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Ludus | |
---|---|
Origin | Manchester, England |
Genres | New wave, post-punk, avant-prog |
Years active | 1978–1984 |
Labels | New Hormones LTM |
Past members | Linder Arthur Kadmon Willie Trotter Toby Ian Devine Dids Dave Formula Paul Cavanagh Roy O'Shea Lee Buick Graham Revell |
Ludus was a British post-punk band formed in Manchester in 1978, which featured artist, designer and singer Linder Sterling. [1] They played jazz-, avant-garde- and punk- oriented material. The band influenced singer Morrissey, later of The Smiths and a solo artist, who remains one of the group's most vocal fans.
The band was founded by Linder Sterling, who in the arts and music scene is credited as Linder, having designed the cover of Buzzcocks' single "Orgasm Addict" and Magazine's debut album Real Life ; and Arthur Kadmon, formerly of Manicured Noise. Shortly after the formation, ex-Nosebleeds drummer Philip "Toby" Tomanov and bassist Willie Trotter joined to complete the band. It debuted live at the Factory Club, supporting The Pop Group, in October 1978, recording a studio demo the same month. The following month, Ludus played shows at well-known 'punk' venues like Eric's Club in Liverpool and, travelling with Magazine, The Venue in London.
Since its live debut at The Factory, Ludus was favourably reviewed in the press. In January 1979, Paul Morley, writing for NME , remarked:
In February 1979, Ludus returned to the studio to record another demo, produced by Howard Devoto, Linder's boyfriend at the time. [1] Shortly after a brief UK tour supporting Buzzcocks in March 1979, Kadmon and Trotter quit the band. [1] Kadmon later joined The Distractions and Trotter moved onto working in the television industry. Ian Devine replaced them, after which the group began recording for New Hormones and pursued more abstract directions, [1] including jazz, improvisation, and (after moving on to Les Disques du Crepuscule) even French pop. A provocative live performance at The Haçienda club in Manchester on 5 November 1982 saw Linder take the stage dressed in a dress fashioned from raw meat. After a spell in exile in Brussels, the group disbanded in 1983.
In October 1985 Morrissey wrote sleevenotes for an (unissued) Crepuscule compilation, and offered this closing eulogy: "Ludus lay on us the decorative impulses of their music, and nowhere more significantly than on the volume which now lies before you. People who know real genius will love this record... Her singing leaves me out of breath... Linder went to Brussels and I remained stuck in Manchester, battling with the tides of fortune. Our shrill spirits still slide through the ugly streets of Manchester, always wet through, always caught out, always spectating, our hearts damaged by too many air-raids." [2]
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Bolton in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady, an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as a "punk masterpiece".
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Pete Shelley was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early punk band Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist in 1977 when Devoto left. The group released their biggest hit "Ever Fallen in Love " in 1978. The band broke up in 1981 and reformed at the end of the decade. Shelley also had a solo career; his song "Homosapien" charted in Australasia and Canada in 1981 and 1982.
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Linder Sterling, commonly known as Linder, is a British artist known for her photography, radical feminist photomontage and confrontational performance art. She was also the former front-woman of Manchester based post-punk group Ludus. In 2017, Sterling was honored with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award.
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The Teardrops were an English punk/new wave band formed in Manchester, England, in 1978. The founders and always the core of this band were Trevor Wain, John Key and Jimmy Donnelly with various good friends from the Prestwich music scene:- Buzzcocks bassist Steve Garvey, members of The Fall; Martin Bramah, Karl Burns and Tony Friel and former member of V2 Ian Nance, as well as occasional contributions from Dave Brisbane, Helen Harbrook, Dave Price and Rick Goldstraw.
Philip Tomanov, known professionally as Toby Toman is a drummer who played with various British bands including The Nosebleeds, Ludus, The Durutti Column, Blue Orchids, and Primal Scream, working often with German singer Nico, known for her role with The Velvet Underground, while she was living in Manchester, England through the 1980s.
Arthur Kadmon is an English guitarist who worked with different new wave bands from Manchester, England, including Manicured Noise, Ludus, the Distractions and the Fall.
Willie Trotter was an English musician, who, in late 1970s, formed part of the early line-up of post-punk band Ludus, formed by art designer Linder Sterling on vocals, Arthur Kadmon on guitar and Toby Tolman on drums. He left the band by the time Kadmon quit, being both replaced by Ian Devine.
James Richard Boon is the former manager of Buzzcocks and boss of the record label, New Hormones.
New Hormones was a Manchester independent record label founded by Richard Boon and Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley. It was the first independent punk rock label in the UK.