The Bridewell Taxis
Encyclopedia
The Bridewell Taxis were a Leeds
-based British
Indie rock
group active from 1987 to 1993.
to make an impact on what was to become known as the Madchester
scene.
. After singer Mick Roberts joined the band changed its name to The Bridewell Taxis, a nickname for the police vans that delivered drunks and criminals to the town's police station, or Bridewell, situated under the Leeds Town Hall. A number of the band were familiar with this form of transport.
From their very first gigs in 1988 it was apparent that the band were offering a different sound and sensibility to their immediate Leeds peers such as The Wedding Present
, Cud
and the Pale Saints
. Whilst the band members all hailed from east Leeds, unlike their former student rivals (although Mick Roberts was originally from Wales), they had more in common with the growing northern music scene in Lancashire featuring Liverpool-based bands such as The Las, The Real People
and The Farm
and the early Inspiral Carpets
, The Stone Roses
and Happy Mondays
from Manchester. The Taxis had a unique selling point with the arrival of Chris Walton on trombone which only served to emphasise the hard, fast, Northern Soul
beat they often used whilst all around were slipping into the funky drummer
, baggy
beat.
The Taxis' place in the scheme of things was cemented by a prestigious support slot at The Happy Monday's first Leeds gig on 28 February 1989 at The Warehouse. Both bands ended up having internal fights on stage that night, keyboardist Gary Wilson attacking guitarist Sean McElhone after the latter's instrument malfunctioned. Over the next six months regular gigging including support slots with The Farm
and Cud
consolidated the band's position as up and coming band with a large local following.
The band's first release was a blue flexi-disc, "Lies" c/w "Just Good Friends" given away free with a Wakefield fanzine which cost 20p. The pressing soon sold out and a few years later, at the height of their popularity, the flexi-disc was changing hands for over £20. London-based publishers, Empire Music, part of China Records
, offered the band a publishing deal in late 1989.
invited them onto their Find Out Why national tour as support act (29 August to 4 September). One night on the tour (3 September) would see see a strange hybrid band take the stage at Burberry's Birmingham when a local, third on the bill act failed to show. Inspiral's roadie at the time was Noel Gallagher
and he performed a few impromptu jams and Beatles covers on guitar together with Inspiral Craig on drums, Bridewell Mick on vocals, Bridewell Sean on guitar and Bridewell sound engineer and manager Alaric Neville on bass, all to a handful of disinterested punters.
The urgent need for a release to go with the tour had led to the band's manager, along with a businessmen-fan Dave Bell, to fund their first EP
, Just Good Friends, released on their own Stolen Records in the Autumn of 1989. It reached number 18 on the UK Indie Chart
. On 1 October the band were on the bill at the final Futurama festival in Bradford run by legendary Leeds promoter John Keenan, along with the best of the crop of bands that would make waves in 1990.
The Taxis started 1990 as full time musicians with their second single, "Give In" c/w "Whole Damn Nation" which featured a dance remix of the later track. This served to get their name and music out in to the growing cross-over dance scene. Many of the indie concerts of this era would feature a DJ dance set that started after the band finished, bringing the warehouse rave vibe into regular venues for the first time. The band were now headlining their own gigs in the north of England and became regulars at such venues as the Warehouse in Leeds, The Boardwalk
in Manchester and The Leadmill in Sheffield. Another big support slot this time with The Stone Roses
put them in the public's eye along with some positive live reviews in the national music press.
On 19 April they became the first non-Manchester band to play the Factory Records
night in Paris at the La Locomotive Club within the Moulin Rouge
. The band booked coaches for Leeds and Manchester fans to join them in France for the weekend. The gig was successful but the aftermath less so. A semi-clothed Mick was chased through the streets over an extortionate brothel bar bill and was later seen three floors up on a narrow ledge of the hotel looking like he was about to jump to his death, he was coaxed back inside but passed out in his room. He hung his coat on a light fitting and in the middle of the night the hotel fire alarms went off with everyone evacuated to the street below as acrid smoke from a burning sports top filled the building. Mick's room door was forced open and he was resuscitated. A song for the Cage album came out of the near death experience that night, "Paris".
