UK Decay - For Madmen Only

UK Decay

For Madmen Only

1981

Punk Rock Gothic Rock

England

Tracklist:


•Duel
•Battle of the Elements
•Shattered
•Stage Struck
•Last in the House of Flames
•Unexpected Guest
•Sexual
•Dorian
•Decadence
•Mayday Malady
•For Madmen Only


     UK Decay are Luton-based positive punk (the precursory term for gothic rock) band, formed out of the ashes of another local band called The Resistors, who were Steven Abbot (Abbo) guitar, Steve Harle on drums, Paul Wilson vocals, and Martin (Segovia) Smith bass.
     The Resistors formed in 1978. After Paul Wilson left during the spring of 1979, the remaining band members changed their name and released the ‘Split Single’ 7” in partnership with local band Pneumania on their own Plastic Records label, under the new name UK Decay. There were two tracks from each band, with UK Decay contributing "UK Decay" and "Car Crash", and Pneumania "Exhibition" and "Coming Attack". The 'Split Single' sold extremely well, mainly thanks to a damning review in the NME, whose Danny Baker and Charles Shaar Murray described them as "one of the worst punk bands of all time". At the same time, some of the band produced their own monthly fanzine The Suss, and ran their own punk record and clothes shop, 'Matrix'. Guitarist Steve Spon was poached from Pneumania, allowing Abbo to concentrate on frontman duties.
     UK Decay were arguably a major influence on an emerging wave of bands such as The Sisters of Mercy, Sex Gang Children and Southern Death Cult. These bands together spawned the emerging postpunk and Goth movements that still resonate today. UK Decay had a major role in developing these scenes, but had ceased to exist by the time these other bands started getting serious press coverage and sales. CD re-issues of the band's music have recently become available through their official website.