Sexbeat

Biography

Originally formed by batcave DJ & better badges assistant guru, Hamish (guitars / vocals), la belle Sophie (bass / ID magazine cover), Linzi (USA / drums) and the darling Max Edie (guitars / voice), the band first supported the Meteors in the Lyceum in 1982 and, after losing Max (eventually to World Party), went on to play gigs at the Batcave , the Lyceum with The Gun Club, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Stray Cats, Hammersmith Palais with Killing Joke, Gary Glitter, and the Cramps (as well as a...

Originally formed by batcave DJ & better badges assistant guru, Hamish (guitars / vocals), la belle Sophie (bass / ID magazine cover), Linzi (USA / drums) and the darling Max Edie (guitars / voice), the band first supported the Meteors in the Lyceum in 1982 and, after losing Max (eventually to World Party), went on to play gigs at the Batcave , the Lyceum with The Gun Club, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Stray Cats, Hammersmith Palais with Killing Joke, Gary Glitter, and the Cramps (as well as a 1983 UK tour with the Cramps), the Savoy with Johnny Thunders, Mystery train, Danceteria (New York), CBGBs, and the East Side Club in Philadelphia, USA. The band was augmented at times by a second guitarist - notably our John, who just vanished...

The band released one track ('Sexbeat') on the Batcave compilation album ('Young limbs..."), a track which hit west coast USA airwaves with a bang and led to the immediate signing of the band to ABC records. For this label Sexbeat recorded 'Pump' and 'Sweat' but the flavour and true essence of the Bowie-riffed song disappeared into a production of drum machine dubby reflections, while 'Sweat' laboured to hit it's live peak despite the flawless bass-line of our dear french Sophie. Despite constant airplay the band were to see none of the rewards and became recluses in the pits of despair...

Some live recordings exist and will be available soon - i apologise in advance for the quality of these recordings - it was 1982-4 and we used cassttes then. One recording in particular is only playable in it's entireity because of the pyschedelics of the context: the quality is not bad but specimen's guitarist (john klein) has taken hold of the reins of the echo and delay machine and reduced the already cranked and opiated-out threesome to a dub version of a very slow lou reed/hawkwind type thing...serious...the girls had decided on a joint suicide pact as i was DJing out front. they made it out from backstage, saying this was to be a farewell show in all senses of the word. these 3 philly punks, who'd been hanging out in the DJ booth, filled us up with so many narcotics i couldn't even see my shaking hand, or feel it as i spiked it on my strings, and then the bright stage lights came on and we tried to play....in a whirl of repeats and surges of speed energy, it was like surfing on a wave of sound that distantly sounded out of tune and ever so slow...

The beautiful irony is i never stopped writing or playing (though in different guise)s and if i can find soph and linz, i'll play anywhere...

Some new ideas are ready to demo out on the street now, however, so if i see a demand to hear anything i'll post it or a link...

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