The Meteors
Encyclopedia
The Meteors are an English psychobilly
band formed in 1980. Originally from London
, England
, they are often credited with giving the psychobilly subgenre—which fuses punk rock
with rockabilly
—its distinctive sound and style. Though the origins of psychobilly are debated, The Meteors are the first band to self-identify as psychobilly, and are often credited with the distinction of being the only "pure" psychobilly band among fans of the subgenre.
Fans of the band (known as the Wrecking Crew) are known to use the slogan, "Only The Meteors are Pure Psychobilly," (often shortened to "OTMAPP")
and vocals), Nigel Lewis (upright bass/electric bass
) and vocals), and Mark Robertson (drums
). This is considered as the definitive line-up by some fans. Fenech and Lewis had played in rockabilly
bands before, but left their former band, Raw Deal, in order to experiment with a new sound that mixed horror
and science fiction
lyrics with a punk rock
/ rockabilly
crossover (as distinct from the slower, psychedelic rockabilly sound of the Cramps
). This sound would later be called psychobilly. What made them unique was that Fenech & Lewis each sang lead vocals on their own tracks. Their vocals were so different it was like having two bands in one.
The Meteors played their first show during Rockabilly Night at The Sparrow Hawk in north London
, but after being heckled due to their cross between rockabilly and punk attitudes, decided to begin playing shows beyond just rockabilly clubs. They developed a loyal following known as "the Crazies, or Zorchmen" who invented their own dance style then called "going mental," a cross between fighting, dancing and moshing
. This would later be renamed "wrecking," and is still a staple of the psychobilly scene. This coupled with Fenech's ritual of spitting (chicken) blood during performances led many clubs into believing the band was dangerous and refusiung to book them. The band began playing at punk rock clubs alongside UK punk bands such as The Clash
, The Damned and later Anti-Nowhere League
and the UK Subs
. However, unlike many punk bands, The Meteors would (and still very much do) insist that their shows be "a politics and religion free zone" in order to focus on having a good time instead of allowing disputes between fans to break out.
The band made their first TV appearence on Thames TV afternoon show White Light in late 1980. Due to their large cult following, The Meteors made a short film in late 1980 with comedian Keith Allen called Meteor Madness. It was released as a double feature with two-tone ska
film Dance Craze in March 1981. The movie featured four songs, which made it onto the band's first vinyl single first issued on Ace Records & later on Big Beat
. To date the film Meteor Madness has never been released on video or DVD although over the last few years poor quality copies have appeared on youtube
. The tracks were also issued as a rare 12 mini-album called The Meteors Meet Screaming Lord Sutch. Soon after that they issued the double A-side anthems Radioactive Kid & Graveyard Stomp. A Session was recorded for the late John Peel
BBC
radio show in June 1981. Again to date these tracks have never been officialy released. In August 1981, the band were signed to Island Records
and recorded their first full-length album The Case Of The Meteors In Heaven and 7 single The Crazed. The original line-up also recorded an EP although due to contract restraints it was issued under the pseudonym of Clapham-South Escalators which featured 2 vocal tracks by Lewis Get Me To The World On Time & Carboard Cutouts plus one by Fenech Leave Me Alone. Not long after this Mark Robertson left the band after an invitation to join Theatre Of Hate
(although this never materialised). He was replaced by long time Meteors fan/roadie Woodie. This line-up also recorded a single in early 1982 under another pseudonym name,this time The Tall Boys was used. The single featured two vocal tracks from Lewis Another Half Hour Till Sunrise & Island Of Lost Souls. A rare live television
appearence in Paris
, France
featuring three Nigel Lewis tracks has recently surfaced on YouTube
. This was to be the last ever recording featuring Fenech and Lewis together as both Nigel & Woodie left soon after.
Lewis would later take part on The Escalators, The Tall Boys, The Johnson Family and the Zorchmen - see performance clip in "Trash on The Tube" feature on Youtube.
