The Folk Devils
Encyclopedia
The Folk Devils were a 1980s post-punk
ensemble born of the Notting Hill
, West London
music scene.
Founding member Ian Lowery had previously been the original singer in late 1970s punk rock
band The Wall
and then signed to Killing Joke
's Malicious Damage label as leader of the group Ski Patrol. Politics and the general tensions that seemed endemic to the Killing Joke scene led Ian to leave Ski Patrol and recruit long time friend of Jaz Coleman
- Alan Cole on drums, Kris Jozajtis on guitar (now Dr Kris Jozajtis at Greenfaulds High School) and Mark Whiteley, from Wales
, on bass to form another group, The Folk Devils, in 1983. Mark had been active in both the London and Welsh music scene. He worked with Anrhefn Wales' seminal punk band and with the ill fated Hack Hack on the album Despite Amputations. He left the band midway through a gig at The Fridge
in Brixton unhappy with the band, their label (Shout Records), and musical direction. A fight ensued and Mark became a Folk Devil.
The sound was a bastardised blend of punk, blues, and amphetamine
fuelled angst with the music often walking a fine line between a patchwork of brilliant musicianship and violence. The political and ideological canvass for the Folk Devils was the miners strike, Thatcher's Britain, mass unemployment and the flooding of Britains street with heroin and despair. Both Mark and Ray Gange
were to become deeply, almost fatally, involved in the early 80s drug scene.
Initially managed by Ray Gange, star of The Clash
's film Rude Boy
, the Folk Devils first single "Hank Turns Blue" recorded for £180 (allegedly the bands combined dole money) and released on the label Ganges Records and distributed through Rough Trade
resided at number three in the indie charts for six weeks being kept off the top spot only by New Order
and Depeche Mode
.
Three Peel sessions followed in quick succession. Subsequent recordings were critically acclaimed and musical luminaries such as Jason Pierce
of Spiritualized
still regard the Folk Devils as a highly influential musical force. Having recorded the Beautiful Monster E.P. (their final release on Ganges Records) in 1985 with 'punk' producer and IRS stalwart Richard Mazda
and the 1986 Fire and Chrome EP which was well received throughout Europe, drug and alcohol use finally caused the band to disintegrate as their first and only album Goodnight Irony was finally released by Situation Two
. The Folk Devils, as Brian Taylor of Killing Joke's management said at the time, "were a force of nature live and were never quite able to capture that ferocity on record". Ian Lowery died in 2001 having continued to work throughout the late 80s and early 90s the with Nigel Pulsford of Bush on the King Blank project and the Ian Lowery Group. Mark Whiteley went on to work with a variety of bands including Shredder (1994), Big Black Cloud (1995–1997) and Subliminal (1997–2001). Shredder were formed in Dartmoor prison
in 1993 and on Mark's release in 1994 were invited to tour with The Stranglers
.
Mark's involvement with heroin led to several years of "absolute bloody madness". The final act being an arrest for the robbery of a chemist in 1991. He was convicted and sent to prison for five years.
On his release the Shredder project put him back in touch with the music scene, although short lived, Shredder performed at Wembley and the Albert Hall. Along side his musical forays he found himself working at the BBC on two series: Prison Weekly and Private Investigations. In the latter Mark was involved in an investigation into the death of his friend Dennis Stevens, who died in Dartmoor prison in October 1995 whilst being restrained by officers. This case led Mark into the world of journalism.
In 2001, following Ian's death and three years of studio work with the Subliminal Project, Mark decided to change direction and curtail his substance use. Like Kris, Mark pursued an academic career and is now a criminological researcher and tutor at Cardiff University
. He is working on a study on heroin use in Wales and is a regular contributor to debates on TV and radio. In May 2009 he worked with the BBC on a Week In Week Out documentary exploring the heroin scene in Wales with John Cale
.
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
ensemble born of the Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, West 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...
music scene.
Founding member Ian Lowery had previously been the original singer in late 1970s punk rock
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...
band The Wall
The Wall (band)
The Wall were a punk rock band formed in Wallsend, Sunderland, England, in early 1978. They released two albums while together.-History:Formed in early 1978, the initial line-up was Ian Lowery , Andzy Griffiths , John Hammond , and Bruce Archibald , and this line-up recorded the band's debut...
and then signed to Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
's Malicious Damage label as leader of the group Ski Patrol. Politics and the general tensions that seemed endemic to the Killing Joke scene led Ian to leave Ski Patrol and recruit long time friend of Jaz Coleman
Jaz Coleman
Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman is a musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is notable for his vocal contributions to rock band Killing Joke...
