Tuesday, January 16, 2007

THE HOAX : 4 E.P.s (UK LATE 70s-EARLY 80s PUNK BAND)


The Hoax were formed in Manchester in 1979. The first line up was Ian Chambers on vocals. Andy Farley (Fox) guitar and backing vocals, Steve Mardy (Sox) bass and backing vocals, and Mike Joyce on drums.
Steve Mardy tells the story:
In February 1978 I bumped into a drunken heap called Ian Chambers in Rafters night club, and promptly sold him a 15” speaker bass speaker. Two months later, Ian invited me to plug it in and meet Andy Farley. The three of us formed an un-named band who went on to audition a number of drummers until late December 1978 when we played our first ever gig at The Highland Laddie pub, Ashton-u-Lyne. It was Tameside College’s Christmas party promoted by Brain Turner – of The Frantic Elevators and later going on to manage Happy Mondays in 1987/88.
Chris Corvette takes over the story. (Please note that this version of events maybe clouded by old age, alcohol, drugs etc.)
As I remember, I was playing bass guitar for my first punk rock band (c.1980) called ‘Random Gender’ in and around the Manchester area. I was also a massive fan of the legendry punk band ‘The Hoax’ (Farley/Mardy/Joyce) and attended many of their early gigs. I got talking to the guys and managed to blag some support slots with the them. We gigged mainly in the north west and even managed to get a third support slot with ‘The Exploited’ and ‘The Hoax’ at Cleopatra’s in Huddersfield on the ‘Army Life’ tour.
Shortly after that Steve Mardy (bass) left the band to pursue a career elsewhere and I was invited to join the band by Andy. Obviously I wasn’t going to refuse and got straight to work learning the songs. We rehearsed at TJM studios in central Manchester and the attic of a derelict shop in Ashton-Under-Lyne! During this period, Mike Joyce decided to leave and join a band called ‘The Smiths’. We thought he was fuckin’ mad to leave the ‘best’ punk band in Manchester to join some shitty pop band, how could we be so wrong!
Enter Peter Flannigan aka ‘Flannel’ on drums. The band had now taken on a new shape and direction, so Andy decided that he would hang up his guitar and concentrate on his vocals.Graham Atkinson aka ‘Aky’ was a very good friend of Flannels from a previous band, and he was now recruited to play guitar.
The band entered Hologramme Studios in Stockport (see single for date) to record the 4 track EP ‘Blind Panic’ which was later released on Holograme Records (no connection) with Chris Corvette appearing mysteriously as ‘5092’ & Aky as 'Sly' this collectors item EP sold well around the Manchester area and in the south via Rough Trade/Small Wonder etc.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Missing the song: Rich Folks. Hello? Instead of trying to break the speed record, posting as much as humanly possible, why don't you take the time to make sure that you include all of the tracks on the LP's already posted.

mutantsounds said...

i kidly ask you to be more polite.I will check this but you are the first to complain

Anonymous said...

Sorry. I see the track now. I am an asshole.

zenpunk said...

at last i found these tunes!thanks big time for the upload.
once upon a time i did possess these vinyl classics but were lost due to my constant moving around in my younger days in the 80's or stolen by some other lover of hoax music or just another theiving junkie bastard,i suspect the latter.
i lived in stalybridge so used to go and watch the hoax (and the also mentioned random gender)rehearse in an old scout hut on a sunday afternoon,a much better option than sitting at home watching the high chaperel or some other crap.
saw both bands many times,mostly dukinfield youth clubs,usually could be chaotic violent gigs,remember being chased back down into stalybridge by gangs of skinheads.
also remember the gig at duckinfield town hall that was also ended in lots of fighting,seem to remeber random gender bass player swinging his bass over his head and smashing the rg guitarist over the head with it cue lots more blood and chaos.
would you object if i uploaded some of these hoax tunes to my own blog?
will give you the credit and link you in.
if not no problem,thanks for these old classics anyway.

Anonymous said...

thank you very much,nice old Punk!!
ciao!