The Meteors have gone through many line-up changes since, with Fenech being the only original member today. The current line-up includes Simon Linden on bass and Wolfgang Hordemann (who, though not from the original line up, is the longest serving member by far after Fenech) on drums. They have 25 official albums, countless singles, and numerous re-issues and compilation appearances. They continue to record using their own In Heaven recording studios, based in an old church -- Fenech is a fully qualified sound engineer and producer -- and also Maddog Studios (a 58 metre high tower in Germany), both professional studios used by many bands from around the world. The Meteors have extensively toured Japan
, Europe
and Scandinavia
, South America
, and the Middle East. At the time of writing, they have completed well over 5500 live shows (occasionally two per night).
P. Paul Fenech has also released six highly regarded solo albums and plays in many side projects including, the Legendary Raw Deal (rockabilly), The Surfing Dead (instrumental), Cherry and The Devil (rockabilly), The Outsiders (rockabilly). He is also a prolific and successful writer of horror film music and has written extensively for television and many other films (using a pseudonym). He is also a keen gardener and writes a weekly column under the pseudonym Percy Lupton. Nigel Lewis and Mark Robertson went on to play together in the Escalators with Woodie (drums/Guitar) and Bart Coles (vocals/guitar), a psychedelic rock
band (although with a similar sound to Nigels Meteors vocal tracks) and released a couple of singles and an album which is widely regarded as one of the very best on the Big Beat
record label. However a serious back injury to Nigel stopped the band in their tracks. Several months later Nigel & Mark were to reamerge as the Tall Boys, a band best known for recording the song "Take a Walk" for the Return of the Living Dead
soundtrack.
.
Psychobilly
Psychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly...
band formed in 1980. Originally from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
, they are often credited with giving the psychobilly subgenre—which fuses 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...
with rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
—its distinctive sound and style. Though the origins of psychobilly are debated, The Meteors are the first band to self-identify as psychobilly, and are often credited with the distinction of being the only "pure" psychobilly band among fans of the subgenre.
Fans of the band (known as the Wrecking Crew) are known to use the slogan, "Only The Meteors are Pure Psychobilly," (often shortened to "OTMAPP")
Biography
The Meteors were started in 1980 by P. Paul Fenech (guitarGuitar
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...
and vocals), Nigel Lewis (upright bass/electric bass
Electric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
) and vocals), and Mark Robertson (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 ....
). This is considered as the definitive line-up by some fans. Fenech and Lewis had played in rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
bands before, but left their former band, Raw Deal, in order to experiment with a new sound that mixed horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
lyrics with a 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...
/ rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
crossover (as distinct from the slower, psychedelic rockabilly sound of the Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
). This sound would later be called psychobilly. What made them unique was that Fenech & Lewis each sang lead vocals on their own tracks. Their vocals were so different it was like having two bands in one.
The Meteors played their first show during Rockabilly Night at The Sparrow Hawk in north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but after being heckled due to their cross between rockabilly and punk attitudes, decided to begin playing shows beyond just rockabilly clubs. They developed a loyal following known as "the Crazies, or Zorchmen" who invented their own dance style then called "going mental," a cross between fighting, dancing 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...
. This would later be renamed "wrecking," and is still a staple of the psychobilly scene. This coupled with Fenech's ritual of spitting (chicken) blood during performances led many clubs into believing the band was dangerous and refusiung to book them. The band began playing at punk rock clubs alongside UK punk bands such as The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, The Damned and later Anti-Nowhere League
Anti-Nowhere League
Anti-Nowhere League is an English punk band, formed in 1980 by lead singer Animal , guitarist Magoo , Tony "Bones" Shaw on drums and Chris "Baggy" Elvy on bass.-Early days:...
and the UK Subs
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
. However, unlike many punk bands, The Meteors would (and still very much do) insist that their shows be "a politics and religion free zone" in order to focus on having a good time instead of allowing disputes between fans to break out.
