Metalheads Unite! \m/ \m/

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by InDogWeTrust

Hmm, It's hard to tell. I'm struggling to see the difference.

One's the prince of darkness, the others a muppet with a croaky voice.

Make up your own mind which is which.

[Susan Foreman]

You either get it, or you don't!

[Susan Foreman]

Does anyone else remember the television show ECT, which was broadcast on CH4 in 1985?

In the spring of 1985, UK television was subject to something extremely unusual… just over 2 months of live heavy metal.. each and every week on channel 4.

In the days when we only had 4 television channels this was a big deal for us metalheads and almost certainly represents the greatest coverage ever of Hard Rock music on UK terrestrial television.

Admittedly, the format could have been better. In the days of music videos taking over the world magazines such as Kerrang suggested this would have shown metal in a better light.

However the show created its own historical moment in metal time - and for two months, live heavy rock took over Channel 4 on Friday afternoons.

*ECT – EPISODE 1 – 12th APRIL 1985

The first band to appear on the show were MOTORHEAD. Dressed in suits, the then 4 piece band (Lemmy, Phil Cambell, Wurzel and Pete Gill) got things off in style with Nothin Up My Sleeve, Bomber and Mean Machine !!!




Next up were the punk/goth supergroup THE LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH, featuring Stiv Bators (The Dead Boys), Brian James The Damned), Dave Tregunna (Sham 69) and Nicky Turner (The Barracudas). Dark swaggering and mysterious The Lords were in top form and Stiv's prophetic drug joke in between songs must have set pulses racing at Channel 4. Prophetic because Stiv always had a taste for indulgence and he physically deteriorated massively over the next few years. Anyway enjoy The Lords at their peak..


The third band on the bill were MAGNUM. Heading for soon to be chart success and promoting their new well reviewed album ‘On A Storyteller’s Night’, Magnum were definitely favourites of rock critics and fans in 1985..

I saw them a number of times in the 80's, and loved them. Here’s their performance – How Far Jerusalem and Just Like An Arrow:



Bizarrely headlining, were the short lived American glamsters MADAM X. I liked them, and booked a ticket to see them at The Dominion Theatre in London on the strength of this performance, although I had never been to London on my own before, and I had no idea where the theatre actually was!! Sadly (or maybe luckily), the show was cancelled at the eleventh hour, and so I never got to make the journey. Anyway, enjoy the fun! Songs are High In High School and Come One, Come All

*

[Susan Foreman]

ECT – EPISODE 2 – 19th April 1985 – TORME, ROGUE MALE, GIRLSCHOOL, WAYSTED

First on were TORME featuring the guitarist Bernie Torme who found fame in the early 80s as the lead guitarist for GILLAN, the successful chart bothering band fronted by former Deep Purple mainman Ian Gillan.. Also in the band was Phil Lewis. the charismatic former singer from glam metal sensations GIRL, Later, Lewis departed for the USA and fame and fortune with the band LA GUNS.

Here are TORME opening the show :



The second band featured in the episode were Rogue Male. They made a small impact for a year or two, were the darlings of Kerrang! Magazine.. then disappeared.

Here’s their performance



Then came Girlschool, already minor legends following their successful collaboration with Motorhead. Girlschool kept the momentum going through the early 80s and by this point they were heading towards a more melodic approach (as many bands were craving some chart success!). I saw them a couple of time, both as support for other bands: The Blue Oyster Cult and Gary Glitter!!!!! I also saw them under the name 'Strange Girls', with Toyah Willcox on vocals!



Finally and headlining the show, another band who made a minor splash in the mid 80s. WAYSTED were formed by successful former UFO bassist Pete Way and the enigmatic frontman Fin. Sort of a heavy rock version of Rod Stewart, if you can imagine – yes, he was great. Fin was ultimately*replaced as WAYSTED then went for a more radio friendly approach. Didn’t do much for me from that point*and they ultimately*lost their way and broke up.

