The Apostles
Encyclopedia
The Apostles are an experimental punk rock band who developed within the confines of the 1980s Anarcho Punk scene in the UK
, but did not necessarily adhere to the aesthetics of that movement.
area of London in 1979 by William 'Bill' Corbett
, Julian Portinari, Dan McIntyre and Pete Byng-Hall. This line-up of the group did not play any concerts, and only appeared in a small number of fanzines (including Paroxysm Fear and New Crimes) before Bill Corbett left the group.
Andy Martin (ex-Black Flag / Carnage) joined as vocalist in late 1981, and the group played their first concert on 22 September 1981. This line-up of the group recorded a demo tape - 'The Apostles' - in late 1981.
The music of the group is generally characterized by a varied eclecticism which encompasses punk
, Blues Rock, Industrial music
(with influences like Lemon Kittens, Nocturnal Emissions
and Five Or Six
cited), and more abstracted avant-garde experimentation.
The remaining founder members of the group left the group in early 1982. Martin recruited Dave Fanning (ex-Innocent Bystander) as bass player, along with a revolving line-up of musicians (which included John Soares, Kev Apostle, Flump, Chris Low
(ex-Political Asylum) and Olly Bucket (Eat Shit) ) in order to continue the group who went on to play numerous concerts in the London area, and to record 8 demo cassettes and 4 7" singles between 1982 and 1984.
Andy Martin and Dave Fanning were joined in 1984 by Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty (later of Hellbastard, Sidewinder, Nero Circus and Heavy Water) and drummer Chris Widni which created a line-up which remained relatively stable (with the addition of Sean Stokes and Colin Murrell) until the groups demise at the end of the 1980s. The group recorded over 10 demo cassettes, 4 7" singles and 7 12" LP's between mid-1984 and 1990. Original guitarist Pete Bynghall re-joined the group in late 1988 for their last recordings and final concert (cf Live At The Academy).
Always highly critical of the seemingly inward looking anarchist movement of the times, the autonomous and extreme libertarian
approach of The Apostles seemed to portray classic anarchism, as opposed to the conformity of many of their contemporaries, This led the group receiving respect from notable members of the anarcho-punk movement such as Conflict
, who released three records by The Apostles, and Crass
with whom the band co-operated with during the squatting of the Zig-Zag Club and during the time in which The Autonomy Centre
and Centro Iberico
anarchist venues operated. Both Martin and Fanning worked during this period at the Little @ printers - an anarchist printers located in the same building as the Autonomy Centre in Wapping.
The anti-communist and anti-gay lyrics of 'Rock Against Communism' and 'Kill or Cure' on the 'Giving of Loving Costs Nothing' ep and other similarly themed later songs opened the group to charges of fascism and homophobia. Whilst this material was intended to expose the supine attitudes of those within the 'anarcho punk' milieu who did not challenge such blatantly provocative sentiments (a tactic which Andy Martin had used since his entrance to the group), they undermined the coherence of the band's ideology, leading Stewart Home
, in his book Cranked Up Really High, to describe The Apostles as "locked into...a stasis if not actual paralysis".
During the time the band was together Andy Martin began to write about his homosexuality and the subject in general which alienated many of their former fans but did not deter Martin. In 1989, Andy and Dave did an interview with Homocore
fanzine which addressed this issue. Among their many recordings released, The Apostles contributed the song "Forbidden Love" to the first queercore
compilation, JD.s Top Ten Homocore Hits, released by J.D.s
fanzine
in 1990.
The Apostles split as a group in 1990, immediately forming Academy 23
which also included Nathan Coles (of The Unbelievables) and Lawrence Burton (formerly of Konstruktivists). The group collaborated with the industrial band The Grey Wolves
on two songs, "Terror Chamber" and "Terror Intensifies", both featured on compilations.
Academy 23
were later renamed in 1994 as Unit who continue to record and perform to this day.
The Joy Of Living were a female folk/punk band who released 1 cassette demo in addition to the above recording.
Several early Apostles tracks are featured on the Cause For Concern compilation A Sudden Surge of Power. An excellent sampler of the early 80s post-Punk Industrial music scene, it also features contributions from Nocturnal Emissions
, Test Department, Attrition
, 400 Blows
, We Be Echo and ex-Throbbing Gristle
members Chris and Cosey
.
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...
, but did not necessarily adhere to the aesthetics of that movement.
History
The Apostles were formed in the IslingtonIslington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
area of London in 1979 by William 'Bill' Corbett
William 'Bill' Corbett
William 'Bill' Corbett is a musician, historian, disc jockey and photographer who lives in London, England.Corbett was one of the founding members of The Apostles, an anarcho-punk band that formed in Hackney in 1979...
, Julian Portinari, Dan McIntyre and Pete Byng-Hall. This line-up of the group did not play any concerts, and only appeared in a small number of fanzines (including Paroxysm Fear and New Crimes) before Bill Corbett left the group.
Andy Martin (ex-Black Flag / Carnage) joined as vocalist in late 1981, and the group played their first concert on 22 September 1981. This line-up of the group recorded a demo tape - 'The Apostles' - in late 1981.
