A Band
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For the wireless term, see A band.
The A Band were a British musical collective formed in Nottingham in the late 1980's. Founded at the behest of saxophonist Vince Earimal who required a backing band, the unit quickly became an ever-changing, freeform improvisation unit. Richard Youngs joined upon moving to Nottingham and he recalled in The Wire (issue 259) that Jim Plaistow and Neil Campbell were the only constantly present members. They could number up to 18 on any given occasion and ceased to exist around 1994 with a 7" single, one LP and a handful of cassettes issued.
The group never performed under the name A Band or any obvious permutation thereof (they are occasionally listed as The A-Band) rather a series of different names all of which began with the letter "a". Names used included Anusol, Artex, Ack Ack, Anglegrinder and Advent, the latter in commemoration of a Richard Youngs album (it was at this show that the Youngs record 171 Used Train Tickets issued in 2004 was recorded). A posthumous CD of recordings from 1991 was released in 1997 and live activity, also from 1991, was given a vinyl release in 2002, the material being edited by Youngs with artwork from Campbell and Plaistow.
The following people are credited on A Band releases as participants. Many are known only by single or nicknames:
- Stream Angel, Tim Barker, Neil Campbell, Jean-Emmanuel Dubois, Vince Earimal, Andrea Fletcher, Andrew Fletcher, Sticky Foster, Ginge, Stewart Greenwood, Dave Higginson, Mick Horton, Billy MacLennan Irvine, David Large, Lenty (Neil Lent), Niggle, Neal Pates, Jim Plaistow, Barry Rothery, Sarah, Isabel Scott-Plumber, Stewart Walden, Dave Walters, Sharen Woodward, Richard Youngs.
[edit] Discography
This listing may be incomplete - there are probably other cassette releases extant.
- Anusol - a compilation cassette of the earliest live recordings, given away at the Anusol performance, limited to 10 copies.
- Untitled - 7" single (Any Old Records, recorded and released 1991)
- Anusol - cassette (Chocolate Monk recorded 1990, released 1992 - different content to the above)
- Artex / A Lot - LP (Siltbreeze, recorded 1990 and 1991, released 1993)
- April Twelfth Nineteen-NinetyTwo cassette of studio recordings (12-4-92, obviously)
- Alarms - C46 cassette (self-released, 1993)
- Live @ 7th Annual Neil Young Convention - cassette (Union Pole, c.1996, recorded July 1994)
- A Band - CD (no label, issued by Plaistow and Campbell, recorded 1991, released 1997)
- Live In Greece 1992 - cassette (label unknown, recorded 1992, released c.1999/2000)
- A Band - LP (Qbico, recorded 1991, issued 2003)
- TV Set For Winter - CDR (Qbico, recorded 1991, issued 2003, only available with the first 26 copies of the above LP on the same label - disc reads TV Sets From Winter - this is an error)
Compilations, etc.:
- Vince Taylor Is Dead - on compilation CD Church Of The Subgenius (recorded 1991, released 1992)
- Salivating Regina - split 7” with Simon Wickham-Smith / Richard Youngs track on other side (Baby Huey, 1992)
- Martian Love Call - on compilation CD The Arbitrary Nature Of Meaning, credit reads Simon Wickham-Smith & A Band (Isomorphic, 1994)
