Wednesday, September 9, 2009

In League with Venom

Back in the days before music magazines felt any obligation to stick free music to the cover of their publications, I sent off 2.99 plus p&p (allowing 28 days for delivery) to sounds or Kerrang! (can't remember which, Sounds I think) for a sampler tape for Neat Records. That's right, I, and who knows how many others, effectively paid for Neat's marketing budget. When it arrived, it had tracks from all kinds of NWOBHM bands on the label's roster. All of them rubbish. Apart from one. It didn't sound like anything else on the tape. The drums sounded like knitting needles being struck against pillows (a sound I knew very well) and the quality of the production sounded as though the entire recording budget had been 2.99 plus p&p. It was, of course, Bursting Out by Venom.

It's easy to forget what a stir Venom caused when they first came out. Kerrang! never really knew what to make of them, giving them bad reviews one issue and then putting in weird (and silly) 3D photosets of them in the next one. They made two albums and built up such a following (despite never touring) that Neat expected their third album to make the Top 40 of all places. Something that Tommy Vance practically guaranteed. On the Friday Rock Show, he described their single Warhead as one of these songs that comes along every so often that changes music. Or similar words. He also bet the then Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ Mike Reed 100 pounds that he wouldn't play it on his show. Which of course he then did ("He's got a lotta bottle" said Vance afterwards).

The success went to their heads. Third album At War With Satan had a pretentious cover, and - uh-oh- the title track was a 20 minute concept piece. Venom and 20 minute concept pieces made uneasy bedfellows if you ask me. I prefer to remember them via this story from Kerrang! no. 24 from September 1982.

(Cronos) had been unable to contain himself from pawing the unfortunate females at his local Mecca Centre. He was hastily ejected after numerous complaints to the management and aided by two fellow rogues-in-arms proceeded to repleat his revenge on some innocent, unsuspecting campers on a nearby holiday camp, by donating them a sound kicking for their troubles. However, Cronos was given away by the motif etched into his jacket ... VENOM, and was brought to his just deserts. 

Thrown out of his local Mecca Centre, eh? Lay down your soul to the gods Rock & Roll!

16 comments:

  1. A similar experience for my first encounter with Venom, I bought the Lead Weight Compilation cassette direct from Neat with no idea what to expect...the whole selection was explosive but nothing could've prepared me of the track 3rd in line...at less than 3 minutes Angel Dust was unlike anything I had ever heard before. It was raw, uncouth and scary!
    The debut album was outrageously likeable but Black Metal was their finest hour.

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  2. Do you remember the 3D photoshoot that was in Kerrang! back in 82 or 83? It was at a time when everybody was thinking that 3D was the next big thing and had them making silly poses in the middle of the street, probably somewhere in Newcastle.

    "In League With Satan" is my favourite. I like the Hammer Horror style drums.

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  3. [sniff] I saw them at the Hammy O, on The Seven Dates Of Hell tour in '84(?). I had never seen anything so inept in my life. It was great. Me, I love the Manitou single. Across infernal wastelands, many miles of sunburnt hell. Yup

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  4. Ineptness was a key part of the Venom equity. Which was why a 20 minute epic wasn't really a good idea. I mean they weren't exactly Lee, Lifeson & Peart if you know what I mean. They were Cronos, Abaddon and the other one.

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  5. I have all the old first 4 years Kerrangs in an attic box (the only ones that survived my numerous house shifts over the years), I should look out that 3D shoot!

    Venom had ideas way beyond their musical capabilities that was certainly true...!

    You've got to love them for the brass neck

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  6. You've got all those Kerrang!s up in the attic? You kept that one quiet, you rascal. I bought 10 issues or so from 1982 on eBay a few years back and I'm constantly browsing them. They are a window into another world; it's remarkable how much has changed since then.

    I also found this great Flickr set recently:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/thinlizzyguide/sets/72157612519909411/

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  7. Interestingly I had a letter printed in Kerrang! Issue 7 I think it was (Pat Benatar cover) proclaiming Tony Iommi is God.

    Unfortunately, Kerrrang! went rapidly downhill (probably for circulation reasons and when Sounds closed) and then they started featuring the likes of Blur (whaaaaattt!) and all that other mainstream 'pop' acts that dressed themselves up as some indie rock sensations. I stopped buying after that.

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  8. I've just had a cursory look for the Kerrangs still left and can only find a box of the first 32 issues, barely 3 years not the optimistic 4 anos

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  9. That's still pretty impressive and will have a lot of great stuff in there, including the 3d Venom photos and that silly Penthouse Pet set that Judas Priest did. (Rob Halford eh? Who knew?)

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  10. OK - here's your Friday Night Connection, in this month of The Beatles

    Venom - Buried Alive
    White Zombie - Super Charger Heaven
    The Beatles - Penny Lane

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  11. My brain is bursting at trying to figure this out! Aaarrgh!!!

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  12. The Priest/Penthouse 'Breaking The Law' picture shoot, bird done up like a French Maid on cheap cognac. That one?

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  13. Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan, one of the Cronos replacements in Venom was in Judge Dredd The Movie (he played Ivan). The soundtrack featured 'Super Charger Heaven' by Whilte Zombie, who also appeared on the Beavis & Butthead soundtrack alongside Engelbert Humperdinck whose 'Release Me' single famously stopped The Beatles horrendous 'Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane' double A side from hitting No 1, stopping a run that went back to 'Love Me Do' in 1962.

    S'easy.

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  14. Mr H - now that is an amazing connection - my brain well and truly was burst. I'd never have got the answer!

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  15. I would never have git it Jimmy, because I never watched that Judge Dread film, because it looked SHITE.

    And you're a big contrary sourpuss, Mr. H - Stawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane are terrific songs. And Sgt Pepper's is brilliant. As were the Beach Boys. And ABBA. And Kraftwerk. So there.

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  16. I'm telling you now, TP, if I'm ever allowed to leave the country again (you get marched out of one country at gunpoint in the eighties and it's all "no, sorry, you can't have a passport"), I'll be heading straight to Italy to beat that Beatles crap right out of you. Abba, fair enough. Beach Boys, for sure. Kraftwerk, nay, nay and thrice nay. You want some early Tangerine Dream for that skin complaint.

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