The music of the group is generally characterized by a varied eclecticism which encompasses 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...
, Blues Rock, Industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
(with influences like Lemon Kittens, Nocturnal Emissions
Nocturnal Emissions
Nocturnal Emissions is a sound art project that has released numerous records and CDs in music styles ranging from electro-acoustic, musique concrète, hybridised beats, sound collage, post-industrial music, ambient and noise music....
and Five Or Six
Five or Six
Five or Six was a UK post-punk band, originally signed to Cherry Red Records by A&R head Mike Alway, who deemed them to be the act with the most potential from the scene he had helped create around the Snoopies club in south-west London...
cited), and more abstracted avant-garde experimentation.
The remaining founder members of the group left the group in early 1982. Martin recruited Dave Fanning (ex-Innocent Bystander) as bass player, along with a revolving line-up of musicians (which included John Soares, Kev Apostle, Flump, Chris Low
Chris Low
Chris "Lowsy" Low is a former professional ice hockey player turned Canadian movie star/Chlorate crystallizer operator for Canexus Chemicals in Brandon, Manitoba....
(ex-Political Asylum) and Olly Bucket (Eat Shit) ) in order to continue the group who went on to play numerous concerts in the London area, and to record 8 demo cassettes and 4 7" singles between 1982 and 1984.
Andy Martin and Dave Fanning were joined in 1984 by Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty (later of Hellbastard, Sidewinder, Nero Circus and Heavy Water) and drummer Chris Widni which created a line-up which remained relatively stable (with the addition of Sean Stokes and Colin Murrell) until the groups demise at the end of the 1980s. The group recorded over 10 demo cassettes, 4 7" singles and 7 12" LP's between mid-1984 and 1990. Original guitarist Pete Bynghall re-joined the group in late 1988 for their last recordings and final concert (cf Live At The Academy).
Always highly critical of the seemingly inward looking anarchist movement of the times, the autonomous and extreme libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
approach of The Apostles seemed to portray classic anarchism, as opposed to the conformity of many of their contemporaries, This led the group receiving respect from notable members of the anarcho-punk movement such as Conflict
Conflict (band)
Conflict is an English anarcho-punk band originally based around Eltham in South London. Formed in 1981, the band's original line up consisted of: Colin Jerwood , Francisco 'Paco' Carreno , Big John , Steve , Pauline , Paul aka 'Nihilistic Nobody' . Their first release was the EP "The House That...
, who released three records by The Apostles, and Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
with whom the band co-operated with during the squatting of the Zig-Zag Club and during the time in which The Autonomy Centre
Wapping Autonomy Centre
Wapping Autonomy Centre was a social centre set up in a rented former warehouse space in the Wapping area of London Docklands from late 1981 to 1982...
and Centro Iberico
Centro Iberico
Centro Iberico was a squatted school in Notting Hill, England, that became a Social centre, a live venue and a studio.Centro Iberico, also known as the Anarchy or Alternative ‘A’ Centre, at 421 Harrow Road alongside the canal, was a former school squatted by Spanish anarchists in the early 80s...
anarchist venues operated. Both Martin and Fanning worked during this period at the Little @ printers - an anarchist printers located in the same building as the Autonomy Centre in Wapping.
The anti-communist and anti-gay lyrics of 'Rock Against Communism' and 'Kill or Cure' on the 'Giving of Loving Costs Nothing' ep and other similarly themed later songs opened the group to charges of fascism and homophobia. Whilst this material was intended to expose the supine attitudes of those within the 'anarcho punk' milieu who did not challenge such blatantly provocative sentiments (a tactic which Andy Martin had used since his entrance to the group), they undermined the coherence of the band's ideology, leading Stewart Home
Stewart Home
Stewart Home is an English artist, filmmaker, writer, pamphleteer, art historian, and activist. He is best known for his novels such as the non-narrative 69 Things To Do With A Dead Princess , his re-imagining of the 1960s in Tainted Love , and earlier parodistic pulp fictions Pure Mania, Red...
, in his book Cranked Up Really High, to describe The Apostles as "locked into...a stasis if not actual paralysis".
During the time the band was together Andy Martin began to write about his homosexuality and the subject in general which alienated many of their former fans but did not deter Martin. In 1989, Andy and Dave did an interview with Homocore
Homocore (zine)
Homocore is an American anarcho-punk zine created by Tom Jennings and Deke Nihilson, and published in San Francisco from 1988 to 1991. One of the first queer zines, Homocore was directed toward the hardcore punk youth of the gay underground...
fanzine which addressed this issue. Among their many recordings released, The Apostles contributed the song "Forbidden Love" to the first queercore
Queercore
Queercore is a cultural and social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of punk. It is distinguished by being discontent with society in general and its rejection of the disapproval of the gay, bisexual, and lesbian communities and their "oppressive agenda"...
compilation, JD.s Top Ten Homocore Hits, released by J.D.s
J.D.s
J.D.s is a queer punk zine founded in Toronto by G.B. Jones and co-published with Bruce LaBruce, that ran for eight issues from 1985 to 1991....
fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
in 1990.
