than traditional punk rock, and more in line with post-punk.
Despite that frontman Funder is more yelling than singing the expression is neither desperation-filled or outright angry, but instead powerful and efficient, which matches the instrument's also powerful and expressive style.
The band debuted on the 14th of September 1980, when they played together with Martin Hall's Ballet Mécanique at a venue in Copenhagen.
ADS supported U.K. Subs at Saltlageret, 27 November 1981, Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
at Saltlageret 19 December 1982 and Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
at Ungdomshuset
Ungdomshuset
Ungdomshuset was the popular name of the building formally named Folkets Hus located on Jagtvej 69 in Nørrebro, Copenhagen, which functioned as an underground scene venue for music and rendezvous point for varying autonomen and leftist groups from 1982 until 2007 when—after prolonged conflict—it...
(the Youth House) 23 May 1984. In addition ADS played at the LP-documented Nosferatu Festival on the 7th of March 1982 at Saltlageret - a festival which was initiated by guitarist Lars Top-Galia.
The band played at various occupied houses in Denmark and toured in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
ADS played together with other bands on the Danish punk scene such as Disneyland After Dark
D-A-D
D-A-D is a Danish rock band previously known as "Disneyland After Dark", a name that had to be changed after a threatening lawsuit from The Walt Disney Company. Their style of music is often categorized as melodic heavy rock...
, Ballet Mécanique, UCR, Before, City-X, Electric Deads, NRG, Razorblades, Enola Gay and The Zero Point among others
Band-members
ADS was formed in 1980 by Stig Pedersen (bass, later in D-A-DD-A-D
D-A-D is a Danish rock band previously known as "Disneyland After Dark", a name that had to be changed after a threatening lawsuit from The Walt Disney Company. Their style of music is often categorized as melodic heavy rock...
), Michael "Funder" Thorlasius (vocals), Karsten Hjarsø (guitar, also in the post-punk band UCR), Søren "Slys" Johnsen (guitar, also in UCR) and Peter Top-Jensen (drums).
In 1981/82 Søren "Slys" Søndergaard Johnsen and Karsten Hjarsø who both mainly played in the punk / goth band UCR were replaced by Lars Top-Jensen (later Top-Galia, guitar, later in Sort Sol). In 1982 Stig Pedersen, who went off to form the cowpunk band "Disneyland After Dark
D-A-D
D-A-D is a Danish rock band previously known as "Disneyland After Dark", a name that had to be changed after a threatening lawsuit from The Walt Disney Company. Their style of music is often categorized as melodic heavy rock...
" was replaced by Martin Krogh (bass, also in "Martin And The Martians" and Martin Hall's "Front and Fantasy").
In approx. 1983 Mads Nordheim (also in the Post-punk band "Before") joined the band on keyboards, and later Martin Krogh was replaced by Tolle Tolstoy (Lars Bo "Tolle" Tolstoy Jacobsen, bass, also in "Before").
Visual style and time
ADS is probably the Danish punk band of all time who collectively have been most focused on image and style (from approx. 1982-84), and thus one can subjectively say that the band were pioneers of how the style-conscious Danish punk-related underground developed later and partly also looks today.The bandmembers in ADS were 100% punks who were gripped by the punk dynamics and language, and wanted to be a part of the story. Guitarist Lars Top-Galia played at age 16 in 1980 with Franz De Zaster from the early Danish punk band "Brats
Brats (band)
Brats was a Danish band formed in 1977 as a punk band. Original line-up featured Hank Shermann on guitar, vocalist Franz De Zaster, drummer Eddie Haircut and bassist Mickey Rat...
" at the "Concerto de Nobrainos insanos" punk-festival and at age 18 in 1982 arranged the LP-documented punk/post-punk festival "Nosferatu Festival".
ADS in their familiar style-conscious version (from around 1982) appeared at a time when the first Danish punk scene was well on its way to die. Already in 1981 several of the old punk bands either disappeared or had moved away from the original punk-rock genre, and in 1983 the first Danish punk scene was in reality dead. So it was important that ADS found a newer and different musical expression that pointed forward and marked their own territory.
Although the band members had grown up with Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
and all the old favorites ADS' style in pace with the times were more gothic and post-punk'ish with inspiration from Siouxsie And The Banshees and The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
and alike.