The band made their first TV appearence on Thames TV afternoon show White Light in late 1980. Due to their large cult following, The Meteors made a short film in late 1980 with comedian Keith Allen called Meteor Madness. It was released as a double feature with two-tone ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
film Dance Craze in March 1981. The movie featured four songs, which made it onto the band's first vinyl single first issued on Ace Records & later on Big Beat
Big beat
Big beat is a term employed since the mid-1990s by the British music press to describe much of the music by artists such as The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, and Propellerheads typically driven by heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns in...
. To date the film Meteor Madness has never been released on video or DVD although over the last few years poor quality copies have appeared on youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The tracks were also issued as a rare 12 mini-album called The Meteors Meet Screaming Lord Sutch. Soon after that they issued the double A-side anthems Radioactive Kid & Graveyard Stomp. A Session was recorded for the late 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...
BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio show in June 1981. Again to date these tracks have never been officialy released. In August 1981, the band were signed to Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
and recorded their first full-length album The Case Of The Meteors In Heaven and 7 single The Crazed. The original line-up also recorded an EP although due to contract restraints it was issued under the pseudonym of Clapham-South Escalators which featured 2 vocal tracks by Lewis Get Me To The World On Time & Carboard Cutouts plus one by Fenech Leave Me Alone. Not long after this Mark Robertson left the band after an invitation to join Theatre Of Hate
Theatre of Hate
Theatre of Hate were a post-punk band formed in Britain in 1980.Led by singer-songwriter and ex-member of punk band The Pack, Kirk Brandon, the original group also consisted of: guitarist Steve Guthrie, bassist Stan Stammers , saxophonist John Lennard and drummer Luke Rendle from Crisis/The...
(although this never materialised). He was replaced by long time Meteors fan/roadie Woodie. This line-up also recorded a single in early 1982 under another pseudonym name,this time The Tall Boys was used. The single featured two vocal tracks from Lewis Another Half Hour Till Sunrise & Island Of Lost Souls. A rare live television
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
appearence in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 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...
featuring three Nigel Lewis tracks has recently surfaced on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. This was to be the last ever recording featuring Fenech and Lewis together as both Nigel & Woodie left soon after.
Lewis would later take part on The Escalators, The Tall Boys, The Johnson Family and the Zorchmen - see performance clip in "Trash on The Tube" feature on Youtube.
The Meteors have gone through many line-up changes since, with Fenech being the only original member today. The current line-up includes Simon Linden on bass and Wolfgang Hordemann (who, though not from the original line up, is the longest serving member by far after Fenech) on drums. They have 25 official albums, countless singles, and numerous re-issues and compilation appearances. They continue to record using their own In Heaven recording studios, based in an old church -- Fenech is a fully qualified sound engineer and producer -- and also Maddog Studios (a 58 metre high tower in Germany), both professional studios used by many bands from around the world. The Meteors have extensively toured Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and the Middle East. At the time of writing, they have completed well over 5500 live shows (occasionally two per night).
P. Paul Fenech has also released six highly regarded solo albums and plays in many side projects including, the Legendary Raw Deal (rockabilly), The Surfing Dead (instrumental), Cherry and The Devil (rockabilly), The Outsiders (rockabilly). He is also a prolific and successful writer of horror film music and has written extensively for television and many other films (using a pseudonym). He is also a keen gardener and writes a weekly column under the pseudonym Percy Lupton. Nigel Lewis and Mark Robertson went on to play together in the Escalators with Woodie (drums/Guitar) and Bart Coles (vocals/guitar), a psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band (although with a similar sound to Nigels Meteors vocal tracks) and released a couple of singles and an album which is widely regarded as one of the very best on the Big Beat
Big beat
Big beat is a term employed since the mid-1990s by the British music press to describe much of the music by artists such as The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, and Propellerheads typically driven by heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns in...
record label. However a serious back injury to Nigel stopped the band in their tracks. Several months later Nigel & Mark were to reamerge as the Tall Boys, a band best known for recording the song "Take a Walk" for the Return of the Living Dead
Return of the Living Dead
The Return of the Living Dead is a 1985 American zombie film that was followed by several sequels. The film was written and directed by Dan O'Bannon and starred Clu Gulager, James Karen and Don Calfa....
soundtrack.
