Party Day

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Party Day
Origin Wombwell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England
Genres Gothic rock, indie rock, post-punk, coldwave
Years active1981–1988
LabelsParty Day Records, Rouska Records, PIAS Recordings (Play it Again Sam Records), Optic Nerve Recordings, AAZ Records, Torment Records, Strobelight Records.
Past membersMick Baker - drums (1981–1988)
Martin Steele - guitar, vocals (1981–1985)
Carl Firth - bass, vocals (1981–1986)
Greg Firth - guitar (1981–1982)
Dean Peckett - guitar, vocals (1985–1988)
Paul Nash - guitar, vocals (1986–1988)
Shaun Crowcroft - bass (1986–1988)

Party Day were an English goth/indie rock band formed in 1981 [1] in Wombwell near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, originally a four-piece consisting of guitarists Martin Steele, Greg Firth, bassist Carl Firth and drummer, Mick Baker. [2] Their sound was described as being "hard knuckleduster goth with post-punk overtones". [3]

Contents

History

The band were formerly called 'Further Experiments' (1979–81) [2] but refocussed as Party Day. They released their first single, "Row the Boat Ashore" c/w "Poison" on their own label, Party Day Records in 1983, [2] and was well reviewed - "their simpering and delightful sound is a thing of beauty". [4]

Their second single, "The Spider" was described as "Excellent punk junk howl" [5] and was played on John Peel's BBC Radio 1. [6] We shall hopefully continue to see them rip up the roots of this bland desolate music industry. [7]

Their debut album ‘Glasshouse’ (1985) "forms their most stunning statement to date... what they do, they do searingly well". [8]

Much of Party Day's music was "very melancholic at heart but with a drop of venomous punk inside", [3] and as with their second album, Simplicity (1986), their music stayed with you - "the attractive, though slightly over-wrought black sheep, "Glorious Days", which could have brought a lump to Mario Lanza's trousers." [9]

Party Day released Rabbit Pie on the compilation LP Giraffe in Flames on Aaz Records [2] to worthy acclaim. "Highlight though is Party Day's effort, a meaty guitar based number, Rabbit Pie. The threesome are coming on by leaps and bounds and Giraffe in Flames is worth buying just for them." [10]

They had a strong following in Yorkshire, and were credited as being part of both the local scenes of Sheffield e.g. Leadmill [11] and Leeds "No strangers to the local circuit, Party Day have gigged consistently for almost a year". [12]

After the release of the Glasshouse LP [2] there was a change in personnel, with Martin leaving due to ill-health. [2] Other members came in, but by 1988 they broke up after abandoning their unfinished third album. [2]

Party Day were exciting to watch live; Sounds said "They roar along, driven by a good old-fashioned pumping drum-kit, and every so often one of those elusive moving chord-sequences falls into place, leaving you completely startled" [13] and also in the NME, "They hold their guitars like loaded AK47's. They throb". [14]

For Party Day, great success and major exposure were always just a step away. [15]

Since their demise there has been quite an interest in the band. They were included within Mick Mercer's book Gothic Rock: All you ever wanted to know but were too afraid to ask, published by Pegasus 1991 (UK) ISBN   1-873892-01-2 and Cleopatra Records 1993 (USA).

Their song "Atoms" has been included on a couple of later but favourable Gothic compilations, most notable with Germany's Strobelight Records - Volume 3 (2006). [16] And still today, their songs can be found aired at; Gothic clubs within Europe and beyond, on Livestreams. [17] [18] Recently on World Goth Day 2020 with DJ Benny Blanco's Livestream [19] and with Dark Wave Radio. [20]

2021 sees the 40th Anniversary of the Band's beginnings, those moments where fun and optimism youthfully collide. Sorted! becomes the band's latest release, a comprehensive collection of all their recordings plus demos, and released by Optic Nerve Recordings. [21]

Discography

Singles

EPs

Albums

Compilations

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References

  1. ↑ drury, steve. "SDT". Party Day. sdtfoto / party day. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Party Day Indie Goth Music". Party-day.co.uk.
  3. 1 2 "Invisible Guy". repartiseraren.se. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020.
  4. ↑ Zigzag Magazine, singles review, July 1983
  5. ↑ Tibet, Sounds, 19 May 1984
  6. ↑ "The Perfumed Garden: John Peel - 2nd July 1984". Theperfumedgarden.blogspot.com. 16 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Richard Rouska, Rouska Magazine, 1984
  8. ↑ Darlington, Andy. "Eight Miles Higher". Party Day Interview. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Mick Mercer, Melody Maker, album reviews, 12 July 1986
  10. ↑ Martin Lilleker, The Star (Sheffield), album review, 11 February 1984
  11. ↑ Sheffield, Polytech. "04/12/1983 gig". Sheffield Music Archive. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  12. ↑ NEM. Leeds Other Paper, 27 January 1984
  13. ↑ Mr Spencer, Sounds, 19 May 1984
  14. ↑ Susan Williams (aka Seething Wells), NME, 3 March 1984
  15. ↑ Granuaile, ZigZag Magazine, February 1986
  16. ↑ Strobelight, Records. "Germany's". Strobelight Records. Strobelight. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  17. ↑ "DJ Martin Oldgoth, The Last Cry 30th Anniversary, July 2015 (Brighton)" (PDF). Party-day.co.uk.
  18. ↑ DJ Dragnet, League Of Extraordinary Dj’s Setlist, Nov 2016 (Amsterdam)
  19. ↑ Benny, Blanco. "DJ". Blancodisco. bennyblanco. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  20. ↑ Dark Wave, Radio.net. "Dark Wave Radio". darkwaveradio,net. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  21. ↑ "Optic Nerve Recordings". Party Day - Sorted!. Optic Nerve Recordings. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
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