I saw them as a support act with Iron Maiden

Anyway here’s the real WAYSTED their peak… get ready to rock!!

[Susan Foreman]

And so onto ECT’s 3rd week and probably one of its weakest. Or perhaps the programme makers just didn’t get the subject matter…. or maybe it was just that only one of my favourite bands was on that week

Anyway, the available video footage of episode 3 is not to the quality of the first two weeks but you will still get the idea!

Running order I think was, first up SHY. These melodic rockers from Birmingham weren’t too bad and you get the full on live vocal experience from Tony Mills I remember in this clip! Keep The Fires Burning was a great song….





Next up TOBRUK. They were also from the Midlands I think and featured semi charismatic vocalist Snake on vocals. (While reserching this article I was sad to read that Snake died in 2006).

I think I saw them opening for Magnum...or maybe it was UFO they opened for!



WARRIOR were third on. Utterly bonkers, a bit like a poor man’s MANOWAR, but you can’t argue with a song as catchy as ‘Fighting For The Earth’.





And then headlining were metal legends HAWKWIND! Insane and a typically spaced out performance. Just what were the programme makers thinking? Anyway, no complaints – here’s mid 80s HAWKWIND headlining the most bizarre episode of the whole of the ECT series...and that's saying something!!!

Saw them live many, many times!!!!

[Susan Foreman]

Onto ECT’s 4th week which was quite enjoyable

Opening the show were TYGERS OF PAN TANG who’d made minor ripples in the previous few years as part of the NWOBHM movement. Fair to say by 85 they were probably past their best after losing key members of the band (John Sykes most notably) and 1985 found the TYGERS going for a more melodic edge (along with many of their contemporaries).



Next up were Northern Irish rockers MAMAS BOYS. Three brothers and never my favourites it has to be said, but many enjoyed their straight ahead rock style.




ROBIN GEORGE was on next. A bit of a strange one this. With his pretty boy good looks and one of the best pop rock songs of the mid 80’s in ‘Heartline’ – you would have thought ROBIN GEORGE was a surefire tip for the top. We catch him here a year or so after he produced Glam rock titans WRATHCHILD’s debut album ‘Stakk Attakk’, performing in support of his album ‘Dangerous Music’. Sadly, it didn't happen, and he faded into obscurity



And finally headlining were MCCOY who made a tiny splash for a year or so. John McCoy became famous as part of chart bothering rockers GILLAN and he went on to form his own band. Doesn’t quite work with the short lived female singer, but McCoy himself was a character and gotta love a bit of Pyro!

Saw John McCoy when he was the bass player with Gillan

[Susan Foreman]

Week 5 of ECT and it was getting into its stride properly, even if the line ups were a bit hit and miss.

No exception this week as we start off with MARINO THE BAND. They were a rock combo promoting their guitarist who I think was named Mike Marino. Anyway as it turned out the band actually became a star vehicle for heavy metal (ahem) pin up Lisa Dominique. As you can see from the below video MARINO THE BAND weren’t the greatest but Dominique held the interest of Kerrang! for a few years and appeared in the magazine in various sultry shots. In those days before PARAMORE and other glamorous female fronted rock acts, all the guys had to go for were GIRLSCHOOL and ROCK GODDESS. I’m not denying the charms of either of those two bands, but Lisa Dominique was much more a feminine pin up type of character. Also remember 90% of rock fans in the mid 80s were male, it wasn’t until the tussled Jon Bon Jovi took over the world that female rock fans appeared in hordes . Anyway, on with MARINO THE BAND….oh and you get the CH4 logo and opening sequence this week!



WILDFIRE, I honestly can’t remember anything about. So without fanfare here they are…



Next up were boogie rockers SPIDER. They were always a lot of fun with a real Classic Status Quo sound and they added a good touch of humour to their stomp along songs.

