Inner City Unit
Encyclopedia
Inner City Unit is a British
punk
/space rock
band fronted by ex-Hawkwind
founder Nik Turner
on saxophone
with Judge Trev Thoms or Steve Pond (guitar
), Dead Fred
(keyboards
), Baz Magneto, Dave Anderson or Nazar Ali Khan (bass
), and Mick Stupp or Dino Ferari on drums
.
's band Steve Took's Horns. Took continued to work with his former band members by guesting with ICU at a couple of gigs. This original line-up produced 2 albums, Passout and The Maximum Effect. A compilation of out-takes and demos Punkadelic was released during the same period. In 1982 Turner returned to Hawkwind taking Dead Fred with him, thus ending the first incarnation of ICU.
In 1984 Nik Turner and Dead Fred were removed from Hawkwind and decided to reform ICU. Judge Trev and Stupp were unavailable for the making of the next album New Anatomy so they recruited Steve Pond, who had previously toured with ICU during the shows for the Passout album as synth
player, to play guitar and program the drum machine
. Mick Stupp rejoined the band in time for the New Anatomy live shows and was joined by another ex-Hawkwind man Dave Anderson on bass. The second incarnation of ICU released an EP, Blood and Bone, and a second album, The President's Tapes, before finally falling out on the winter solstice of 1985 and calling it a day.
In the 1990s Judge Trev used the ICU name for his own band with original drummer Dino Ferari, releasing one album Now You Know the Score as Judge Trev's Inner City Unit.
In 2001 a mutant version of ICU combining members from the first two incarnations played two shows as an ad hoc group. These shows failed to capture the essence of the original band, but a fourth version of the band played the closing party of the 2006 FennerFest in Slough
.
Dead Fred and Steve Pond went on to play with another ex-Hawkwind man Robert Calvert
.
Mick Stupp played with many different bands with varying styles, moving from drums to guitar
over time.
The Imperial Pompadours were an ICU side project with legendary sleeve designer Barney Bubbles
. Bubbles also produced the band's first three album covers.
In the 1980s original guitarist Judge Trev Thoms started a three-piece metal band named Atomgods
which, for a while, also featured second ICU guitarist Steve Pond on bass.
Judge Trev Thoms died of pancreatic cancer on December 8th 2010.
Steve Pond, Dead Fred
and Mick Stupp still play together in a band called Krankschaft, sometimes joined by Nik Turner
and Dave Anderson
to perform Inner City Unit songs as a tribute to Judge Trev Thoms.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
punk
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...
/space rock
Space rock
Space rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
band fronted by ex-Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
founder Nik Turner
Nik Turner
Nik Turner is a British musician, best known as a founding member of space rock pioneers Hawkwind. Turner plays saxophones, flute, sings and is a composer...
on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
with Judge Trev Thoms or Steve Pond (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Dead Fred
Dead Fred
Dead Fred is mainly known as the keyboard player in 1980 space rock / hard rock bands Inner City Unit and Hawkwind.Prior to ICU/Hawkwind he had a long and varied career in the UK music scene....
(keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), Baz Magneto, Dave Anderson or Nazar Ali Khan (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and Mick Stupp or Dino Ferari on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
.
History
Thoms and Ferrari were both key members of Steve Peregrin TookSteve Peregrin Took
Steve Peregrin Took was an English musician. He is best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan...
's band Steve Took's Horns. Took continued to work with his former band members by guesting with ICU at a couple of gigs. This original line-up produced 2 albums, Passout and The Maximum Effect. A compilation of out-takes and demos Punkadelic was released during the same period. In 1982 Turner returned to Hawkwind taking Dead Fred with him, thus ending the first incarnation of ICU.
In 1984 Nik Turner and Dead Fred were removed from Hawkwind and decided to reform ICU. Judge Trev and Stupp were unavailable for the making of the next album New Anatomy so they recruited Steve Pond, who had previously toured with ICU during the shows for the Passout album as synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
player, to play guitar and program the drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. Mick Stupp rejoined the band in time for the New Anatomy live shows and was joined by another ex-Hawkwind man Dave Anderson on bass. The second incarnation of ICU released an EP, Blood and Bone, and a second album, The President's Tapes, before finally falling out on the winter solstice of 1985 and calling it a day.
In the 1990s Judge Trev used the ICU name for his own band with original drummer Dino Ferari, releasing one album Now You Know the Score as Judge Trev's Inner City Unit.
In 2001 a mutant version of ICU combining members from the first two incarnations played two shows as an ad hoc group. These shows failed to capture the essence of the original band, but a fourth version of the band played the closing party of the 2006 FennerFest in Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
.
Other activities
Nik Turner started his rhythm and blues and jazz rock outfit Nik Turner's Fantastic Allstars in the late eighties. They eventually released an album Kubanno Kickasso! in 2001.Dead Fred and Steve Pond went on to play with another ex-Hawkwind man Robert Calvert
Robert Calvert
Robert Calvert was a writer, poet, and musician.-Biography:Born Robert Newton Calvert in Pretoria, South Africa, Calvert's parents moved to England when he was two years of age and later attended school in London and Margate. He began his career by writing poetry and in 1967 formed a Street...
.
Mick Stupp played with many different bands with varying styles, moving from drums to guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
over time.
The Imperial Pompadours were an ICU side project with legendary sleeve designer Barney Bubbles
Barney Bubbles
Colin Fulcher aka Barney Bubbles was a radical English graphic artist, whose work primarily encompassed the disciplines of graphic design, painting and music video direction. He is most renowned for his distinctive contribution to the graphic design associated with the British independent music...
. Bubbles also produced the band's first three album covers.
In the 1980s original guitarist Judge Trev Thoms started a three-piece metal band named Atomgods
Atomgods
Atomgods were a UK heavy rock band from late 1980s.The band were formed by former Inner City Unit guitarist Judge Trev Thoms, the first recording lineup consisting of Hiro Sasaki and Kofi Baker...
which, for a while, also featured second ICU guitarist Steve Pond on bass.
Judge Trev Thoms died of pancreatic cancer on December 8th 2010.
Steve Pond, Dead Fred
Dead Fred
Dead Fred is mainly known as the keyboard player in 1980 space rock / hard rock bands Inner City Unit and Hawkwind.Prior to ICU/Hawkwind he had a long and varied career in the UK music scene....
and Mick Stupp still play together in a band called Krankschaft, sometimes joined by Nik Turner
Nik Turner
Nik Turner is a British musician, best known as a founding member of space rock pioneers Hawkwind. Turner plays saxophones, flute, sings and is a composer...
and Dave Anderson
Dave Anderson
Dave Anderson may refer to:*Dave Anderson , actor, playwright and jazz musician*Dave Anderson , football manager, former player and media personality from Northern Ireland...
to perform Inner City Unit songs as a tribute to Judge Trev Thoms.
Discography
- Pass Out (1980)
- The Maximum Effect (1981)
- Punkadelic (1984)
- New Anatomy (1985)
- The President's Tapes (1985)
External links
- http://www.innercityunit.com/
- http://www.nikturner.com/
- ukrockfestivals.com- photos of Inner City Unit, Sphynx and Nik Turner eating an ice cream circa 1979
- ukrockfestivals.com - photos of Sphynx - Glastonbury 1978-79