Eater
Encyclopedia
Eater were an early British punk band from London
who took their name from a Marc Bolan
lyric. In 2001, the band’s second single, "Thinking of the USA" (originally released in June 1977), was included in a leading British music magazine’s list of the best punk-rock singles of all-time. In 1999, the track also re-appeared on the five CD box set ‘1-2-3-4: A History of Punk & New Wave’ (MCA Records
/ Universal Music Group
).
:
“Tree wizard puretongue, The digger of holes, The swan king, The Elf lord, The eater of souls.
Lithon the black, The rider of stars, Tyrannosaurus Rex, The eater of cars”.
Later they recorded a cover version
of T-Rex's "Jeepster
."
Despite originating in north London, the band made its first public performance in Manchester, featuring The Buzzcocks as their support act. Eater’s live set at this gig, back in November 1976, was built mainly around speeded-up versions of Velvet Underground and David Bowie
songs such as "Queen Bitch
" and "Sweet Jane
".
Closer to home, the band became one of the pioneering punk bands that played live in the first few months of the now-legendary Roxy Club
. They topped the bill twice in January 1977, the second time they were supported by The Damned. They headlined again in February, this time supported by Johnny Moped
, and twice more in March, supported first by The Lurkers
and then by Sham 69
. They also supplied two of their tracks, ‘15’ (a version of "I'm Eighteen" by Alice Cooper
) and ‘Don’t Need It’, to the seminal live various artists album Live at the Roxy WC2
. Extracts from their performances at The Roxy were also included in Don Letts
' Punk Rock Movie (1978).
The band signed to small London independent label called ‘The Label’,
Eater released five singles
and The Album LP before splitting up in 1979.
Blade made several attempts to create a solo career during the 1980s but failed to secure a deal. He shared an apartment with Billy Duffy
who later joined The Cult
.
Blade published a book about his times with Eater and beyond, called The Secret Life of a Teenage Punk Rocker in 2005.
Eater reformed to play the 1996 Holidays in The Sun Festival in Blackpool
.
Eater also reformed shortly in 2006, playing a one-off gig at the 100 Club, supported by TV Smith of The Adverts
. They also supported the Buzzcocks on their 30th anniversary of their original tour, at the Forum.
s mentioned in the text of the main article:
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...
who took their name from a Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
lyric. In 2001, the band’s second single, "Thinking of the USA" (originally released in June 1977), was included in a leading British music magazine’s list of the best punk-rock singles of all-time. In 1999, the track also re-appeared on the five CD box set ‘1-2-3-4: A History of Punk & New Wave’ (MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
/ Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
).
Biography
The band was formed in 1976 by four high school friends; Anglo-Egyptian singer and guitarist Andy Blade (real name: Ashruf Radwan), Brian Chevette (guitar), Roger “Dee Generate” Bullen (drums) and Ian Woodcock (bass). The band's name came from the song ‘Suneye’, taken from the 1970 album T. RexT. Rex (album)
T. Rex is an album by British rock band T. Rex, released in 1970. It was the first record under their abbreviated band name, following four albums as 'Tyrannosaurus Rex'....
:
“Tree wizard puretongue, The digger of holes, The swan king, The Elf lord, The eater of souls.
Lithon the black, The rider of stars, Tyrannosaurus Rex, The eater of cars”.
Later they recorded a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of T-Rex's "Jeepster
Jeepster (song)
"Jeepster" was a 1971 single by the British glam rock band T. Rex, both taken from the group's second album, Electric Warrior....
."
Despite originating in north London, the band made its first public performance in Manchester, featuring The Buzzcocks as their support act. Eater’s live set at this gig, back in November 1976, was built mainly around speeded-up versions of Velvet Underground and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
songs such as "Queen Bitch
Queen Bitch
"Queen Bitch" is a song written by David Bowie in 1971 for the album Hunky Dory. Bowie was a great Velvet Underground fan and wrote the song in tribute to the band and Lou Reed...
" and "Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
"Sweet Jane" is a song by The Velvet Underground, originally appearing on their 1970 album Loaded. The song was written by band's leader Lou Reed, who continued to incorporate the piece into live performances years later as a solo artist....
".
Closer to home, the band became one of the pioneering punk bands that played live in the first few months of the now-legendary Roxy Club
The Roxy
The Roxy was a fashionable nightclub on Neal Street in London's Covent Garden, known for hosting the flowering British punk music scene in its infancy.-Brief history:...
