Angelic Upstarts

[cosmic-hearse]

RIP Mensi.

They were an underrated band, often linked to The Exploited & their ilk but much more musically diverse than that (such as the Dexys-like horns on the '2000000 Voices' LP), melodic yet aggro as fuck when necessary. 'The Murder of Liddle Towers' is still incendiary (& depressingly relevant) - apparently it led to a lot of harassment & intimidation of the band from the County Durham police.

Mensi was also a lifelong anti-fascist. I was chatting with a friend a while ago who was at the Battle of Waterloo - he had been cornered by some boneheads & facing an imminent kicking when he was rescued by some AFA types - who included Mensi (and a couple of members of Blaggers ITA, surely the 90's heirs to the Upstarts' throne).

[pupshaw]

I never could quite get my head around the idea of Paul Thompson of Roxy Music joining such an uncouth outfit.
Obviously must have loved the music, because he can't have been short of options, or money.

Should perhaps listen to them and find out...

[Pauline Walnuts]

This guy? 6 minute in

[itsfredtitmus]

.

[cosmic-hearse]

Never seen that in full before, it's hilarious!

(I like Wobble / Levine era Pil, but they're embarrassing prima donnas there, lacking the wit or spontaneity to respond to Mond's mild barbs)