The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

[David L]

[Slim]

Leaning into the more melodic / AOR side, Praying Mantis. Liked this a lot at the time. The YouTube post claims it was released in 1981, but I think I remember hearing it in my student room at Huddersfield in 1980.

[David L]

Leaning into the more melodic / AOR side, Praying Mantis. Liked this a lot at the time. The YouTube post claims it was released in 1981, but I think I remember hearing it in my student room at Huddersfield in 1980.

They were always great. Their first EP, featuring 'Captured City', was and a regular on the playlist at Sounds. They were played a lot on The Friday Rock Show - classy band.
The album from which Cheated was taken, 'Time Tells No Lies' is a NWOBHM classic

[Slim]

I was scouring my brains last night trying to remember the name of a NWOBHM band that had an endearingly attractive female singer and a song called Susie Don't Rock and Roll, but Google turned up nothing. Then this morning the name of the singer somehow came into my head - Lisa Dominique.

So I returned to Google and it turns out I uploaded a video from an old VHS tape myself 13 years ago. They were called Marino The Band.

However their debut (and only) album was released in 1985, so in all honesty it's a stretch to think of them as part of the NWOBHM.

I found a review online by Sounds' Mark Putterford. It concludes:

To be brutally honest, 'Wanna Keep You Satisfied' is an extremely poor and in places embarrassing debut album from an outfit which seems completely out of its depth in a recording studio. In the real world, good looks is no effective substitute for talent and the sooner Marino realises this the better.

Looks like they never recorded another album, so perhaps they took Mark's advice. Lisa did go on to have a solo career. I don't believe any of their music was released in a digital form. Shame, because after reading the review I was quite curious to give it a listen.

[pxr5]

I'm sure many of us will have, or heard, the Metal for Muthas album, maybe even the second one. I love this first album. My sister bought it for me when she passed out of RAF basic training in 1980 - that along with Rush's - Archives:

[Slim]

Vardis, another of the Brain Damage Party bands. I was impressed on the day, they were a really tight, heavy / fast boogie band. Their debut album was called 100mph appropriately. My little brother had it, not really my thing.

[Slim]

Highslide Image Viewer

[Slim]

Mythra were the first band on at Stafford. They went down very badly. They looked very young (and I was only 20 myself). I remember their stuff had cliched titles like Warrior of Time. I vaguely recall they were wearing silly clothes, they probably looked like a junior Bad News or Spinal Tap.

They were pretty much glassed off. Not sure if they did their whole set.

And yet, two years ago they were still going! Or reunited in some form

[Nickslikk2112]

A band I used to go see at the Brim' Tav' was Rhabstallion. My mate Webby loved their song Breadline. They even got on the BBC!

[Nickslikk2112]

If only there were footage or some proper recordings of Race Against Time knocking around. They were a killer band a drummer called Lucifer* and songs like Satan be my Saviour. What's not to like? And Dave Halliday went on to found Hell

* Or was that Vesuvius?

[Slim]

Saxon, definitely NWOBHM. Saw them at a little place in Hartlepool in August '79. Most people in the club hadn't even come for the band. Me and my mate Barry were standing down the front, pints in hand among about 20 other enthusiasts. I recall Biff saying "nice to see we've got a few friends in tonight".

Just had a Google to see if there's a reference to this memorable night online anywhere. There isn't, but I did turn up this interview with Steve Dawson:

https://www.metalexpressradio.com/2017/02/19/steve-dawson-oliver-dawson-saxon-interview/

"We did play at Stormin' The Castle bikers festival in Durham a few years back. We played in Hartlepool too not long ago with the Tygers of Pan Tang but we haven't been to Newcastle for a good while."

So they did return to the town in the noughties.

Did a bit more Googling and found this from last year:

https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-04-12/70s-and-80s-heavy-metal-star-jailed-for-historic-child-sex-abuse

A founding member of popular 1970s and 80s heavy metal band Saxon has been jailed for historic child sexual abuse. Steve Dawson, now 72, from Rotherham, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14. Sheffield Crown Court heard the abuse took place in the early 1990s when the victim was aged six.

Good grief.

[David L]

Saxon, definitely NWOBHM. Saw them at a little place in Hartlepool in August '79. Most people in the club hadn't even come for the band. Me and my mate Barry were standing down the front, pints in hand among about 20 other enthusiasts. I recall Biff saying "nice to see we've got a few friends in tonight".

Just had a Google to see if there's a reference to this memorable night online anywhere. There isn't, but I did turn up this interview with Steve Dawson:

https://www.metalexpressradio.com/2017/02/19/steve-dawson-oliver-dawson-saxon-interview/

"We did play at Stormin' The Castle bikers festival in Durham a few years back. We played in Hartlepool too not long ago with the Tygers of Pan Tang but we haven't been to Newcastle for a good while."

So they did return to the town in the noughties.

Did a bit more Googling and found this from last year:

https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-04-12/70s-and-80s-heavy-metal-star-jailed-for-historic-child-sex-abuse

A founding member of popular 1970s and 80s heavy metal band Saxon has been jailed for historic child sexual abuse. Steve Dawson, now 72, from Rotherham, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14. Sheffield Crown Court heard the abuse took place in the early 1990s when the victim was aged six.

Good grief.

"Dobby"

[Nick]

Wasn't the "Priest" drummer done for something similar?

[Slim]

Wasn't the "Priest" drummer done for something similar?

Yes, Dave Holland although his victim wasn't a child. Just read that he died in 2018, not sure I knew that.

[Slim]

Here's something I didn't know until this morning. I don't think I did, anyway. Pete Gill, Saxon's drummer in their heyday, was in the Glitter Band! I remember that they had two drummers. He went on to join Motorhead for a  few albums. I did know that.