Party Day
Party Day | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Barnsley, England |
| Genres | Gothic rock, indie rock, post-punk |
| Years active | 1982–1988 |
| Labels | Party Day Records, Rouska Records, PIAS Recordings (Play it Again Sam Records), Torment Records, Strobelight Records. |
| Past members | Mick Baker - drums (1982-88) Martin Steele - guitar, vocals (1982-85) Carl Firth - bass, vocals (1982-86) Greg Firth - guitar (1982-83) Dean Peckett - guitar, vocals (1985-88) Paul Nash - guitar, vocals (1986-88) Shaun Crowcroft - bass (1986-88) |
Party Day were a goth/indie rock band formed in 1982 in Wombwell near to Barnsley, originally a four-piece consisting of guitarists Martin Steele, Greg Firth, bassist Carl Firth and drummer, Mick Baker.[1] Their sound was described as being "hard knuckleduster goth with post-punk overtones".[2]
History
The band were formerly called 'Further Experiments' (1979–81)[1] but regrouped as Party Day in 1982. They released their first single, "Row the Boat Ashore" c/w "Poison" on their own label, Party Day Records in 1983,[1] and was well reviewed - "their simpering and delightful sound is a thing of beauty".[3]
Their second single, "The Spider" was described as "Excellent punk junk howl"[4] and was played on John Peel's BBC Radio 1.[5] We shall hopefully continue to see them rip up the roots of this bland desolate music industry.[6]
Much of Party Day's music was "very melancholic at heart but with a drop of venomous punk inside",[2] and as with their second album, Simplicity, their music stayed with you - "the attractive, though slightly over-wrought black sheep, "Glorious Days", which could have brought a lump to Mario Lanza's trousers."[7]
Party Day released Rabbit Pie on the compilation Giraffe in Flames Aaz Records[1] to worthy acclaim. "Highlight though is Party Day's effort, a meaty guitar based number, Rabbit Pie. The threesome are coming on by leaps and bounds and Giraffe in Flames is worth buying just for them."[8]
They had a strong following in Yorkshire, and were credited as being part of both the local scenes of Sheffield [9] and Leeds "No strangers to the local circuit, Party Day have gigged consistently for almost a year".[10]
After the first album, Glasshouse[1] there was a change in personnel with Martin leaving due to ill-health.[1] Other members came in, but by 1988 they broke up after abandoning their unfinished third album.[1]
Party Day were exciting to watch live; Sounds said "They roar along, driven by a good old-fashioned pumping drum-kit, and every so often one of those elusive moving chord-sequences falls into place, leaving you completely startled"[11] and also in the NME, "They hold their guitars like loaded AK47's. They throb".[12]
For Party Day, great success and major exposure were always just a step away.[13]
Since their demise there has been quite an interest in the band. They were included within Mick Mercer's book Gothic Rock: All you ever wanted to know but were too afraid to ask, published by Pegasus 1991 (UK) ISBN 1-873892-01-2 and Cleopatra Records 1993 (USA).
Also their song "Atoms" has been included on a couple of later but favourable Gothic compilations, most notable with Germany's Strobelight Records.[1] And still today, their songs can be found aired on the gothic club dance floors of Europe.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).[14]
Discography
Singles
- Row The Boat Ashore c/w Poison (1983, Party Day Records)
- Spider c/w Flies(1984, Party Day Records)
EP's
Glasshouse EP (1985, Rouska Records)
Albums
Glasshouse (1985, Party Day Records)
Simplicity (1986, Party Day Records)
Compilations
- 'Party Day' on Real Time 5 (1983, Unlikely Records [cassette])
- 'Rabbit Pie' on Giraffe in Flames (1984, Aaz records [12" vinyl])
- 'Rabbit Pie' on Band-It No. 14 (1984, [cassette magazine])
- 'Athena' on Four Your Ears Only (1984, Play it Again Sam [12" vinyl])
- 'Opium Gathering' on Raw Red Heat (1984, Flame Tapes [cassette])
- 'Spider' on Raging Sun (1985, Rouska Records [12" vinyl])
- 'Borderline' on Bites and Stabs (1985, Torment Records [12" vinyl])
- 'Let Us Shine' on Torn in Two (1986, Torment Records)
- 'Let us Shine' on Zarah Leander's Greatest Hits (1987, Rouska Records [CD])
- 'Atoms' on Strobelights Vol.3 2006 Strobelight Records [CD])
- 'Atoms' on Return of the Batcave - Vol. 1 (2008, internet only [CD])
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Party Day website, http://www.party-day.co.uk
- ^ a b Invisible Guy http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:gNm9BfkZ4zkJ:repartiseraren.se/2012/09/14/invisible-guy-recommends-80s-gothic-rock-1983-1984-part-iii-2/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
- ^ Zigzag Magazine, singles review, July 1983
- ^ Tibet, Sounds, 19 May 1984
- ^ The Perfumed Garden, http://theperfumedgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/john-peel-2nd-july-1984.html singles playlist, July 84
- ^ Richard Rouska, Rouska Magazine, 1984
- ^ Mick Mercer, Melody Maker, album reviews, 12 July 1986
- ^ Martin Lilleker, The Star (Sheffield), album review, 11 February 1984
- ^ Kill From the Heart, http://www.killfromtheheart.com/bands.php?id=9475
- ^ NEM. Leeds Other Paper, 27 January 1984
- ^ Mr Spencer, Sounds, 19 May 1984
- ^ Susan Williams (aka Seething Wells), NME, 3 March 1984
- ^ Granuaile, ZigZag Magazine, February 1986
- ^ DJ Dragnet, League Of Extraordinary Dj’s Setlist, Nov 2016 (Amsterdam) https://www.facebook.com/DJdragnet/
External links
- Party Day - official website
- Party Day discography at Discogs