Manicured Noise
Manchester, England's Manicured Noise formed in 1978, but the very early days of the band remain a mystery. Given their name by prime Manchester scenester Linder, the group peddled a form of spiky and angular jazz/punk. Jeff Noon, acclaimed sci-fi, cyberpunk writer ("Vurt", "Nymphomation") was an early member of the group, adding to the group's retro-futurist edge. Inspired by Television, Talking Heads, August Darnell's Machine, French Soundtracks and Disco Chic along with a nod to Northern Soul and Moroder, the band cut a singular groove. Early hours inspiration from 70’s cop and Kung-Fu soundtracks were incorporated, a good 10 years or more before Massive Attack and Portishead did the same. In doing so, Manicured Noise created a sound that’s still difficult to pin down.
Guitarist and later period frontman Steven Walsh was an ex member of the Flowers of Romance, pre-Pistols vehicle for Sid Vicious, and various members of the Slits and Banshees. Steven brought an experimental and funky ethos to the band.
"Faith" (Pre/Charisma, 1980) was acclaimed on release, its Northern backbeat acknowledging the Manchester debt. A BBC session followed. Then, nothing. As Steven Walsh suggests: “Had we stayed together that little bit longer, who knows what might have been?"
"Northern Stories 1978/80", a Manicured Noise retrospective, will be released October 30th on Caroline True Records. The album collects for the first time almost all of their recordings including their two singles for Pre/Charisma Records, a BBC session and unreleased material.
Manicured Noise was:
Steve Walsh - Vocals and Guitar
Stephanie Nuttall - Drums
Jodie Taylor - Bass
Peter Bannister - Clarinet/Sax
Owen Gavin - Vocalist
Jeff Noon - Guitar
Visit Manicured Noise at MySpace
Go to the download page to get Manicured Noise - "Faith"
17 Comments:
Manicured Noise's drummer, Stephanie Nuttall, was invited in the early eighties to Argentina, to be the drummer in a new band that an italian friend of hers, Luca Prodan,was forming in the south-american country. So, she make the trip, and she was the first drummer of SUMO, maybe the greatest argentinian band of all time,with a very talented italian ex-heroine addict frontman that most of the time sang in english, making music in styles like punk and reggae, nearly unknowns in that time and place. If you want to hear the girl, you will find her beating the drums in Sumo's first album, "Corpiños en la madrugada" ("Bras in the early morning") and in post-mortem demo compilation of Luca Prodan, "Time Fate Love".
Hope this interest someone, let me know...
XQSME 4 MY english
Thanks for the info lA-There has benen much interest in this album from Argentina for that reason. Now I'll attempt to find the releases with Stephanie on! -she is alive and well and living in the uk BTW-) Thanks again
John (Caroline True Records UK)
I am from Argentina, and got the album last month, I think Sumo owes this band almost everything..it seems Stephanie and Luca brought this idea and music in their souls to this land
Hello I'm from Argentina too. Sumo was a very powerfull band. I can't say that has very good musicians, but the energy that they showed in their shows was unbelieveable. I haven't got the pleasure of listening to Stephanie Nuttall in all her wideness, but I can guess that she was a good drummer.
I highly recommend Sumo if you are someone that usually are in conflict with the system.
Sorry for my english, I know it's bad but it's what i've got.
Now a few words in Spanish, for those of my class =P:
La verdad que me emociona ver gente que se interese en Sumo. Y cada vez que escucho Sumo me emociono también, porque transmite cosas muy fuertes, como sólo Luca Prodan era capaz de expresar. A 20 años de su muerte, tuve la suerte de presenciar un show de Sumo, el 12 de Abril del 2007, en el Quilmes Rock efectuado en el estadio River Plate. Y para mí, un gil de 18 años que todavía le faltan muchas cosas por ver, y que lamentablemente no vivió la época de Sumo, fue una oportunidad que nadie me iba a poder dar, salvo los sobrevivientes del grupo. Más allá de que haya sonado como nunca y que la banda pueda seguir tranquilamente, se nota que falta un Luca loco que le lleve la contra a todos y que mueva un poco las cabezas de la gente, que la haga darse cuenta que hay varias cosas de esta realidad que no están funcionando y que pueden cambiarse; sólo es necesario poner muchos huevos.
Muchas gracias a todos los que valoran Sumo como yo, y muchas gracias a Germán, Ricardo, Diego, Alejandro, Alberto, Roberto, Timmy, Stephanie, y todos los que alguna vez tuvieron relación con esa banda que por esas vueltas de la vida, en vez de haber triunfado y volado la cabeza de millones de personas, se extinguió en ginebra hace ya casi 20 años.
Hii This is Sean from New Jersey...My friends here at have some collections of Sumo Band's albums...Personally I do hear their few numbers...Anycase do they have any plan of touring in New Jersey anytime soon....
Hi! From Argentina. To listen to the early songs of Luca Prodan with Stephanie Nuttall at drums go to http://www.myspace.com/lucaprodan
Alejandra
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
thanks at all. I can´t explain and you would not understand what mean SUMO in my life. Thank you o Gracias totales!!!!!!!
Amazing! Jeff Noon is still being read and has an official website, jeffnoon.com.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
stephanie talking about sumo and Luca :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c81IAIqv4Tg
enjoy!
gerardobiasella@gmail.com if you want more info
Divided by Joy! (Prodan - Nutall)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG22ZBB3SEg
stephanie nuttal is a first baterist of the sumo from argentina!!
stephanie nuttal is the first baterist of the sumo band (argentina)
the best band of from 80s years in latin america
Is this site still alive? If so, can anyone remember the title of the 12" single that Steven Walsh issued as a solo release. Been racking my ageing brain but no way can I come up with it.
Cheers, Craig (Manchester)
Is this site still alive? If so, can anyone remember the title of the 12" Single Steven Walsh issued as a solo release after Manicured Noise split?
I've been racking my ageing brain but no way can I come up with it.
Cheers, Craig (Manchester)
Post a Comment
<< Home