Tuesday 8 February 2011

DUNDEE HEAVY METAL GUIDE - 1981

In Cranked Up #3, back in 1981, there was an entire page devoted to local talent titled "A Guide To Dundee Bands - For The Uninitiated".
It consisted mostly of acts generally tagged as "alternative", many of which have had a mention on Retro in the past.
In amongst the alternative pack, however, were a few bands categorised as being Heavy Metal.
Each band was given a brief description and a score out of 10.
Here's the 7 HM bands who made the list - ASGARD - STARFIRE - SATAN'S EMPIRE - STREET URCHIN - SPEARHEAD & SARCOPHAGUS - PUSH - SILIGON.
Top of the pile was Street Urchin with 7/10, a higher score than many of the alternative bands.
Bottom of the bucket was Spearhead & Sarcophagus with no points, the only zero on the page and who were described as being a heavy metal kiddie band, a music genre I've not been aware of!!
Anyway, I thought they were all worth a gaze on Retro to see if anybody could recall them.
I don't have any other material on these bands, so if someone knows a little something about them, drop the info into the comments.
Or if you have any photos, memorabilia, sound samples etc, feel free to send them into Retro and I'll do a wee feature.

21 comments:

  1. Sarcophagus, if I remember correctly was made up of very hirsuit Harris Academy pupils. I sort of vaguely knew some of them by association and I think it was all very Led Zep/Black Sabbath influenced.

    The only time I saw them play was in the school Assembly Hall one lunchtime. Just remember it being loud and a lot of tittering going on in the "audience".

    They may well have gone on to greater things..but probably not!

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  2. Well, I was the drummer in Starfyre, with Brian Young on guitar, Nige Sandeman vocals and Ally Craig on bass.


    Never recorded anything - there's an article fae the Tully somewhere - I'll find it...

    Steevo (later of The Junkies, Lixx)

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  3. Thanx for the extra info.
    It didn't twig with me that the "kiddie band" quip was referring to them being school kids!
    Good to get a correction on the Starfire spelling too!
    Yeah, have a rake for band souvenir's and send them over.
    I've just found out that there's a Satan's Empire single up on Youtube.

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  4. i'd be interested to see the other scores.
    what's the odds on junkies being a 10, and vex being a 0?

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  5. The Junkies don't appear on the list for some reason. Perhaps they were considered a band for the INITIATED.
    No Vex (the band) either because by 81 it was Flux. They got 6/10 - defined as original but annoying!
    No 10/10 scores for anyone.

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  6. SILIGON or is it Silcon? a gay band? i wonder what that entailed pretty brave stance in the world of heavy metal in early 80s all pre Rob Halford.

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  7. was street urchin not a precursor to Arrival nicking the name from a Pink Fairies kings of oblivion album

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  8. would be Happy and honored to have 0 in a Heavy Metal guide ....Junkies 10 - have you actually heard them ?

    mike

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  9. Och no again Mike, can you never EVER , jist "lave it be " ??????

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  10. yes your right ricky ... wee things just wind me up ! I don't mind negative stuff , but anon annoys me ! just write your name if you know / dislike me ! most of dundee seem to :)
    mike/VEX

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  11. I thought the anon who wrote Junkies 10 - Vex 0 was implying Jock wrote the article.
    It wasn't, it was Craig as Fabian Bell, who gave the highest mark of 8 to The Scrotum Poles.
    So if you discount that self appraisal, the top mark was 7.

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  12. That's exactly what i meant retro-if it was jf who wrote the article, that's what the scores would have been. Given that it was craig, they would probably be a fairer appraisal. I'd still like to see the rest
    I certainly wasn't praising the junkies who were probably one of the most embarrassing things to ever come out of dundee, and i wasn't slagging vex (or flux), even though they weren't my cup of tea.
    relax vex, not everyone's out to have a go.
    anon.

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  13. Id give The Raunchy Guys a solid 9&Wattie Reid the Dundee Elvis Impersonutter a fair tae middlin 6 for sheer metal shiteyness.

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  14. 1981 was too early for the Raunchy Guys of course, but Grey Approach made the list and it says of them - "were Dundee darling boys for a while, but failed to deliver the goods". 6/10

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  15. I didn't include the Junkies because they really were a tribute band.

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    Replies
    1. Oh, Craig, you were always a culture bore, and oh so preciously tasteful

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  16. Spearhead had a couple of guys from Morgan Academy, a year or so above me if memory serves. A certain Mr Silvers may have also been involved - on geetar of course.

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  17. I'm sure Asgard were a Grove Academy band. Didn't Dave Telfer play guitar with them?

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  18. Street Urchin practised in the old Coffin Mill, in the back of a motor factors as one of their members was an apprentice there. It was a bloody freezing place.
    Singer was Danny (can't remember his surname) but he went on to front a band who I am pretty sure appeared in an early episode of Taggart.
    Drummer was if I remember rightly John (again can't remember surname, but he had glasses and curly hair!) - very good drummer ended up in clubby bands on cruise ships. His mate and rhythm guitarist was I think called Grant. There was a bass player too, but I have no recollection of his name.
    I played lead for them for about 2 weeks, then they sacked me. I was too good for them anyway (hahaha).
    Pretty sure I've got a demo around somewhere. Soundhog cassette . . . .

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  19. Danny McAfee( Vocals )... John Russel ( hittin things wi sicks ) ... Grant Reilly ( Geetar ,Canna spell ) cant remember the bassist ? .... the Coffin mill was Danny's work I think ... a spec's factory ( Freezin )

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