. They topped the bill twice in January 1977, the second time they were supported by The Damned. They headlined again in February, this time supported by Johnny Moped
Johnny Moped
Johnny Moped were a mid 1970s English punk rock group from south London, who once had Chrissie Hynde and Captain Sensible within their ranks.-Biography:...
, and twice more in March, supported first by The Lurkers
The Lurkers
The Lurkers were a late 1970s English punk rock group from Uxbridge, West London, notable for being the first group ever on Beggars Banquet Records.-Career:...
and then by Sham 69
Sham 69
Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
. They also supplied two of their tracks, ‘15’ (a version of "I'm Eighteen" by Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
) and ‘Don’t Need It’, to the seminal live various artists album Live at the Roxy WC2
Live at the Roxy WC2
The Roxy London WC2 is a live album of recordings taken from various punk bands that played the Roxy club in Covent Garden, London between January and April 1977.-Overview:...
. Extracts from their performances at The Roxy were also included in Don Letts
Don Letts
Don Letts is a British film director and musician. He is credited as the man who through his DJing at clubs like The Roxy brought together punk and reggae music.-Biography:...
' Punk Rock Movie (1978).
The band signed to small London independent label called ‘The Label’,
Eater released five singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and The Album LP before splitting up in 1979.
Blade made several attempts to create a solo career during the 1980s but failed to secure a deal. He shared an apartment with Billy Duffy
Billy Duffy
Billy Duffy is an English guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist in The Cult.-Early days:He grew up in Manchester, where he began playing guitar at the age of fourteen...
who later joined The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
.
Blade published a book about his times with Eater and beyond, called The Secret Life of a Teenage Punk Rocker in 2005.
Eater reformed to play the 1996 Holidays in The Sun Festival in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
.
Eater also reformed shortly in 2006, playing a one-off gig at the 100 Club, supported by TV Smith of The Adverts
The Adverts
The Adverts were an English punk band who formed in 1976 and broke up in late 1979. They were one of the first punk bands to enjoy chart success in the UK, and their line-up included Gaye Advert, whom The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music called the "first female punk star".-Career:The band was...
. They also supported the Buzzcocks on their 30th anniversary of their original tour, at the Forum.
Reviews
In their heyday 1976–1978, the band had been variously appraised:- “Run-of-the-mill dole queue punk rock”.
- “Basic boy-ish punk rock”.
- “The band’s original punkish abrasiveness giving way only slightly to a petulant pop sheen”.
- “They were basically young kids, striving to master their instruments and out to shock”.
- “All songs on their sole full-length release sound about the same, played with one stiff light-speed beat and a snotty vehemence to each track, adding up to a ridiculous classic. As fast and clumsy as the material is, there's an undeniable tunefulness at work, particularly in irresistible singalongs like "No Brains" and "Room for One," and the sprightly single "Lock It Up" even attempts some naïve vocal harmonies as they sneer at the upper classes”.
Compilations
- The History of Eater (February 1985)
- The Compleat Eater (April 1993)
- All of Eater (May 1998)
Appearances on various artist compilations (Selective)
Listing of those various artist compilation albumCompilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s mentioned in the text of the main article:
- "15" and "Don’t Need It" featured on the "Live at the Roxy WC2Live at the Roxy WC2The Roxy London WC2 is a live album of recordings taken from various punk bands that played the Roxy club in Covent Garden, London between January and April 1977.-Overview:...
" compilation LP (24 Jun '77: Harvest Records SHSP4069) #24 UK Albums ChartUK 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... - "Thinking of the USA" featured on 1-2-3-4: A History of Punk And New Wave 1976 - 1979 (MCA/Universal, 1999)
Singles
- Outside View / You (March 1977: The Label, TRL 001)
- Thinkin’ of the USA / Space Dreamin’ / Michael’s Monetary System (June 1977: The Label, TLR 003)
- Lock It Up / Jeepster (October 1977: The Label, TRL 004) Also released as a 12 inch single (TRL 004/12)
- Get Your Yo-Yo’s Out E.P.: Debutantes Ball / No More / Thinkin’ of the USA / Holland (September 1978: The Label, TRL 007)
- What She Wants She Needs / Reaching for the Sky (November 1978: The Label, TRL 009)