DESTRUCTION / CREATION - PART 1 - 1981

[The first public performance by the Prinicipal Player – and in fact the first work of performance art in Dundee – took place in February 1981 at Laing’s in Roseangle, which at the time served as the art college union. Horobin’s Destruction/Creation resulted in the destruction of all the inadequate and unnecessary paraphernalia of his painting course, including the tearing up of his diploma, pieces of which were then distributed among the audience. The action emphasised the inadequacy of a visual artist to communicate when compared to a rock band, symbolised in this instance by Boo Hooray.]

The top image is the poster for the Destruction / Creation event at Laings in Feb '81.
It was also used as the cover of a journal that documented the event in its various stages, featuring Pete in action along with Boo Hooray on stage and an engrossed group of art students!

Courtesy of The Attic Archive.

BOO-HOORAY - G.I.G.O McGURK - 1984

Boo Hooray have made a couple of appearances on Retro already, those tracks having been taken from the early 80's Dundee Compilation Cassette, a local unofficial homemade product.

This record here however, called "G.I.G.O McGurk", was the bands official release, recorded at Wilf Smarties studio in Edinburgh and brought out as a 12 inch single in 1984.
Boo Hooray didn't exactly pander to pop chart formulas mind you, so this is probably the band at their most commercial.
Line-up on this recording were - Gerry Mitchell, bass + talk - Alison Mitchell, singing - Scott Gowans, guitars - Brem, sax - and the drums were of the programmed variety.
Quite an offbeat mixture stirring around in the blender - Magic Band style guitar - Manhattan Transfer sounding harmonies and Byrne "Once In A Lifetime" fashion talkover.
A captivating little cocktail!!
Boo Hooray were also collaborators on a variety of projects that became part of Dundee's Attic Archive. Included in the Archive are Boo Hooray live recordings, Erasmic Superfoam audios and various Mike Kane related artifacts, all of which have recently been passed on to the Dundee Central Library Social History Dept.
In fact, this record came courtesy of the Attic Archive, more of which will be dipped into over the next few days.

BOO HOORAY - FOR EXAMPLE - EARLY 80'S

This is the time of year a lot of oldies go for their winter jab, so I thought I'd get involved and inject a Boo Hooray track into your circulatory system!

Boo Hooray were sonic fidgets. Personnel-wise and music-wise. There was never really a settled band line-up. There was main man Gerry Mitchell, and a cluster of others who weaved in and out.

This cool image above is Scott Gowans, one of the guitarists who teamed up with them for a spell. The photo would have been taken around 1981ish, roughly the same era as the record.

I suppose whether you like Boo Hooray's output or not, could depend on how musically aware you are. If, for example, your taste lies solely in the Top 40 Pop Charts and your record collection was purchased in ASDA, then there is a good chance the track will go in one ear and out the other.

Should you be the more adventurous type who liked to delve into music's more vibrant underground scene, then you may be able to identify a few influences in the mix.

The guitar intro on their track "For Example" attacks you like a bout of pins & needles, but as it subsides it then administers a fragmented funky groove into your body, which, providing you're not one of the living dead, ought to give you a good wee buzz!

Much better for you than any corporate rock placebo..!!

Thanks to MK & GM.

 

THE MUSIC OF BOO HOORAY

This rare advert is for a Boo Hooray gig that took place at Laings on 3rd Oct 1981.

I don't think I was at this one but I do recall seeing them live at the Tayside Bar.

The band line-up changed periodically but included the likes of Gerry Mitchell, Neal Mitchell, Scott McKinlay, Scott Gowans, Bob Phillips & Paul Smith.

Below, you can have a sample of Dundee's post-punk rebels who dared to be different.

The track is called "This Work".