The Lords of the New Church
Encyclopedia
The Lords of the New Church were an English
/American
post-punk
supergroup
with a line-up consisting of four musicians from prominent 1970s punk
bands. The band reformed with two of its original members in 2003.
(The Dead Boys
), Brian James (The Damned), Dave Tregunna (Sham 69
) and Nicky Turner (The Barracudas
).
The band recorded three studio albums and one live album in their career together before Bators ended the band onstage after a concert on 2 May 1989, at the London Astoria
.
They had one surprise Top 40 hit in Canada in 1982 with the single "Open Your Eyes." A more contrived attempt to have a global hit with a parody cover version of Madonna's "Like a Virgin
" in 1985 proved less successful, but ironically remains one of the band's best known singles to date.
The band played a small, but important role in the film Tapeheads
in 1988, with Bators playing a character called "Dick Slammer".
The band's image blurred the lines of batcave rockers and glam punk
s such as Hanoi Rocks
(vocalist Michael Monroe
actually guested on one of the Lords albums using the saxophone
). For their album Is Nothing Sacred, Todd Rundgren
collaborated on "Live for Today
", a cover of a 1960s song by Anglo-Italian band The Rokes (covered in English by The Grass Roots
), producing and playing synth. Their music was darker and more melodic than traditional punk.
Bators died after being struck by a car in Paris in 1990.
Founding members Brian James and Dave Tregunna reformed The Lords of the New Church in 2003 with vocalist Adam Becvare of The LustKillers.
The lineup recorded the ten-song CD Hang On and toured Europe in spring of that year. Becvare then resurrected Vancouver's The Black Halos
in 2004, writing and recording two albums, Alive Without Control and We Are Not Alone, and touring internationally.
The Lords of the New Church fronted by Becvare continue to perform live and write new material when Becvare is not touring with The LustKillers.
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...
/American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
with a line-up consisting of four musicians from prominent 1970s 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...
bands. The band reformed with two of its original members in 2003.
History
Formed in 1982, the band featured punk pioneers Stiv BatorsStiv Bators
Stiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
(The Dead Boys
The Dead Boys
The Dead Boys were an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Among the first wave of early punk bands, the Dead Boys were initially active from 1976 to 1979, briefly reuniting in 1987, 2004 and 2005.-Formation and 1970s punk rock era:...
), Brian James (The Damned), Dave Tregunna (Sham 69
Sham 69
Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
) and Nicky Turner (The Barracudas
The Barracudas
The Barracudas are an English based Anglo-Canadian band formed in the late 1970s.The band's original lineup consisted of: Jeremy Gluck , Robin Wills , Starkie Phillips and Adam Phillips....
).
The band recorded three studio albums and one live album in their career together before Bators ended the band onstage after a concert on 2 May 1989, at the London Astoria
London Astoria
The London Astoria was a music venue, located at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. It had been leased and run by Festival Republic since 2000. It was closed on 15 January 2009 and has since been demolished...
.
They had one surprise Top 40 hit in Canada in 1982 with the single "Open Your Eyes." A more contrived attempt to have a global hit with a parody cover version of Madonna's "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin (song)
"Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
" in 1985 proved less successful, but ironically remains one of the band's best known singles to date.
The band played a small, but important role in the film Tapeheads
Tapeheads
Tapeheads is a 1988 comedy film directed by Bill Fishman. The film stars John Cusack, Tim Robbins, Sam Moore, and Junior Walker. The movie was produced by Michael Nesmith, who is seen briefly in the film as a bottled water delivery man.-Plot:...
in 1988, with Bators playing a character called "Dick Slammer".
The band's image blurred the lines of batcave rockers and glam punk
Glam punk
Glam Punk is a music genre that mixes elements of glam rock with protopunk or punk rock ....
s such as Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
(vocalist Michael Monroe
Michael Monroe
Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm , best known by his stage name, Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician, and multi-instrumentalist who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23...
actually guested on one of the Lords albums using the 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...
). For their album Is Nothing Sacred, Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
collaborated on "Live for Today
Let's Live for Today (song)
"Let's Live for Today" is a song written by David Shapiro, Ivan Mogull, and Michael Julian, and initially recorded by the English band the Rokes in 1966. The song was later popularized by the American rock band The Grass Roots, who released it as a single on May 13, 1967...
", a cover of a 1960s song by Anglo-Italian band The Rokes (covered in English by The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots is an American rock band that charted between 1966 and 1975 as the brainchild of songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri.In their career, The Grass Roots achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they...
), producing and playing synth. Their music was darker and more melodic than traditional punk.
Bators died after being struck by a car in Paris in 1990.
Founding members Brian James and Dave Tregunna reformed The Lords of the New Church in 2003 with vocalist Adam Becvare of The LustKillers.
The lineup recorded the ten-song CD Hang On and toured Europe in spring of that year. Becvare then resurrected Vancouver's The Black Halos
The Black Halos
The Black Halos are a Vancouver, BC based punk rock band founded in 1993 by lead singer Billy Hopeless and guitarist Rich Jones as The Black Market Babies. The band was briefly on Sub Pop Records, and later signed with History Music...
in 2004, writing and recording two albums, Alive Without Control and We Are Not Alone, and touring internationally.
The Lords of the New Church fronted by Becvare continue to perform live and write new material when Becvare is not touring with The LustKillers.
Original Members
- Stiv BatorsStiv BatorsStiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
– vocals - Brian James – guitar
- Dave Tregunna – bass, backing vocals
- Nicky Turner – drums, backing vocals
Studio albums
- The Lords of the New Church (1982)
- Is Nothing Sacred? (1983)
- The Method to Our Madness (1984)
- Psycho Sex (EP) (1987)
- Hang On (2003)
Compilation albums
- Killer Lords (1985)
- The Anthology (2000) France only
- The Lord's Prayer I (2002)
- The Lord's Prayer II (2003)
Singles
| Year | Song | UK | U.S. | CAN | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "New Church" | The Lords of the New Church | |||
| "Open Your Eyes" | 34 | ||||
| "Russian Roulette" | |||||
| 1983 | "Live for Today" | 91 | Is Nothing Sacred? | ||
| "Dance with Me" | 85 | ||||
| 1984 | "M[urder] Style" | 97 | The Method to Our Madness | ||
| 1985 | "Like a Virgin Like a Virgin (song) "Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration... " |
Killer Lords | |||