Scum Pups
Encyclopedia
Scum Pups were a grunge
, punk rock
, three piece band, that formed in Leicester
, England
in November 1989. The band formed while at sixth form college with Matt Day (Midge) heading the trio. The band recorded their first single EP
with Hinckley
-based Motivate Records while still teenagers in September 1990. This led to a strong teenage fanbase with a reputation for enjoying stage diving
and moshing
at their gigs.
The band quickly gathered a strong fanbase after being signed to Nottingham
Label Sycophant and began appearing with the likes of Fudge Tunnel
, Silverfish
and Daisy Chainsaw
. It was while with Sycophant Records, the band released their first 'mini' album Babykill, which held No.17 in the Melody Maker
indie album charts, during March 1992.
The band signed with Stayfree Music in 1992 and embarked on touring with Crazyhead
. During 1992 the band released their second EP
"Shudder" on Stayfree, with added sponsorship from N.T.V. Music. It was at this stage that the founder Bass player Clive Cartwright left, to be replaced by Marcus (Pepper) Hessin.
The band spent the remaining 18 months touring up and down the country with the likes of Headcleaner
and Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction as well as touring in France
. In 1993 the band released a further album Sonic Sculptures, and shared an EP
single with Doncaster
based band, FUSE; but on return from a further tour in France
during February 1994, the band decided to split.
The band had two distinct styles during its four years of activity. The band was initially described as grunge
or metal
, but from 1992 onwards, the band took a distinctive turn towards a more glam rock
/punk approach, with elements of pop and rock thrown in. It was during this latter stage that their 5th member joined as a backing singer Janet Brown, adding a female touch to the band in 1993.
, distributed under Southern Records Distribution. Sycophant released their first mini-album in 1992, also distributed under S.R.D.
Stayfree Music based in Leicester, was run by the former frontman of The Hunters Club
, Ian Redhead, and managed Scum Pups through to their eventual split in February 1994.
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, 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...
, three piece band, that formed in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in November 1989. The band formed while at sixth form college with Matt Day (Midge) heading the trio. The band recorded their first single EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
with Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
-based Motivate Records while still teenagers in September 1990. This led to a strong teenage fanbase with a reputation for enjoying stage diving
Stage diving
Stage diving is the act of leaping from a concert stage onto the crowd below. It is often the precursor to crowd surfing.Initially seen as confrontational and extreme, stage diving has become common at hardcore punk and thrash metal performances. Many musicians have made stage diving a part of...
and moshing
Moshing
Moshing is a dance in which participants push or slam into each other. They also flail their limbs to breakdowns of hardcore punk and its sub-genres. It is most associated with aggressive music genres, such as hardcore punk and heavy metal...
at their gigs.
The band quickly gathered a strong fanbase after being signed to Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
Label Sycophant and began appearing with the likes of Fudge Tunnel
Fudge Tunnel
Fudge Tunnel were a band formed in Nottingham, England by Alex Newport, David Ryley and Adrian Parkin. After two critically acclaimed singles on Pigboy Records , they signed to Nottingham's Earache Records...
, Silverfish
Silverfish
Lepisma saccharina, frequently called silverfish, fishmoths, carpet sharks or paramites, are small, wingless insects in the order Thysanura...
and Daisy Chainsaw
Daisy Chainsaw
Daisy Chainsaw was an English alternative rock band, active between 1989 and 1995. It originally featured KatieJane Garside as lead vocalist and lyricist on the band's early EPs and debut album, Eleventeen , before her departure in 1993...
. It was while with Sycophant Records, the band released their first 'mini' album Babykill, which held No.17 in the Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
indie album charts, during March 1992.
The band signed with Stayfree Music in 1992 and embarked on touring with Crazyhead
Crazyhead
Crazyhead are an English garage punk band from Leicester, England. Though lumped in with the largely media-created grebo scene, they were more influenced by the garage rock of the late 1960s, as well as bands like The Ramones, The Stooges and Captain Beefheart...
. During 1992 the band released their second EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
"Shudder" on Stayfree, with added sponsorship from N.T.V. Music. It was at this stage that the founder Bass player Clive Cartwright left, to be replaced by Marcus (Pepper) Hessin.
The band spent the remaining 18 months touring up and down the country with the likes of Headcleaner
Headcleaner
Headcleaner is a compilation album from The Lime Spiders, released in 1988 through Virgin Records.-Track listing:# "25th Hour" - 3:11# "Can't Wait Long" - 3:17...
and Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction as well as touring in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In 1993 the band released a further album Sonic Sculptures, and shared an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
single with Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
based band, FUSE; but on return from a further tour in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during February 1994, the band decided to split.
The band had two distinct styles during its four years of activity. The band was initially described as grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
or metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, but from 1992 onwards, the band took a distinctive turn towards a more glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
/punk approach, with elements of pop and rock thrown in. It was during this latter stage that their 5th member joined as a backing singer Janet Brown, adding a female touch to the band in 1993.
Members
- Matthew Day - guitar & vocals (1989–1994)
- Clive Cartwright - bass & backing vocals (1989–1992)
- Roger Watson - drums (1989–1994)
- Marcus Hessin - bass & backing vocals (1992–1994)
- Janet Brown - backing vocals (1993)
Discography
Motivate Records was the band's first labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, distributed under Southern Records Distribution. Sycophant released their first mini-album in 1992, also distributed under S.R.D.
Stayfree Music based in Leicester, was run by the former frontman of The Hunters Club
The Hunters Club
The Hunters Club were a British grebo goth rock band that formed in Leicester, England. They were largely viewed as inferior to Leicester's other bands of the era making music in a similar vein....
, Ian Redhead, and managed Scum Pups through to their eventual split in February 1994.
- Find Out Why - 7" Single EP released 1990 Motivate Records.
- Babykill - 12" and CD mini album (Bonus track on CD) released 1991 Sycophant Records.
- Shudder - 12" Single EP released 1992 Stayfree Music.
- Sonic Sculptures - CD album released 1993 Stayfree Music.
- "Hit Single" / "Hammer" - 7" Single released 1993 Stayfree Music.
Current
- Roger Watson currently lives in Sheffield, and is active as the drummer for the stoner rockStoner rockStoner rock or stoner metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock, traditional heavy metal and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production...
group, The Kings of Frog IslandThe Kings of Frog IslandThe Kings of Frog Island are a stoner rock collective drawing from psychedelic, stoner, and retro rock traditions. The Kings of Frog Island formed in Leicester, England in 2003, as a collaboration between guitarist and producer Mark Buteux along with R...
, on Elektrohasch Records. - Matthew Day is a Client Services Manager for Digitalglobe Inc., a global company dealing with digital survey and remote sensing technologies.
- Clive Cartwright is a Geospatial Data Officer for the British Geological SurveyBritish Geological SurveyThe British Geological Survey is a partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research. The BGS headquarters are in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, but other centres...
, based in Nottingham, United Kingdom.