Third single "Honesty" proved a crowd favourite and highlighted songwriter Mick Roberts growing realist style. It took the form of dialogue between him and his long suffering partner; her trying to persuade him to give up crime and him explaining "Honesty looks good on you, its not for fools like me, I've felt its hands around my neck and I couldn't start to breath". This was no empty song writing exercise as some members of the band had been arrested for selling pills and speed after a gig at The Moles Club, Bath. It was a time when the more gentile southern youth considered any scally with a northern accent as having access to top drugs unavailable to them, an invitation the Taxis found hard to pass by. Prison was only avoided in Bath when the remaining bag of disco biscuits (MDMA) was found to contain vitamin pills. Later Mick narrowly avoided a prison sentence again after being convicted of stealing carpets from the Hilton hotel in Leeds. The video for Honesty featured a scene with Mick and drummer Glenn Scullion shoplifting clothes and then bumping into a real policeman, clearly on purpose. The video was banned by MTV and the Chart Show although "Honesty" would still make the Indie Top 10.
The band were booked to play the Mean Fiddler Stage at Reading Festival on 26 August and compere John Peel
, who had already been playing their singles, made a point of catching the set, offering a Peel Session as a result. The session was broadcast on 18 September.
Fourth single "Spirit" came out on 5 November, allied to a LFO remix. It would be both the highpoint of the band's career and the start of their troubles. On the eve of the first day's recording session Mick disappeared following a domestic crisis. The rest of the band carried on recording backing tracks while roadies and friends searched the city. He was found at the end of a two day drinking binge and the vocal on the recording was coaxed out of the still drunk singer a line at a time, although he couldn't remember the chorus so the track was released without one.
"Spirit" was the band's biggest selling release, generating a lot of airplay, press coverage and compilation releases. The accompanying 22-date national tour filled most of November and included such major university venues as Leeds, Sheffield, Warwick and Kent, along with The Haçienda
club in Manchester which would be filmed for a video release. After a short break, December saw the band on a four date tour of Scotland. They were now being courted by a number of major record labels; CBS, BMG, EMI, London Records and Chrysalis.
to offer the band a record deal at the end of the year. At a showcase London date at the Camden Palace
arranged by the company's PR staff, trouble erupted between travelling Leeds fans and locals. Members of the band, who had taken full advantage of the free hospitality on offer, left the stage to join in the fight. The band's next gig was at Bradford Queens Hall, also with Chrysalis A&R in attendance. After the first few songs it became apparent that various band members were in different chemically-altered states of mind; the concert soon fell apart as band members left the stage one by one. Chrysalis proceeded to replace the Bridewell Taxis in their plans with their second choice Yorkshire indie band, The Poppy Factory whose leader, Mick Dale would go on to find fame as part of Embrace.
On 14 January 1991, after an all day drinking session in a south-east Leeds pub, The Station at Cross Gates, singer Mick Roberts was caught up in a bar room brawl which resulted in him being stabbed in the throat and neck. An artery was severed and he narrowly survived massive blood loss, being taken by ambulance to the nearby St James's University Hospital. The story was covered by both the Daily Mirror and Daily Star as well as the national music press. A period of re-constructive surgery followed with all band activity, touring, rehearsing and writing curtailed.
By the end of March the need for a new release was pressing. As no new songs had been written a cover of Blue Oyster Cult
's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper
" was recorded, the track's title making a reference to Mick's recent brush with death. It came out as their fifth single on 13 May. The band's original pacey and raw style was replaced with a slowed down and polished production by Chris Nagle but the track wasn't well reviewed.
Following a national headline tour in May the band toured with the reformed Buzzcocks
in June.
The LP "Invisible To You" was a collection of the Stolen Records releases to date with two new tracks, although these were actually recorded at the Spirit session during Mick's absence. It was launched at a massive home town concert at Leeds Town Hall
on 5 July which was also filmed for a video release. This was to prove the last gig with Chris Walton. Carl A. Finlow was subsequently recruited to the line up on keyboards with the intention of adding a more programmed, dance element to the band. Despite its relative lack of new material, "Invisible" sold well and remained in the indie charts for six weeks. As a result Sony
CBS
offered a provisional record deal, funding the recording of four new tracks on 12 September for a planned single, "Smile". The tracks as delivered were rejected and the release cancelled, the reported reason being that they sounded unlike the existing, successful album.
Despite guitarist Sean McElhone announcing he was leaving, a pre-Christmas concert was booked at the Warehouse, Leeds on 11 December. The concert was poorly attended and beset with technical problems. The band left the stage to boos from their home town audience and split up that night.
