Instigators
Encyclopedia
Instigators were an anarcho-punk
band from Dewsbury
, England, formed in 1980. The original line-up split up in the mid-1980s, but the band carried on into the 1990s.
, and the line-up was completed by Simon "Semi" Bridgewater (vocals) and Nicky Djorjevic (bass Guitar). They took the name Instigators on the suggestion of Ritchie Calvert of the band Disintegrated. The band's first live performance was in summer 1982. Influences on the band included Crass
and Flux of Pink Indians
.
Djorjevic left to be replaced by "Tompo", who only lasted a few months, playing on the band's first demo, before being replaced himself by Simon "Tab" Elsey. Bridgewater also left for a short time, his replacement being [Sheffield based Vocalist/Lyricist] Darren Dean. The band's demo got the band a support slot for Flux of Pink Indians in November 1982, and they recorded two further demos, all three getting released on a cassette on Halmshaw's Peaceville Records
label, gaining the band more fans. The band were given another support slot in May 1983, opening for Subhumans in Bradford
, a performance that was recorded by Subhumans vocalist Dick Lucas and released through his Bluurg label. Bluurg also released the band's first EP
, The Blood is on Your Hands, which reached number 21 on the UK Independent Chart. The 1985 LP release Nobody Listens Anymore increased their popularity, reaching number 18 on the Indie Albums Chart, and securing them a spot on Pusmort's Cleanse the Bacteria
compilation LP.
Bridgewater left later that year after an argument, and the band recruited Andy "Tez" Turner (formerly of Xpozez) as his replacement. Halmshaw and Elsey also soon left, with Mooney and Turner continuing with Andrew "Trimble" Turnbull (Also formerly of Xpozez) on bass guitar and Steve "Cuzzy" Curran on drums. The band's sound changed with the new line-up, taking on a more American influence. They went on to tour Europe and the United States and continued into the 1990s.
Halmshaw went on to front Civilised Society, and continued to develop his Peaceville label.
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 from Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
, England, formed in 1980. The original line-up split up in the mid-1980s, but the band carried on into the 1990s.
History
The band was formed in 1980 by drummer Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw and guitarist Simon Mooney, both students at Thornhill High SchoolThornhill High School
Thornhill High School opened on the air force base in Gwelo, Rhodesia in January 1955. In January 1958, the school moved to its present site....
, and the line-up was completed by Simon "Semi" Bridgewater (vocals) and Nicky Djorjevic (bass Guitar). They took the name Instigators on the suggestion of Ritchie Calvert of the band Disintegrated. The band's first live performance was in summer 1982. Influences on the band included Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
and Flux of Pink Indians
Flux Of Pink Indians
Flux of Pink Indians were an English anarcho-punk/post punk band, that originated from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England.-Biography:...
.
Djorjevic left to be replaced by "Tompo", who only lasted a few months, playing on the band's first demo, before being replaced himself by Simon "Tab" Elsey. Bridgewater also left for a short time, his replacement being [Sheffield based Vocalist/Lyricist] Darren Dean. The band's demo got the band a support slot for Flux of Pink Indians in November 1982, and they recorded two further demos, all three getting released on a cassette on Halmshaw's Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records is a British independent metal-oriented record label. The label was founded by Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw in 1987, in Dewsbury, England...
label, gaining the band more fans. The band were given another support slot in May 1983, opening for Subhumans in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, a performance that was recorded by Subhumans vocalist Dick Lucas and released through his Bluurg label. Bluurg also released the band's first EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, The Blood is on Your Hands, which reached number 21 on the UK Independent Chart. The 1985 LP release Nobody Listens Anymore increased their popularity, reaching number 18 on the Indie Albums Chart, and securing them a spot on Pusmort's Cleanse the Bacteria
Cleanse the Bacteria
Cleanse the Bacteria is a hardcore punk compilation LP released in 1985 by Pushead on Pusmort Records. It is an international compilation of early hardcore music, and represents grindcore pioneers Siege's only original official release...
compilation LP.
Bridgewater left later that year after an argument, and the band recruited Andy "Tez" Turner (formerly of Xpozez) as his replacement. Halmshaw and Elsey also soon left, with Mooney and Turner continuing with Andrew "Trimble" Turnbull (Also formerly of Xpozez) on bass guitar and Steve "Cuzzy" Curran on drums. The band's sound changed with the new line-up, taking on a more American influence. They went on to tour Europe and the United States and continued into the 1990s.
Halmshaw went on to front Civilised Society, and continued to develop his Peaceville label.
Singles, Eps
- The Blood Is on Your Hands 7" EP (1984), Bluurg, Fish 6 - UK Indie #21
- Recorded Live in Denmark Feb '86 7" EP (1986), Mystic
- "Eye to Eye" (1986), Mystic
- "Full Circle" 7" (1987), Double A
- "Invasion" 7" (1988), Super Seven
Albums
- Demo (cassette) (1983)
- Live in Leeds (cassette) (1983), Bluurg
- Nobody Listens Anymore (1985), Bluurg, Fish 11 - UK Indie #18
- Phoenix (1986), Bluurg, Fish 13
- Instigators Live At Huset, Arhus, Denmark, 15th February 1986 (1987), self-released, later licenced to Calypso NowCalypso NowCalypso Now was part of the cassette culture movement.Calypso Now was founded in 1983 by swiss musician and concert promoter Hotcha alias Rudi Tüscher, located in Biel/Bienne. Until 1989 about 200 cassette releases were produced, mainly from Switzerland, Germany, UK, USA and Canada...
- Wall of Sound - Live in Berlin (1988), Meantime
- Shockgun (1988), Flipside, FLIP 16
- New Old Now (1989), Peaceville
- Recovery Sessions (1990), Full Circle
- Dine Upon the Dead (2002), Blackfish - compilation