- Alan Cole on drums, Kris Jozajtis on guitar (now Dr Kris Jozajtis at Greenfaulds High School) and Mark Whiteley, from Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, on bass to form another group, The Folk Devils, in 1983. Mark had been active in both the London and Welsh music scene. He worked with Anrhefn Wales' seminal punk band and with the ill fated Hack Hack on the album Despite Amputations. He left the band midway through a gig at The Fridge
The Fridge
The Fridge is a nightclub in the Brixton area of South London, founded by Andrew Czezowski, who had run the Roxy during punk music's heyday in 1977. It was originally started in 1981, in a small club at 390 Brixton Lane, and in 1982 above Iceland in Brixton Road with a radical decor that included...
in Brixton unhappy with the band, their label (Shout Records), and musical direction. A fight ensued and Mark became a Folk Devil.
The sound was a bastardised blend of punk, blues, and amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
fuelled angst with the music often walking a fine line between a patchwork of brilliant musicianship and violence. The political and ideological canvass for the Folk Devils was the miners strike, Thatcher's Britain, mass unemployment and the flooding of Britains street with heroin and despair. Both Mark and Ray Gange
Ray Gange
Ray Gange is a former actor from London, England, best known for his portrayal of the roadie who starred in the film Rude Boy. The film won various awards but Gange did not continue his film career....
were to become deeply, almost fatally, involved in the early 80s drug scene.
Initially managed by Ray Gange, star of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's film Rude Boy
Rude Boy (film)
Rude Boy is a 1980 British film directed by Jack Hazan and David Mingay and filmed in 1978 and early 1979.The film, part fiction, part rockumentary, tells the story of Ray Gange, a Clash fan who leaves his job in a Soho sex shop to become a roadie for the band...
, the Folk Devils first single "Hank Turns Blue" recorded for £180 (allegedly the bands combined dole money) and released on the label Ganges Records and distributed through Rough Trade
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
resided at number three in the indie charts for six weeks being kept off the top spot only by New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
.
Three Peel sessions followed in quick succession. Subsequent recordings were critically acclaimed and musical luminaries such as Jason Pierce
Jason Pierce
Jason Pierce , also known as J. Spaceman or Spaceman, is an English musician. He was formerly the joint leader – with Peter Kember – of the alternative rock band Spacemen 3, and is now the leader and sole permanent member of the band Spiritualized.In between his work with Spiritualized...
of Spiritualized
Spiritualized
Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
still regard the Folk Devils as a highly influential musical force. Having recorded the Beautiful Monster E.P. (their final release on Ganges Records) in 1985 with 'punk' producer and IRS stalwart Richard Mazda
Richard Mazda
Richard Mazda is a record producer, writer and musician. In later life he also became an actor and director.-Music career:Mazda was one of the co-founders of Poole punk/mod band Tours, singing and playing lead guitar. They signed to Virgin Records in 1979 after selling large quantities of their...
and the 1986 Fire and Chrome EP which was well received throughout Europe, drug and alcohol use finally caused the band to disintegrate as their first and only album Goodnight Irony was finally released by Situation Two
Situation Two
Situation Two, aka Situation 2, was a record label created in 1981 by Peter Kent as an offshoot of the larger Beggars Banquet label. At the time, Beggars Banquet records were distributed by WEA Records; so, to appeal to the indie audience and to get releases into the indie charts, the Situation Two...
. The Folk Devils, as Brian Taylor of Killing Joke's management said at the time, "were a force of nature live and were never quite able to capture that ferocity on record". Ian Lowery died in 2001 having continued to work throughout the late 80s and early 90s the with Nigel Pulsford of Bush on the King Blank project and the Ian Lowery Group. Mark Whiteley went on to work with a variety of bands including Shredder (1994), Big Black Cloud (1995–1997) and Subliminal (1997–2001). Shredder were formed in Dartmoor prison
Dartmoor (HM Prison)
HM Prison Dartmoor is a Category C men's prison, located in Princetown, high on Dartmoor in the English county of Devon. Its high granite walls dominate this area of the moor...
in 1993 and on Mark's release in 1994 were invited to tour with The Stranglers
The Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
.
Mark's involvement with heroin led to several years of "absolute bloody madness". The final act being an arrest for the robbery of a chemist in 1991. He was convicted and sent to prison for five years.
On his release the Shredder project put him back in touch with the music scene, although short lived, Shredder performed at Wembley and the Albert Hall. Along side his musical forays he found himself working at the BBC on two series: Prison Weekly and Private Investigations. In the latter Mark was involved in an investigation into the death of his friend Dennis Stevens, who died in Dartmoor prison in October 1995 whilst being restrained by officers. This case led Mark into the world of journalism.
In 2001, following Ian's death and three years of studio work with the Subliminal Project, Mark decided to change direction and curtail his substance use. Like Kris, Mark pursued an academic career and is now a criminological researcher and tutor at Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
. He is working on a study on heroin use in Wales and is a regular contributor to debates on TV and radio. In May 2009 he worked with the BBC on a Week In Week Out documentary exploring the heroin scene in Wales with John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
.
Singles
- "Hank Turns Blue" (1984) Ganges (#9)
- "Beautiful Monster" (1984) Ganges (#4)
- Fire & Chrome EP (1985) Karbon (#10)
- "It Drags On" (1985) (withdrawn)
- "The Best Protection" (1987) Situation 2 (#22)