Back To The Planet
Encyclopedia
Back To The Planet are an anarcho-punk
band
from London
, England
.
together in Peckham
, London
in 1989, and attracted a following throughout the early 1990s. They played four consecutive Glastonbury Festival
s and played many free festivals
, including the Deptford
Urban Free Festival and the Castlemorton Common Festival
in 1992. BTTP were vociferous in their resistance to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
.
Their music blended elements of ska
, dub
, punk
, and dance
music. Their first album
, Warning the Public, was released on their own record label
, Arthur Mix Records, based in Hither Green
. In 1993, the band signed to Parallel Records, and released a chain of singles. BTTP split not long after the release of Messages After The Bleep in 1995, to pursue personal music projects.
BTTP performed a reunion gig at the Red Star Bar in Camberwell
on 10 December 2006. They also played at the Endorse It In Dorset Festival on 12 August 2007, and the main stage at the 2007 Beautiful Days festival
, but to a smaller than expected crowd owing to them clashing with Bill Bailey
. BTTP played the Paradise Gardens free festival, London on 25 May 2008, and at the Endorse It In Dorset, SolFest and Shambala festivals in summer 2008.
Back to the Planet appeared at Glastonbury
, EnDorset in Dorset and BOMfest during the summer of 2009. Back to the Planet played the Wickerman festival in 2010. On 14 May 2011, BTTP played at the Brixton JAMM. They are confirmed to play the Levelling the Land Part II tour, along with The Levellers and Dreadzone
, in December 2011.
Back to the Planet are playing Alchemy Festival September 16th - 18th 2011.
Fraggle is renowned for his strange surnames. Outside of BTTP, Fil Planet has written and recorded a solo album, and is now the lead singer of the South East London band, Monkeyrush
. Guy Mcaffer aka The Geezer is also a record producer
on the London acid techno scene, and has written the album, Ave Some of That You Wankers. He also owns the record label RAW, and plays the organ in The Birds of Prey, and guitar in the punk band Dog Shite. In addition, Fraggle is the lead guitarist of the punk band The Skraelings.
Anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk is punk rock that promotes anarchism. The term anarcho-punk is sometimes applied exclusively to bands that were part of the original anarcho-punk movement in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
Back To The Planet (BTTP) formed while squattingSquatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
together in Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1989, and attracted a following throughout the early 1990s. They played four consecutive Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
s and played many free festivals
Free party
A free party is a party "free" from the restrictions of the legal club scene, similar to the free festival movement. It typically involves a sound system playing electronic dance music from late at night until the time when the organisers decide to go home. A free party can be composed of just one...
, including the Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
Urban Free Festival and the Castlemorton Common Festival
Castlemorton Common Festival
The Castlemorton Common Festival was a week-long free festival and rave held in the Malvern Hills near Malvern, Worcestershire, England in 1992....
in 1992. BTTP were vociferous in their resistance to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It introduced a number of changes to the existing law, most notably in the restriction and reduction of existing rights and in greater penalties for certain "anti-social" behaviours...
.
Their music blended elements of ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, and dance
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
music. Their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Warning the Public, was released on their own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Arthur Mix Records, based in Hither Green
Hither Green
Hither Green is a district in south east London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated 6.6 miles south east of Charing Cross, and on the Prime Meridian....
. In 1993, the band signed to Parallel Records, and released a chain of singles. BTTP split not long after the release of Messages After The Bleep in 1995, to pursue personal music projects.
BTTP performed a reunion gig at the Red Star Bar in Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
on 10 December 2006. They also played at the Endorse It In Dorset Festival on 12 August 2007, and the main stage at the 2007 Beautiful Days festival
Beautiful Days (festival)
This article is about the music festival. For other uses, see Beautiful Days .The Beautiful Days is a music festival that takes place in August at Escot Park, Ottery St Mary, Devon...
, but to a smaller than expected crowd owing to them clashing with Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey is an English comedian, musician and actor. As well as his extensive stand-up work, Bailey is well known for his appearances on Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI.Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in...
. BTTP played the Paradise Gardens free festival, London on 25 May 2008, and at the Endorse It In Dorset, SolFest and Shambala festivals in summer 2008.
Back to the Planet appeared at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, EnDorset in Dorset and BOMfest during the summer of 2009. Back to the Planet played the Wickerman festival in 2010. On 14 May 2011, BTTP played at the Brixton JAMM. They are confirmed to play the Levelling the Land Part II tour, along with The Levellers and Dreadzone
Dreadzone
Dreadzone are a British band whose music is an eclectic fusion of dub, reggae, techno, folk and rock. They have so far produced six studio albums and two live albums.-Career:...
, in December 2011.
Back to the Planet are playing Alchemy Festival September 16th - 18th 2011.
Members
- Fil Walters (aka Fil Planet) – vocalsHuman voiceThe human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
- Guy McAffer (aka The Geezer) – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Carl Hendricke (aka Carlos Fandango) – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Fraggle (Bernard Malcolm Clive Fletcher) – French bassoon
- Henry Cullen (aka D.A.V.E. the Drummer) – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Alex Hore – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Marshall Penn – guitar
- Amir Mojarrad – drums
Fraggle is renowned for his strange surnames. Outside of BTTP, Fil Planet has written and recorded a solo album, and is now the lead singer of the South East London band, Monkeyrush
Monkeyrush
Monkeyrush are a British indie rock punk band from Bromley in South-East London. Their musical style is inspired and influenced by a number of 70s and early 80s pop, rock, ska and punk acts, including David Bowie, The Clash, Blondie and Ian Dury....
. Guy Mcaffer aka The Geezer is also a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
on the London acid techno scene, and has written the album, Ave Some of That You Wankers. He also owns the record label RAW, and plays the organ in The Birds of Prey, and guitar in the punk band Dog Shite. In addition, Fraggle is the lead guitarist of the punk band The Skraelings.
Albums
- Warning the Public (cassette only) (1991)
- Earzone Friendly (cassette only) (1990)
- Mind and Soul Collaborators (1993) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#32 - A Potted History (compilation of early material) (1994)
- Messages After the Bleep (1995)
Singles
- "Revolution of Thought" (1992)
- "Please Don't Fight" (1993)
- "Teenage Turtles" (1993) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#52 - "Daydream" (1993) - UK #52
- "A Small Nuclear Device" (1995)
Other recordings
- "Never Let Them Down" (demo) - appeared on You Can't Kill The Spirit anti-CJBCriminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It introduced a number of changes to the existing law, most notably in the restriction and reduction of existing rights and in greater penalties for certain "anti-social" behaviours...
compilation 1994. - "Livetape Vol.1" (BTTP004) - Recorded live at various locations, available at gigs in 1991.