‘Avon Calling 2’ – Review in Venue this week

This raid on the vaults of Heartbeat Records captures no-budget Bristol in the fertile years 1978-1980. It’s pretty diverse. Social Security’s ‘Self Confession’ is a minor snot classic celebrating the rock ‘n’dole lifestyle, while Essential Bop’s busily psychedelic ‘Audition Room’ sounds like a Doors album track played at 45 rpm. Sneak Preview’s offerings are wonderfully deranged: ‘Mr Magoo’ meets Andre Breton’s ghost in an afterlife of freak-out organs; ‘I Can’t Get Out’ confronts a predatory transvestite in a fog of dub. Both are surprisingly catchy. Equally fine are the two Apartment tracks-the slasher atmospherics of ‘Broken Glass’ and hurtling panic of ‘Retrospect’. They’re the post-punk heroes you’ve (probably) never heard of. This is alternative history, from which the mysterious Sean Ryan emerges as the Gary Numan that never was.

It’s  highly recommended to anyone interested in the early years of the UK underground.

(Adam Burrows) 4/5

The album is released on September 13^th and can be pre ordered now at Amazon, HMV, Play or buy directly from www.bristolarchiverecords.com