The Apostles (band)

The Apostles are an English experimental punk rock band, who developed within the confines of the 1980s anarcho-punk scene in the UK, but did not necessarily adhere to the aesthetics of that movement.

This article is about the British punk group. For the 1960s British beat group, see The Snobs. For the work by Edward Elgar, see The Apostles (Elgar). For other uses, see Apostle (disambiguation).
The Apostles
The Apostles performing at the Spread Eagle, Southend on Sea, December 1981
Background information
OriginLondon, England
GenresPunk rock, anarcho-punk
Years active1979–1990
LabelsMortarhate Records
Associated actsAcademy 23, Innocent Bystander, Political Asylum, Oi Polloi, The Parkinsons, Geordie, Hellbastard, Sidewinder, Nero Circus, Heavy Water, The Demolition Company
Past membersAndy Martin
William 'Bill' Corbett
Julian Portinari
Dan McIntyre
Pete Byng-Hall
John Soares
Chris Low
Dave Fanning
Chris "Widni" Wiltshire
Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty
Sean Stokes
Colin Murrell

History

The Apostles were formed in the Islington area of London in 1979 by William 'Bill' Corbett (vocals), Julian Portinari (bass), Dan McIntyre (drums) and Pete Byng-Hall (guitar).[1] This line-up of the group did not play any concerts, and only appeared in a small number of fanzines (including Paroxysm Fear and New Crimes) before Bill Corbett left the group.

Andy Martin joined as vocalist in summer 1981, and the group played their first concert on 22 September 1981. This line-up of the group then recorded an eponymous demo tape later that year.

The music of the group is generally characterised by a varied eclecticism which encompasses punk and Blues rock, with influences like Lemon Kittens, Five Or Six, and other avant-garde groups.

The remaining founder members of the group left the group in early 1982. Martin recruited Dave Fanning (ex-Innocent Bystander) as bass player, along with a revolving line-up of musicians – including John Soares, Kev Apostle, Flump, Chris Low (ex-Political Asylum) and Olly Bucket (Eat Shit) – to continue the group, who went on to play numerous concerts in the London area, and to record 8 demo cassettes and 4 7" singles between 1982 and 1984.

Andy Martin and Dave Fanning were joined in 1984 by Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty (later of Hellbastard, Sidewinder, Nero Circus and Heavy Water) and drummer Chris "Widni" Wiltshire which created a line-up which remained relatively stable (with the addition of Sean Stokes and Colin Murrell) until the group's demise at the end of the 1980s. The group recorded over 10 demo cassettes, 4 7" singles and 7 12" LP's between mid-1984 and 1990. Original guitarist Pete Bynghall re-joined the group in late 1988 for their last recordings and final concert (cf Live at the Academy).

Always highly critical of the seemingly inward looking anarchist movement of the times, the autonomous and extreme libertarian approach of The Apostles seemed to portray classic anarchism, as opposed to the conformity of many of their contemporaries. This led the group receiving respect from notable members of the anarcho-punk movement such as Conflict, who released three records by The Apostles, and Crass with whom the band co-operated with during the squatting of the Zig-Zag Club and during the time in which The Autonomy Centre and Centro Iberico anarchist venues operated. Both Martin and Fanning worked during this period at the Little @ printers – an anarchist printers located in the same building as the Autonomy Centre in Wapping. The Autonomy Centre was founded with proceeds from the Crass "Bloody Revolutions" single in 1980 where Martin was a keyholder prior to joining The Apostles.

The anti-communist and anti-gay lyrics of 'Rock Against Communism' and 'Kill or Cure' on the 'Giving of Loving Costs Nothing' ep and other similarly themed later songs opened the group to charges of fascism and homophobia. Whilst this material was intended to expose the supine attitudes of those within the 'anarcho punk' milieu who did not challenge such blatantly provocative sentiments (a tactic which Andy Martin had used since his entrance to the group), they undermined the coherence of the band's ideology, leading Stewart Home, in his book Cranked Up Really High, to describe The Apostles as "locked into...a stasis if not actual paralysis".

During the time the band was together Andy Martin began to write about his homosexuality and the subject in general which alienated many of their former fans but did not deter Martin. In 1989, Martin and Fannig gave an interview with Homocore fanzine which addressed this issue.[2] Among their many recordings released, The Apostles contributed the song "Forbidden Love" to the first queercore compilation, JD.s Top Ten Homocore Hits, released by J.D.s fanzine in 1990.

The Apostles split as a group in 1990, immediately forming Academy 23 which also included Nathan Coles (of The Unbelievables) and Lawrence Burton (formerly of Konstruktivists). The group collaborated with the industrial band The Grey Wolves on two songs, "Terror Chamber" and "Terror Intensifies", both featured on compilations. Academy 23 were renamed in 1994 as Unit.