The Apostles split as a group in 1990, immediately forming Academy 23
Academy 23
Academy 23 was a British experimental music project created by Andy Martin and Dave Fanning, immediately after disbanding their former group The Apostles. Founded in London in 1989, the band released music primarily on audio cassette, as part of the cassette culture movement...
which also included Nathan Coles (of The Unbelievables) and Lawrence Burton (formerly of Konstruktivists). The group collaborated with the industrial band The Grey Wolves
The Grey Wolves
The Grey Wolves are a British Industrial music group. They were formed in 1985 by Dave Padbury and Trevor Ward.-History:The band has been credited with pioneering the 'death industrial' subgenre in industrial music. Their work has also been described as 'dark ambient' and as 'power electronics'...
on two songs, "Terror Chamber" and "Terror Intensifies", both featured on compilations.
Academy 23
Academy 23
Academy 23 was a British experimental music project created by Andy Martin and Dave Fanning, immediately after disbanding their former group The Apostles. Founded in London in 1989, the band released music primarily on audio cassette, as part of the cassette culture movement...
were later renamed in 1994 as Unit who continue to record and perform to this day.
Albums
- Live at the LMC, Jan 1983 (Split live LP with The Mob) bootlegBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
- Punk Obituary, 1985, Mortarhate Records
- The Lives & Times Of The Apostles, 1986 COR Records
- The Acts Of The Apostles In The Theatre Of Fear, 1986 Acid Stings
- How Much Longer?, 1986 Acid Stings
- Equinox Screams, 1987
- The Other Operation, 1988, split album with
- Hymn To Pan, 1988 (only available in AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
)
EPs
Chart placings shown are from the UK Independent Chart.- Blow It Up, Burn It Down, Kick It Till It Breaks!, 1982
- Rising From The Ashes, 1983 #21
- The Curse Of The Creature, 1983 #17
- The Giving Of Love Costs Nothing, 1984
- Smash The Spectacle, 1984 #22
- Anathema/The Apostles, 1985
- Death To Wacky Pop!, 1986 (features members of The Joy Of Living)
- No Faith No Fear, 1986
The Joy Of Living were a female folk/punk band who released 1 cassette demo in addition to the above recording.
Demo Albums (cassette only)
- The Apostles 1981
- The 2nd Dark Age 1982
- Libertarian Propaganda 1982
- Topics For Discussion 1982
- A Sudden Surge of Sound (retrospective on CFC Cassettes) 1983
- Swimmers In The Sea Of Life 1983
- Live At The Recession Club 1983
- Will I Ever Be Free? 1984
- Fire In The Sky 1985
- Visions Of The End 1985
- Punk Leftovers 1986
- Private Performances 1987
- Gary Cooke Was Here 1987
- The Progressive Blues Experiment 1988
- The 12th Gate To The Underworld 1988
- Death 1988
- How To Suck Seed 1988
- Life 1989
- Live At The Academy 1989 (the last ever performance 23/02/89)
Tracks On Compilations
- Mob Violence (Part 2) - We Don't Want Your Fucking War 1986 LP Mortarhate
- 'Inner Space - God Save Us From The USA 1987 LP Happy Mike
- Walls - You've Heard It All Before (CrassCrassCrass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
Covers compilation) 1993 LP Ruptured Ambitions RecordsRuptured Ambitions RecordsRuptured Ambitions Records first began life as a 'do-it-yourself' promotional outfit for punk, and punk-related independent musical ensembles based in the Plymouth and West Devon areas of the UK.... - Hyde Park 1988 LP Released by German band Doc Wor Mirran featuring international groups, not all punk
- J.D.s Top Ten Tape - Forbidden Love 1990 cassetteCassette cultureCassette culture, or the cassette underground , refers to the practices surrounding amateur production and distribution of recorded music that emerged in the late 1970s via home-made audio cassettes...
Several early Apostles tracks are featured on the Cause For Concern compilation A Sudden Surge of Power. An excellent sampler of the early 80s post-Punk Industrial music scene, it also features contributions from Nocturnal Emissions
Nocturnal Emissions
Nocturnal Emissions is a sound art project that has released numerous records and CDs in music styles ranging from electro-acoustic, musique concrète, hybridised beats, sound collage, post-industrial music, ambient and noise music....
, Test Department, Attrition
Attrition (band)
Attrition are an electronic music band, formed in Coventry, England in 1980 by Martin Bowes and Julia Niblock. The band emerged from the experimental post-punk scene of the early 1980s and, along with other groups such as Throbbing Gristle, Coil, Einstürzende Neubauten, and In the Nursery, greatly...
, 400 Blows
400 Blows (British band)
400 Blows were a British industrial/post punk band founded in 1981.-History:400 Blows were formed in Croydon, South London by Edward Beer in 1981 along with two friends, Alexander Fraser and Rob. Their debut single was released on their own Concrete Productions record label in 1982...
, We Be Echo and ex-Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle were an English industrial, avant-garde music and visual arts group that evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions...
members Chris and Cosey
Chris and Cosey
Chris & Cosey, now performing as Carter Tutti, are a band formed in 1981, consisting of partners Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti, both previously members of industrial music pioneers Throbbing Gristle.- History :...
.