Chris Walton re-joined. Marvin Gaye
's Inner City Blues was demoed along with a handful of new songs. A cassette of the session found its way to Phil Manzanera
, Roxy Music
guitarist, studio and label owner. He offered an album and single deal on the condition the band could play live to support the release. A rhythm section was quickly hired; Keith Manasseh Jackson from Leeds band "Nuff Sed" on drums and Chris Harrop from The Ukrainians
on bass. To replicate the overdubbed brass live, Andy Stocks joined on trumpet. Since the stabbing Mick's hearing had been degenerating leading to vocal problems so a second singer was added, Michelle Jasmin formally of fellow Leeds band "The Windowpanes".
The band played its first gig at the Warehouse, Leeds on 17 February 1992, billed as The Bridewells. An EP, "Smile I Still Care" was recorded at Phil Manzanera's studio in Chertsey, West London, in late March. Sean McElhone contributed guitar to the title track and Phil Manzanera provided the guitar solo for "World of Lies" It was released on Expression Records on 15 June and the band toured with The High
. In late June the band were back in the studio to record the album "Cage" also released by Expression on 19 October. A national tour followed, culminating in a home town gig at the Warehouse, Leeds on 17 November.
The band (minus Mick) provided the backing for BMG artist Christine Levine on one track "The Devil Inside You"
It had become apparent during the recording of the album that Mick's loss of hearing was having an adverse affect on the volume he needed for monitoring and live gigs were becoming difficult. This combined with financial troubles at Expression effectively brought the band to a halt. The final act was a performance filmed at the Warehouse for ITV featuring the album title track, "Cage" and a new song "World Stop Turning", taped on 23 March 1993.
track "Polityka" on the album "Kultura" (Cooking Vinyl
, 1994), Carl A. Finlow returned to producing dance music initially in partnership with DJ Ralph Lawson. Alaric Neville continued as a sound engineer and producer working principally with The Ukrainians
, Oysterband
, and Chumbawamba
, Keith Manasseh Jackson joined Stomp (dance troupe)
, Chris Harrop became the guitarist in Black Star Liner
,
In 2005, prompted by the wave of successful reformations among their contemporaries including The Happy Mondays, three original members, Mick Roberts, Sean McElhone and Glenn Scullion, got back together to play some dates. They were joined by twins James (bass) and Jools Metcalfe (guitar). The band played a sell-out re-union gig in Leeds in October 2005 and followed that with two more home town dates. The following year, the band embarked on a mini-tour, kicking off with a sell-out at the Hope and Anchor, Islington
, and ending with a final show for over 1,000 at Leeds University Union
. The band split again in June 2006.
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
-based British
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...
Indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group active from 1987 to 1993.
History
The Bridewell Taxis shone brightly but briefly as one of the few bands from east of the PenninesPennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
to make an impact on what was to become known as the Madchester
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
scene.
Early years
The group came together in Leeds during 1987 and were originally called Morality Play. Their first public performances were at an Unemployed Music project in Leeds that also helped launch contemporaries Nightmares on WaxNightmares on Wax
George Evelyn, better known as Nightmares on Wax and also known as DJ EASE , is a DJ from Leeds, UK. His music is released on Warp Records and was one of the first releases on the label. Evelyn got his start in the music industry through an interest in hip hop and on joining a local breakdancing crew...
. After singer Mick Roberts joined the band changed its name to The Bridewell Taxis, a nickname for the police vans that delivered drunks and criminals to the town's police station, or Bridewell, situated under the Leeds Town Hall. A number of the band were familiar with this form of transport.
From their very first gigs in 1988 it was apparent that the band were offering a different sound and sensibility to their immediate Leeds peers such as The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are a British indie rock group based in Leeds, England, formed in 1985 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, Buzzcocks and Gang of Four to more varied forms...
, Cud
Cud (band)
Cud are a British indie rock band formed in Leeds, England in 1987, consisting of vocalist Carl Puttnam , guitarist/keyboardist Mike Dunphy , bassist William Potter , and drummer Steve Goodwin .Though an indie rock band, their music incorporated elements of funk...
and the Pale Saints
Pale Saints
Pale Saints was formed in 1987 by Ian Masters , Graeme Naysmith , and Chris Cooper in Leeds, England. The group began as a jangly indie pop band, influenced by Primal Scream's early sound.-History:...
