Nyah Fearties
Encyclopedia
Nyah Fearties were a music band from the village of Lugton
, Scotland
, that created a near-unique brand of anarchic modern folk between 1982 and 1995.
Combining the rich traditional music and storytelling culture of its native Ayrshire
, with a jarring punk
ethos, madcap humour and improvised acoustic instrumentation (though usually amplified), the band made a significant contribution to the British folk-punk scene of the 1980s and 1990s.
It often tested live audiences with a feedback-laced aural assault, more akin to experimental rock groups like Velvet Underground or The Jesus and Mary Chain
, than an acoustic folk act. In addition, Nyah Fearties were known for utilising all manner of improvised and imaginative musical paraphernalia.
Examples of the latter included bashing upturned metal dustbins to create percussion, and the use of an archaic gramophone
upon which Andy Stewart
records were 'scratched' in the style of a hip-hop DJ.
Nyah Fearties have been described as a kind of hybrid between Celtic folk-punk outfit The Pogues
, and Glasgow
-based industrial music
band Test Dept
.
Yet this is a somewhat misleading analogy. As Stuart Cosgrove
noted in the New Musical Express (March 14, 1987): "The Fearties are more critical than The Pogues, their Scotland is not a place to be eulogised…it's a home whose myths are savagely demolished…they use found percussion but stripped of Test Dept's artiness…"
Nyah Fearties had at its core the brothers Stephen Wiseman and David Wiseman, although the pair were often joined - both in recorded and live performance - by a wide and varying ad-hoc circle of guest musicians, friends and acquaintances.
The band were championed by, among others, The Pogues
whom they supported on a tour of France
after an impromptu 1986 pavement audition outside the Devonshire Arms
pub in Camden Town
, London
. In addition, Pogues drummer Andrew Ranken
made a cameo vocal appearance on Nyah Fearties debut album A Tasty Heidfu recorded that same year.
During a 13-year career Nyah Fearties barely emerged from its underground roots, enjoying little or no commercial success while maintaining a loyal cult following. The band did, however, make a live appearance on primetime British
television music programme The Tube
and hosted a one-off Lugton Loonie Show for BBC Radio Scotland
.
Following Nyah Fearties demise, David Wiseman went on to help found a new band Dub Skelper, while more recently the Wiseman brothers were reunited in yet another musical project Junkman's Choir.
Desperation o' a Dyin' Culture (1990)
A Keech in a Poke (1994)
Skud (1994)
Grandpa Craw (1995)
EPs
Lugton
Lugton is a small village or hamlet in East Ayrshire, Scotland with a population of 80 people. The A736 road runs through on its way from Glasgow, to the north, to Irvine in North Ayrshire. Uplawmoor is the first settlement on this 'Lochlibo Road' to the north and Burnhouse is to the south...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, that created a near-unique brand of anarchic modern folk between 1982 and 1995.
Combining the rich traditional music and storytelling culture of its native Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, with a jarring 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...
ethos, madcap humour and improvised acoustic instrumentation (though usually amplified), the band made a significant contribution to the British folk-punk scene of the 1980s and 1990s.
It often tested live audiences with a feedback-laced aural assault, more akin to experimental rock groups like Velvet Underground or The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
, than an acoustic folk act. In addition, Nyah Fearties were known for utilising all manner of improvised and imaginative musical paraphernalia.
Examples of the latter included bashing upturned metal dustbins to create percussion, and the use of an archaic gramophone
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
upon which Andy Stewart
Andy Stewart (musician)
Andrew "Andy" Stewart MBE was a Scottish singer and entertainer.-Career:The use of tartan patriotism and stereotypical Scottish humour goes back to Sir Harry Lauder and music hall songs. In the 1960s this strand was continued by the entertainer Andy Stewart.He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in...
records were 'scratched' in the style of a hip-hop DJ.
Nyah Fearties have been described as a kind of hybrid between Celtic folk-punk outfit The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
, and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
-based industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
band Test Dept
Test Dept
Test Dept were an industrial music group from London, one of the most important and influential early industrial music acts. Their approach was marked by a strong commitment to radical socialist politics.-History:...
.
Yet this is a somewhat misleading analogy. As Stuart Cosgrove
Stuart Cosgrove
Stuart Cosgrove is a Scottish journalist, broadcaster and television executive. As a journalist Cosgrove served on the NME and The Face during the 1980s, before joining Channel 4 in April 1994, serving for eight years as Controller of Arts and Entertainment and currently as Head of Programmes...
noted in the New Musical Express (March 14, 1987): "The Fearties are more critical than The Pogues, their Scotland is not a place to be eulogised…it's a home whose myths are savagely demolished…they use found percussion but stripped of Test Dept's artiness…"
Nyah Fearties had at its core the brothers Stephen Wiseman and David Wiseman, although the pair were often joined - both in recorded and live performance - by a wide and varying ad-hoc circle of guest musicians, friends and acquaintances.
The band were championed by, among others, The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
whom they supported on a tour of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
after an impromptu 1986 pavement audition outside the Devonshire Arms
Devonshire Arms
The Devonshire Arms is a public house in London, UK, said to be "London's most famous alternative venue " It serves a clientele drawn from a variety of alternative subcultures including Industrial, Metal, Punk and Cyber, although its décor is gothic and this is the subculture with which it is...
pub in Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
, 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 addition, Pogues drummer Andrew Ranken
Andrew Ranken
Andrew Ranken is an English drummer, best known as the percussionist for the English-Irish band The Pogues.He joined the band in 1983 and appeared on all of their recordings and tours until their breakup in 1996. He went on to join the bands Metropolitan Waterboard and Kippers, fronted by...
made a cameo vocal appearance on Nyah Fearties debut album A Tasty Heidfu recorded that same year.
During a 13-year career Nyah Fearties barely emerged from its underground roots, enjoying little or no commercial success while maintaining a loyal cult following. The band did, however, make a live appearance on primetime British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television music programme The Tube
The Tube
The Tube may refer to:*The London Underground* "The Tube", slang for Television, from the term cathode ray tube*The Tube , an ITV/Sky programme featuring the work of staff on the London Underground...
and hosted a one-off Lugton Loonie Show for BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
.
Following Nyah Fearties demise, David Wiseman went on to help found a new band Dub Skelper, while more recently the Wiseman brothers were reunited in yet another musical project Junkman's Choir.
Discography
AlbumsEPs
- Good, Bad and Alkies (1987)
- Red Kola (1993)