{"id":183,"date":"2013-12-04T21:10:30","date_gmt":"2013-12-04T21:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/?page_id=183"},"modified":"2014-01-19T23:09:33","modified_gmt":"2014-01-19T23:09:33","slug":"line-up","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/history\/personel\/line-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Band Line up Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Line-up changes in the band through time<\/h2>\n

A look at UK Decay\u2019s line-up from 1977 to 1982 including a brief look at The Rezistors , UK Decay\u2019s forbears.<\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Rezistors 1977\/78 with Martin ‘Segovia’ Smith in the middle on guitar, Mick Dove right and Steve Harle on drums.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Rezistors formed christmas1977 and played their first gig at Luton\u2019s Barnfield College. The earliest line-up was Ricky Smith – Vocals Martyn Smith – Guitar Dave Stubbs – Guitar Mick Dove – Bass and the late Steve Harle \u2013 Drums. Through 1978 there were various line-up changes resulting in Steve Harle drums, Martin Smith Bass, Abbo guitar and first Ricky Smith followed by Paul Wilson and St Albans Simon – before Abbo took over on vocals in early 1979.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Genesis of UK Decay<\/h2>\n
\"UK<\/a>

UK Decay spring 1979, Martin Smith left Abbo middle Steve Harle right<\/p><\/div>\n

With Steve ‘Abbo’ Abbott on vocals the band were now a 3 piece (Steve Harle drums, Martin Smith Bass, Abbo guitar,vocals). In early 1979, The Rezistors teamed up with another local band Pneumania and played some live shows together. This led on to the two bands producing a single together, the \u2018Split Single\u2019. After completing the recording session in April 1979 Abbo announced to the world the bands new name; UK Decay.
\nThe 3-piece line-up only lasted 6 months until October 1979 with the inclusion of Steve Spon guitar formally with Pneumania relieving Abbo to concentrate on vocals although occasionally picking up the guitar.<\/p>\n

The early classical UK Decay line-up<\/h2>\n

October1979 – January 1981<\/p>\n

\"UK<\/a>

UK Decay early 1980 L – R
Spon, Abbo, Steve & Martin<\/p><\/div>\n

Now with Steve Harle drums, Martin Smith Bass, Abbo guitar\/vocals and Steve Spon guitar we enter the early classical UK Decay line-up lasting from October 1979 until the departure of Martin Smith in January 1981. This line-up recorded 3 singles (The Black Cat EP, For My Country and Dresden\/Unexpected Guest) and as well as touring with \u2018The Dead Kennedys\u2019 on their first UK tour toured extensively in Europe and the UK. The remaining 3 would continue together up until the end at that auspicious \u2018last day of 1982\u2019 gig at the Hammersmith Klub Foot.<\/p>\n

The interim period<\/h2>\n

January1981 – July 1981<\/p>\n

\"Lol<\/a>

Lol Turvey on the left<\/p><\/div>\n

The departure of Martin Smith led to a 6-month period in which UK Decay had problems in finding a permanent Bassist. As there was a European tour arranged Loraine Turvey stood in on bass. Loraine (\u2018Lol\u2019) Turvey\u2019s period with UK Decay lasted only a couple of months but in that time the band had played some significant shows in some of Europe\u2019s main capitals and had started to get some real media attention. The photo on the left was included in the first \u2018front page\u2019 for UK Decay in the UK music rag \u2018Sounds\u2019. Lol however had commitments and went her own way.<\/p>\n

\"UK<\/a>

UK Decay at the Taboo Club, Scarborough, May 1981 Creetin on right<\/p><\/div>\n

Early spring 1981 saw UK Decay again without a bass player, however Steve, Abbo and Spon were busier than ever. They were writing and recording material for the first album at the same time they had a tour in April of that year planned in the USA. Creeton Kaos vocals with the US west coast hardcore punk band \u2018Social Unrest\u2019 stepped in on bass for UK Decay for that tour. Creeton returned with UK Decay to the UK and played bass for the band on their first major headlining UK tour he also recorded material for the album.<\/p>\n

The late classical UK Decay line-up<\/h2>\n

July 1981 – January 1983<\/p>\n

\"Ed<\/a>

Ed ‘Twiggy’ Branch, left<\/p><\/div>\n

Eventually Creeton Kaos returned to the US and UK decay was yet again without a bassist. Eventually in July 1981 Edwin \u2018Twiggy\u2019 Branch from Northampton stepped in and invigorated a weary UK Decay. This line-up is remembered by many as the \u2018Classical UK Decay\u2019 and continued to the final demise of UK Decay on that last but one day of 1982. With the inclusion of \u2018Twiggy\u2019 the band completed the recording of the Album (For Madmen Only) and went on to record the \u2018Rising from the Dread\u2019 EP as well as touring extensively in the UK and Europe.<\/p>\n

This UK Decay line-up with Steve Harle drums, Edwin \u2018Twiggy\u2019 Branch bass, Abbo guitar\/vocals and Steve Spon guitar had persevered 18 months from July 1981 to December 30th 1982. The final gig on that day was recorded for posterity and came out as a post-hummus cassette album release, \u2018A Night for Celebration\u2019 which was released in early 1983.<\/p>\n

Steve Harle, Edwin \u2018Twiggy\u2019 Branch and Abbo continued together recruiting a new guitarist \u2018Patrick\u2019 first of all and changing their name at first to \u2018Slave Drive\u2019 and or \u2018Meat of Youth\u2019. Later in 1983 Patrick was replaced by ex Gene Loves Jezebel guitarist Albie de Luca and the name was changed to \u2018FURYO\u2019.<\/p>\n

Steve Spon eventually teamed up with Mark Bond bass and Errol Blyth vocals (both ex Ritual) recruiting Colin Rocks on drums to form \u2018In Excelsis\u2019.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Line-up changes in the band through time A look at UK Decay\u2019s line-up from 1977 to 1982 including a brief look at The Rezistors , UK Decay\u2019s forbears.   The Rezistors formed christmas1977 and played their first gig at Luton\u2019s Barnfield College. The earliest line-up was Ricky Smith – Vocals \u2026 Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":198,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-183","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":980,"href":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/183\/revisions\/980"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uk-decay.co.uk\/heritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}