. Whilst the band members all hailed from east Leeds, unlike their former student rivals (although Mick Roberts was originally from Wales), they had more in common with the growing northern music scene in Lancashire featuring Liverpool-based bands such as The Las, The Real People
The Real People
The Real People, from Liverpool, England, were one of the very first bands to play what is today known as “Britpop”, and have been quoted by Oasis as being one of their major influences...
and The Farm
The Farm
The Farm may refer to:In places:* The Farm , a government residence in Canada and home to the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons* The Farm , a community center in California, U.S....
and the early Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets are an alternative rock band from Oldham in Greater Manchester, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. The band is named after a clothing shop on their Oldham estate...
, The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
from Manchester. The Taxis had a unique selling point with the arrival of Chris Walton on trombone which only served to emphasise the hard, fast, Northern Soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
beat they often used whilst all around were slipping into the funky drummer
Funky drummer
"Funky Drummer" is a funk song recorded by James Brown and his band. The recording's drum break, performed by drummer Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled rhythmic breaks in hip hop and popular music; indeed, it lays a strong claim to being the most sampled recording ever,...
, baggy
Baggy
Baggy was a British dance-oriented music genre popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s.The scene was heavily influenced by Madchester, although it was not geographically confined to Manchester. Many Madchester bands could also be described as Baggy, and vice versa...
beat.
The Taxis' place in the scheme of things was cemented by a prestigious support slot at The Happy Monday's first Leeds gig on 28 February 1989 at The Warehouse. Both bands ended up having internal fights on stage that night, keyboardist Gary Wilson attacking guitarist Sean McElhone after the latter's instrument malfunctioned. Over the next six months regular gigging including support slots with The Farm
The Farm
The Farm may refer to:In places:* The Farm , a government residence in Canada and home to the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons* The Farm , a community center in California, U.S....
and Cud
Cud (band)
Cud are a British indie rock band formed in Leeds, England in 1987, consisting of vocalist Carl Puttnam , guitarist/keyboardist Mike Dunphy , bassist William Potter , and drummer Steve Goodwin .Though an indie rock band, their music incorporated elements of funk...
consolidated the band's position as up and coming band with a large local following.
The band's first release was a blue flexi-disc, "Lies" c/w "Just Good Friends" given away free with a Wakefield fanzine which cost 20p. The pressing soon sold out and a few years later, at the height of their popularity, the flexi-disc was changing hands for over £20. London-based publishers, Empire Music, part of China Records
China Records
China Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. Its top-selling artists were Art of Noise, Morcheeba and The Levellers....
, offered the band a publishing deal in late 1989.
Take off
The band's next break came in Autumn when the Inspiral CarpetsInspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets are an alternative rock band from Oldham in Greater Manchester, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. The band is named after a clothing shop on their Oldham estate...
invited them onto their Find Out Why national tour as support act (29 August to 4 September). One night on the tour (3 September) would see see a strange hybrid band take the stage at Burberry's Birmingham when a local, third on the bill act failed to show. Inspiral's roadie at the time was Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
and he performed a few impromptu jams and Beatles covers on guitar together with Inspiral Craig on drums, Bridewell Mick on vocals, Bridewell Sean on guitar and Bridewell sound engineer and manager Alaric Neville on bass, all to a handful of disinterested punters.
The urgent need for a release to go with the tour had led to the band's manager, along with a businessmen-fan Dave Bell, to fund their first 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...
, Just Good Friends, released on their own Stolen Records in the Autumn of 1989. It reached number 18 on the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
. On 1 October the band were on the bill at the final Futurama festival in Bradford run by legendary Leeds promoter John Keenan, along with the best of the crop of bands that would make waves in 1990.
The Taxis started 1990 as full time musicians with their second single, "Give In" c/w "Whole Damn Nation" which featured a dance remix of the later track. This served to get their name and music out in to the growing cross-over dance scene. Many of the indie concerts of this era would feature a DJ dance set that started after the band finished, bringing the warehouse rave vibe into regular venues for the first time. The band were now headlining their own gigs in the north of England and became regulars at such venues as the Warehouse in Leeds, The Boardwalk
Boardwalk (music club)
The Boardwalk nightclub was located on Little Peter Street in Manchester, England. This medium sized club and rehearsal studios, owned by Colin Sinclair, was a popular live music venue in the late 1980s and early 1990s where bands such as Oasis and Northside made their live debuts.Along with other...
in Manchester and The Leadmill in Sheffield. Another big support slot this time with The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
put them in the public's eye along with some positive live reviews in the national music press.