Discography
Chart placings shown, unless stated otherwise, are from the UK Indie ChartUK 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...
.
- 1981 Meteor Madness
- 1981 Radioactive Kid
- 1981 The Crazed
- 1981 Get Me To The World On Time (Clapham South Escalators)
- 1982 Island Of Lost Souls (Tall Boys)
- 1982 Mutant Rock (#4)
- 1982 Punky Party E.P. (Flexipop 25)
- 1983 Johnny Remember Me (UK Indie #2, UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#66) - 1984 I’m Just A Dog (#3)
- 1985 Fire, Fire (#7)
- 1985 Bad Moon Rising (#6)
- 1986 Surf City (#8)
- 1987 Go Buddy Go (#15)
- 1987 Don’t Touch The Bang Bang Fruit (#31)
- 1988 Rawhide
- 1990 Somebody Put Something In My Drink
- 1991 Chainsaw Boogie (MCD)
- 1992 Who Do You Love? (MCD)
- 1994 Chainsaw Boogie
- 1994 Hell Ain’t Hot Enough (MCD)
- 1997 Slow Down You Grave Robbing Bastard (7" & Pic7")
- 2005 25 Years Anniversary (Picture Disc)
- 2007 Hymns for Hellbound
- 2009 Hell Train Rollin
12"
- 1981 The Meteors Meet Screaming Lord Sutch
- 1984 I’m Just A Dog
- 1985 Stampede
- 1985 Hogs & Cuties
- 1986 Wrecking Crew (Archive 4)
- 1986 Mutant Rock (#19)
- 1986 Surf City
- 1987 Go Buddy Go
- 1987 Don’t Touch The Bang Bang Fruit
- 1988 Somebody Put Something In My Drink
- 1988 Surfin’ On The Planet Zorch
- 1989 Please Don’t Touch
- 1991 Chainsaw Boogie
LP
- 1981 In Heaven
- 1983 Wreckin’ Crew (#1)
- 1984 Stampede (#6)
- 1985 The Curse Of The Mutants (#5)
- 1985 Monkey’s Breath (#4)
- 1986 Horrible Music For Horrible People by This Horrible Band (#5)
- 1986 Teenagers From Outer Space (#6)
- 1986 Sewertime Blues (#9)
- 1987 Don’t Touch The Bang Bang Fruit (#8)
- 1988 Only The Meteors Are Pure Psychobilly (#9)
- 1988 The Mutant Monkey And The Surfers From Zorch
- 1989 Undead, Unfriendly And Unstoppable
- 1991 Bad Moon Rising
- 1991 Madman Roll
- 1992 Demonopoly
- 1994 No Surrender (CD)
- 1995 Mental Instrumentals (CD)
- 1997 Bastard Sons Of A Rock’n’Roll Devil
- 1999 John Peel Sessions 1983–1985 (CD)
- 1999 The Meteors vs. The World
- 2001 Psycho Down!
- 2003 Psychobilly
- 2004 These Evil Things
- 2004 The Lost Album (CD)
- 2007 Hymns for the Hellbound
- 2009 Hell Train Rollin'
Live-Records
- 1983 Live (#3)
- 1985 The Meteors Live (#19)
- 1986 Live II
- 1987 Live And Loud
- 1987 Night Of The Werewolf (#17)
- 1990 Live III
- 1991 Encores
- 1992 International Wreckers (CD)
- 1996 Welcome To The Wreckin’ Pit (CD)
- 1996 International Wreckers 2 (CD)
- 2000 Psychobilly Revolution (CD)
- 2002 The Final Conflict
- 2003 The Meteors From Beyond
- 2004 Hell In The Pacific (CD)