A brief outline of the early releases…
The Resistors changed their name to UK Decay in the spring of 1979 and with Pneumania released the ‘Split Single’ 7” on their own Plastic Records label.
The ‘Split Single’ sold extremely well, mainly thanks to a damning review in the NME, whose Danny Baker and Charles Shaar Murray described them as “one of the worst punk bands of all time“.
After guitarist Spon was poached from Pneumania the band recorded the Black 45 EP in October 1979 (also Plastic Records – later Fresh Records), which in 1980 rode high in the UK Indie Chart for several weeks.
“For My Country” (Fresh Records – Sept 80), gained airplay from John Peel (for whom the band would record two sessions). It spent eight months in the indie chart reaching No. 13. Next was a major UK tour with US punks, the Dead Kennedys. In 1981 two further singles, “Unexpected Guest” and “Sexual“(both Fresh Records – later UK Decay Records), were released, the former achieving the Indie chart position at No. 4, paving the way for UK Decay’s début album, ‘For Madmen Only’ (Fresh Records – later UK Decay Records) which reached no. 2 in the indie album charts.
Following a US tour in 81, Eddie ‘Dutch’ Branch (AKA ‘Twiggy’) from Northampton joined on bass.
“The Rising From The Dead” 12″ came out on The Crass owned Corpus Christi label in August 82. However, despite a strong showing in the independent charts and an ever-expanding fanbase, UK Decay split up in December 1982. A posthumous live album, “A Night For Celebration“, (cassette album – UK Decay tapes) was released during the summer of 1983.
UK Decay were arguably a major influence on the emerging post-punk and ‘goth’ movements that still resonate today. The band had a major role in developing these scenes, but had ceased to exist by the time these other bands started getting serious press coverage and sales.
In 2008 UK Decay reformed for a reunion gig in the UK and to headline the Drop Dead Festival in Portugal. Since they have played numerous major ‘darkwave’ type festivals Europe-wide
August 2009 also saw the long awaited reissue of the “For Madmen Only 2009” album, the ‘Rising from the Dead’ 12″ and other singles on CD and download.
2013 saw the release of “New Hope For The Dead” a brand new album and in 2014 will be playing further dates. For current UK Decay band activity including forthcoming gigs and current news can be found on the ‘UK Decay Today’ website