On 19 April they became the first non-Manchester band to play the Factory Records
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
night in Paris at the La Locomotive Club within the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
. The band booked coaches for Leeds and Manchester fans to join them in France for the weekend. The gig was successful but the aftermath less so. A semi-clothed Mick was chased through the streets over an extortionate brothel bar bill and was later seen three floors up on a narrow ledge of the hotel looking like he was about to jump to his death, he was coaxed back inside but passed out in his room. He hung his coat on a light fitting and in the middle of the night the hotel fire alarms went off with everyone evacuated to the street below as acrid smoke from a burning sports top filled the building. Mick's room door was forced open and he was resuscitated. A song for the Cage album came out of the near death experience that night, "Paris".
Third single "Honesty" proved a crowd favourite and highlighted songwriter Mick Roberts growing realist style. It took the form of dialogue between him and his long suffering partner; her trying to persuade him to give up crime and him explaining "Honesty looks good on you, its not for fools like me, I've felt its hands around my neck and I couldn't start to breath". This was no empty song writing exercise as some members of the band had been arrested for selling pills and speed after a gig at The Moles Club, Bath. It was a time when the more gentile southern youth considered any scally with a northern accent as having access to top drugs unavailable to them, an invitation the Taxis found hard to pass by. Prison was only avoided in Bath when the remaining bag of disco biscuits (MDMA) was found to contain vitamin pills. Later Mick narrowly avoided a prison sentence again after being convicted of stealing carpets from the Hilton hotel in Leeds. The video for Honesty featured a scene with Mick and drummer Glenn Scullion shoplifting clothes and then bumping into a real policeman, clearly on purpose. The video was banned by MTV and the Chart Show although "Honesty" would still make the Indie Top 10.
The band were booked to play the Mean Fiddler Stage at Reading Festival on 26 August and compere John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, who had already been playing their singles, made a point of catching the set, offering a Peel Session as a result. The session was broadcast on 18 September.
Fourth single "Spirit" came out on 5 November, allied to a LFO remix. It would be both the highpoint of the band's career and the start of their troubles. On the eve of the first day's recording session Mick disappeared following a domestic crisis. The rest of the band carried on recording backing tracks while roadies and friends searched the city. He was found at the end of a two day drinking binge and the vocal on the recording was coaxed out of the still drunk singer a line at a time, although he couldn't remember the chorus so the track was released without one.
"Spirit" was the band's biggest selling release, generating a lot of airplay, press coverage and compilation releases. The accompanying 22-date national tour filled most of November and included such major university venues as Leeds, Sheffield, Warwick and Kent, along with The Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
club in Manchester which would be filmed for a video release. After a short break, December saw the band on a four date tour of Scotland. They were now being courted by a number of major record labels; CBS, BMG, EMI, London Records and Chrysalis.
Crash landing
Spirit's strong showing in the indie charts finally persuaded Chrysalis RecordsChrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
to offer the band a record deal at the end of the year. At a showcase London date at the Camden Palace
Camden Palace
KOKO is a nightclub in a former theatre in Camden Town, London, England, at the bottom of Camden High Street close to Mornington Crescent tube station. Until 2004 it was called the Camden Palace. The building is considered to have some architectural significance and is a Grade II listed...
arranged by the company's PR staff, trouble erupted between travelling Leeds fans and locals. Members of the band, who had taken full advantage of the free hospitality on offer, left the stage to join in the fight. The band's next gig was at Bradford Queens Hall, also with Chrysalis A&R in attendance. After the first few songs it became apparent that various band members were in different chemically-altered states of mind; the concert soon fell apart as band members left the stage one by one. Chrysalis proceeded to replace the Bridewell Taxis in their plans with their second choice Yorkshire indie band, The Poppy Factory whose leader, Mick Dale would go on to find fame as part of Embrace.
On 14 January 1991, after an all day drinking session in a south-east Leeds pub, The Station at Cross Gates, singer Mick Roberts was caught up in a bar room brawl which resulted in him being stabbed in the throat and neck. An artery was severed and he narrowly survived massive blood loss, being taken by ambulance to the nearby St James's University Hospital. The story was covered by both the Daily Mirror and Daily Star as well as the national music press. A period of re-constructive surgery followed with all band activity, touring, rehearsing and writing curtailed.