Saw then supporting Gillan

Sadly and for the first time in this whole ECT run-through, I can’t find any posted footage from their ECT performance, so instead here are a couple of studio tracks from the band





Finally the big names came out this week to headline GARY MOORE AND PHIL LYNOTT. Playing their chart bothering hit ‘Out In The Fields’ and another song that appeared on GARY MOORE’S ‘Run For Cover’ album. Sadly you can see LYNOTT doesn’t seem quite with it and as we all to well know the drugs sadly got him a few months later and his death shocked the rock world and beyond. Hard to believe we’ve lost GARY MOORE as well.

Never saw Thin Lizzy, but I did manage to see Gary Moore on one of his Blues tours

Anyway, here’s PHIL and GARY, let’s enjoy the memory of two legends on stage….

[Susan Foreman]

And into episode 6 we go and a bit of a glam rock feel to kick off this week’s episode.

First up are PET HATE with ‘Wreck The Radio’ and the catchy ‘Girls Grow Up Too Fast’. PET HATE were formerly known as SILVERWING. Never my favourites, but ‘Girls’ is a good song



Next up TARAZARA. Fronted by the charismatic Danielz (who has subsequently carved a successful career as top Marc Bolan tribute T-REXTASY), TARAZARA had good songs and that was part of the appeal for me, as well as the fantastic image of course



On we go and a great working Heavy Metal band CHARIOT. Apparently they were the only band who appeared at the Reading Rock festival, without have a single bottle thrown at them!



And lastly, building up to a headline frenzy.… bang yer ‘eds to …. umm….errr.. SNOWY WHITE. The ex Thin Lizzy guitarist was probably signed for the show because of who he was but this was the first real own goal by the ECT producers. SNOWY WHITE most certainly did not want to rock and I can’t find the footage of his ECT performance. Here’s a typically subdued version of his hit ‘Bird of Paradise’…. Zzzzzzzzzz.

[Susan Foreman]

ECT Episode 7

First up, CANNES. Wow – star quality or what from the singer. All these years later I remember him and his mike twirling antics. This is what you want from a wannabe rock star – shame he didn’t make it.



LIONHEART were next. Difficult to follow on after the star quality of CANNES, but competent enough (dodgy 80s get up aside)…



And then comes THE GRIP. Vocalist Willie was an exploding ball of energy and THE GRIP were a solid Glam outfit that probably deserved more success than they got. Coming off the back of NWOBHM, the Brit audience was still coming to terms with the move from denim’ and leather to poodle hair and make up. Anyway, Willie Dowling has gone on to become a successful performer, writer, producer etc and is highly thought of and involved in many of Ginger Wildheart’s projects.



And finally, PERSIAN RISK. A slick, professional band and also should have done better than they did

[Susan Foreman]

Episode 8

First up THE GUNSLINGERS, whose Hanoi Rocks crossed with The Faces beat was right up my musical alley



Next up it’s THE TORPEDOES. Originally a hard rock outfit fronted by Phil Lewis, he’d left them (as I recall) to join TORME. Renaming themselves THE NEW TORPEDOES they went for a more radio friendly edge and had some good songs. The only thing I remember about this performance is when the female singer, Misty I think her name was, tried to do a high jump, and her skirt fell off!



Then what most of the crowd had been waiting for VENOM! Against all the odds, VENOM put in probably the best and most ridiculous performance in the whole series of ECT! Absolutely great and lunatic stuff and the crowd went mad…



And lastly, the gorgeous LEE AARON (who I believe has been a country rock singer for many years now). Anyway, here she is in her pseudo metal glory! I bought the pretty good album METAL QUEEN and her follow up album should have made the big time. Unfortunately after the first single (Rock Me All Over) it was remixed and all the life and power was sucked out of it. Anyway here’s LEE AARON again providing some titillation for the mainly male metal masses!



For the boys, she also did a topless photo shoot in the Amercian magazine 'Oui'!