Discography

Albums
  • Live at the LMC, Jan 1983 (Split live LP with The Mob) bootleg
  • Punk Obituary, 1985, Mortarhate Records (reissued in 2014)
  • The Lives & Times of the Apostles, 1986, COR Records
  • The Acts of the Apostles in the Theatre Of Fear, 1986, Acid Stings
  • How Much Longer?, 1986, Acid Stings
  • Equinox Screams, 1987
  • Cartography / The Show Trial Asylum, 1987 (Split cassette with The Demolition Company)
  • The Other Operation, 1988, split album with Statement (Patrick Poole)
  • Hymn To Pan, 1988 (only available in America)
  • Eine Antwort / Dipinti Sotterranei, 1988 (Split cassette with F.A.R. (Final Alternative Relation); The Apostles' side on the album is "Eine Antwort")

EPs

Chart placings shown are from the UK Independent Chart.[3]

  • Blow It Up, Burn It Down, Kick It Till It Breaks!, 1982
  • Rising From The Ashes, 1983 No. 21
  • The Curse of the Creature, 1983 No. 17
  • The Giving Of Love Costs Nothing, 1984
  • Smash The Spectacle, 1984 No. 22
  • Anathema/The Apostles, 1985
  • Death To Wacky Pop!, 1986 (features members of The Joy Of Living)
  • No Faith No Fear, 1986

The Joy Of Living were a female folk/punk band who released one cassette demo in addition to the above recording.

Compilations
  • Segments (cassette compiled of studio material; the release date is unknown)
  • The Acts of the Apostles 1985 (cassette compiled of live material; not to be confused with the 1986 album with the similar name)
  • Final Manifesto 1992 (cassette compiled of the band's last and unreleased studio recording sessions from March 1988 and January 1989)
  • No Faith No Fear 1993 (cassette compiled of recordings of an unreleased double album the band recorded in 1986; rereleased in 2006 in CD-R format with two bonus tracks)
  • The Singles & Compilation Album Tracks 2018 (digital collection compiled of EP material and tracks which appeared on various VA compilations; available on Unit's Bandcamp page)
  • The 1st & 2nd Studio Albums 2018 (digital collection compiled of the albums "Punk Obituary" and "The Lives And Times Of The Apostles"; available on Unit's Bandcamp page)
  • The 3rd & 4th Albums 2018 (digital collection compiled of the albums "The Acts Of The Apostles In The Theatre Of Fear" and "How Much Longer?"; available on Unit's Bandcamp page)
  • The 5th & 6th Albums 2018 (digital collection compiled of the album "Eine Antwort" and the "Final Manifesto" compilation cassette; available on Unit's Bandcamp page)
  • Make Up 2019 (digital collection compiled of material for a cassette the band recorded in April 1988 called by the names "Grant Munro & The Apostles" and "Make Up", which was believed to be lost for 27 years; available on Unit's Bandcamp page)
  • Cassette Chaos 2020 (digital collection compiled of four different recording sessions from the years 1983, 1987 and 1989; available on Unit's Bandcamp page)

Demo albums (cassette only)
  • The Apostles 1981
  • The 2nd Dark Age 1982
  • Libertarian Propaganda 1982
  • Topics For Discussion 1982
  • A Sudden Surge of Sound (retrospective on CFC Cassettes) 1983
  • Swimmers in the Sea Of Life 1983
  • Live at the Recession Club 1983
  • Christ, Its The Apostles! 1983
  • Will I Ever Be Free? 1984
  • Fire in the Sky 1985
  • Visions of the End 1985
  • Punk Leftovers 1986
  • Private Performances 1987
  • Gary Cooke Was Here 1987
  • Strength Through Purity 1987
  • A.S.P.A. Demo 1987
  • Une Réponse 1987
  • Fine Antwort 1988
  • The Progressive Blues Experiment 1988
  • The 12th Gate to the Underworld 1988
  • Death 1988
  • How To Suck Seed 1988
  • Life 1989
  • A Consumer Commodity 1989
  • Live at the Academy 1989 (the last ever performance 23/02/89)

Tracks on various artists compilation albums
  • Mob Violence (Part 2) – "We Don't Want Your Fucking War" 1986 LP Mortarhate
  • 'Inner Space – "God Save Us From The USA" 1987 LP, Happy Mike
  • Walls – "You've Heard It All Before" (Crass Covers compilation) 1993 LP Ruptured Ambitions Records
  • Hyde Park 1988 LP (released by German band Doc Wör Mirran featuring international groups, not all punk)
  • J.D.s Top Ten Tape – "Forbidden Love" 1990 cassette

Several early Apostles tracks are featured on the Cause For Concern compilation A Sudden Surge of Power. A sampler of the early 1980s post-punk industrial music scene, it also featured contributions from Nocturnal Emissions, Test Department, Attrition, 400 Blows, We Be Echo and ex-Throbbing Gristle members Chris and Cosey.

References
  1. Glasper, Ian, The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980 to 1984, Cherry Red Books, 2007, p. 90.
  2. "Interview with The Apostles". Uncarved.org. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  3. Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980–1999. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.

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