By the end of March the need for a new release was pressing. As no new songs had been written a cover of Blue Oyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
" was recorded, the track's title making a reference to Mick's recent brush with death. It came out as their fifth single on 13 May. The band's original pacey and raw style was replaced with a slowed down and polished production by Chris Nagle but the track wasn't well reviewed.
Following a national headline tour in May the band toured with the reformed Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
in June.
The LP "Invisible To You" was a collection of the Stolen Records releases to date with two new tracks, although these were actually recorded at the Spirit session during Mick's absence. It was launched at a massive home town concert at Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...
on 5 July which was also filmed for a video release. This was to prove the last gig with Chris Walton. Carl A. Finlow was subsequently recruited to the line up on keyboards with the intention of adding a more programmed, dance element to the band. Despite its relative lack of new material, "Invisible" sold well and remained in the indie charts for six weeks. As a result Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
offered a provisional record deal, funding the recording of four new tracks on 12 September for a planned single, "Smile". The tracks as delivered were rejected and the release cancelled, the reported reason being that they sounded unlike the existing, successful album.
Despite guitarist Sean McElhone announcing he was leaving, a pre-Christmas concert was booked at the Warehouse, Leeds on 11 December. The concert was poorly attended and beset with technical problems. The band left the stage to boos from their home town audience and split up that night.
Resurrection
After the breakup of the original line up, Mick Roberts, Carl A. Finlow and Alaric Neville continued to write and play together. Following a request for a Motown cover version from Imaginary RecordsImaginary Records
Imaginary Records was an independent record label based in Heywood, Lancashire, England, which specialised mainly in indie rock and post-punk. It was created and owned by Alan Duffy, known for his lyrical contributions to Porcupine Tree's first two albums, On the Sunday of Life and Up the...
Chris Walton re-joined. Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's Inner City Blues was demoed along with a handful of new songs. A cassette of the session found its way to Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America...
, Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
guitarist, studio and label owner. He offered an album and single deal on the condition the band could play live to support the release. A rhythm section was quickly hired; Keith Manasseh Jackson from Leeds band "Nuff Sed" on drums and Chris Harrop from The Ukrainians
The Ukrainians
The Ukrainians are a British band, which plays traditional Ukrainian music, heavily influenced by western post-punk.-Career:The Ukrainians were formed in 1990 by Wedding Present guitarist Peter Solowka, with singer/violinist Len Liggins and mandolin player Roman Remeynes, after all three had played...
on bass. To replicate the overdubbed brass live, Andy Stocks joined on trumpet. Since the stabbing Mick's hearing had been degenerating leading to vocal problems so a second singer was added, Michelle Jasmin formally of fellow Leeds band "The Windowpanes".
The band played its first gig at the Warehouse, Leeds on 17 February 1992, billed as The Bridewells. An EP, "Smile I Still Care" was recorded at Phil Manzanera's studio in Chertsey, West London, in late March. Sean McElhone contributed guitar to the title track and Phil Manzanera provided the guitar solo for "World of Lies" It was released on Expression Records on 15 June and the band toured with The High
The High
The High were an English rock group from Manchester, who were generally regarded as part of the Madchester scene.-History:The band was formed in 1989 by former Turning Blue singer John Matthews, along with former Buzzcocks F.O.C...
. In late June the band were back in the studio to record the album "Cage" also released by Expression on 19 October. A national tour followed, culminating in a home town gig at the Warehouse, Leeds on 17 November.
The band (minus Mick) provided the backing for BMG artist Christine Levine on one track "The Devil Inside You"
It had become apparent during the recording of the album that Mick's loss of hearing was having an adverse affect on the volume he needed for monitoring and live gigs were becoming difficult. This combined with financial troubles at Expression effectively brought the band to a halt. The final act was a performance filmed at the Warehouse for ITV featuring the album title track, "Cage" and a new song "World Stop Turning", taped on 23 March 1993.
Postscript
Following the final break up of the band Mick Roberts and Sean McElhone were briefly re-united in the mid 1990s in a local Leeds band "Home" who played a handful of gigs in the city. Original bass player Simon Scot became a successful DJ. Chris Walton and Andy Stocks provided the brass for The UkrainiansThe Ukrainians
The Ukrainians are a British band, which plays traditional Ukrainian music, heavily influenced by western post-punk.-Career:The Ukrainians were formed in 1990 by Wedding Present guitarist Peter Solowka, with singer/violinist Len Liggins and mandolin player Roman Remeynes, after all three had played...
track "Polityka" on the album "Kultura" (Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases...
, 1994), Carl A. Finlow returned to producing dance music initially in partnership with DJ Ralph Lawson. Alaric Neville continued as a sound engineer and producer working principally with The Ukrainians
The Ukrainians
The Ukrainians are a British band, which plays traditional Ukrainian music, heavily influenced by western post-punk.-Career:The Ukrainians were formed in 1990 by Wedding Present guitarist Peter Solowka, with singer/violinist Len Liggins and mandolin player Roman Remeynes, after all three had played...
, Oysterband
Oysterband
Oysterband is a British electric folk or folk rock band formed in Canterbury in or around 1976.-Early history:...
, and Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music...
, Keith Manasseh Jackson joined Stomp (dance troupe)
Stomp (dance troupe)
Stomp is a percussion group that uses the body and ordinary objects to create a physical theatre performance.-History and performances:...
, Chris Harrop became the guitarist in Black Star Liner
Black Star Liner
Black Star Liner were formed in Leeds in 1994, by Choque Hosein, Tom Salmon, and Chris Harrop. Their music consisted of a mix of Asian music , dance music and dub reggae.-History:...
,
In 2005, prompted by the wave of successful reformations among their contemporaries including The Happy Mondays, three original members, Mick Roberts, Sean McElhone and Glenn Scullion, got back together to play some dates. They were joined by twins James (bass) and Jools Metcalfe (guitar). The band played a sell-out re-union gig in Leeds in October 2005 and followed that with two more home town dates. The following year, the band embarked on a mini-tour, kicking off with a sell-out at the Hope and Anchor, Islington
Hope and Anchor, Islington
The Hope and Anchor is a public house on Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. During the mid-1970s it was one of the first pubs to embrace the emergent, but brief, phenomenon of pub rock...
, and ending with a final show for over 1,000 at Leeds University Union
Leeds University Union
Leeds University Union is the representative body for the students at the University of Leeds, England. LUU is a charity for over 32,000 students. LUU is led by students, although many of the decisions are made by staff. There are shops, bars and clubs in the Union building...
. The band split again in June 2006.
Singles/EPs
- "Just Good Friends EP" "Just Good friends" "Too Long" "Wild Boar" "Hold On", Stolen (1989)
- "Give In" c/w "Whole Damn Nation" featuring "Whole Dance Nation" remix by Steve and Andy Williams from K-KlassK-KlassK-Klass are a house music group from Wrexham, North Wales. The members are Andy Williams, Carl Thomas, Russ Morgan, and Paul Roberts. K-Klass signed with Deconstruction Records, and later to Parlophone.-Career:...
, Stolen (1990) - "Honesty" c/w "Aegis", Stolen (1990)
- "Spirit" featuring LFO (band) Spirit remix, Stolen (1990)
- "Don't Fear The Reaper" c/w "Face In The Crowd" and What Noise Reaper remix by Chris Nagle, Stolen (1991)
- "Smile EP" (as The Bridewells) " Smile I Still Care" "Missing Link" "World Of Lies" "Return", Expression (1992)
Albums
- Invisible To You, Stolen (1991)
- Cage, (as The Bridewells), Expression (1992)
Videos
- "Precious Times: A History of The Bridewell Taxis" Stolen (1990)
- "Live at The Hacienda" Jettisoundz (1990)
- "The Invisible Smile: Live at Leeds Town Hall" Alternative Image (1991)
Compliations
- Indie Chart Hits, Vol 11, "Spirit" Beechwood (1990)
- Indie Top 20, Vol 12, "Don't Fear The Reaper" Beechwood (1991)
- Knowing Where It All Leeds, "Moving Fast" Stolen Sounds (1991)
- The Expression She Pulled 12, "World Stop Turning" ( as The Bridewells ) ESP (1992)
- The Expression She Pulled 14, "Shame" ( as The Bridewells ) ESP (1993)
- United City, "Girl" (as The Bridewells) Soundcity (2007)
TV appearance
- The Warehouse, "Cage" and "World Stop Turning. ( as The Bridewells ) Recorded 23 March, Broadcast 30 April, ITV (1993)