Bands 1982 - Onwards

PLEASE REFER TO THE DISCOGRAPHY SECTION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON MANY BANDS NOT LISTED IN THIS SECTION

Me

Originally called 'Me Fertile', the band was formed in Durham by Francis Kane (a sometime-member of Belfast's THE LOW SPARK) and George Claridge. An early line-up included FIVE BOYS and BIG ELECTRIC PLC drummer BILL REID and keyboardist CHRIS BURRELL but the real ME career began when Kane and Claridge relocated to Bristol where several of the North Belfast bands of the early-eighties had encamped. There they formed a line-up with keyboardist RONAN MAGUIRE, drummer MARK BRADLEY (both formerly of Bristol-based THE RELUCTORS and Befast-based GUILTY ACHIEVEMENTS) and Mark's brother PAUL BRADLEY, (ex-member of several Belfast bands including THE LOW SPARK and REFLEX ACTION).

'Me' started out competing in Battle of the Bands competitions, recording and writing dozens of songs which they released locally on cassette EP's while flirting with major-label interest. But after independently releasing a 12" EP 'WAKE UP' in 1991, they hooked up with Bristol nudist legends THE MOONFLOWERS, both of them deciding to eschew major-label involvement. So it was ME became part of the legendary Bristol POPGOD label whose records, bands and events dominated Bristol immediately prior to the Trip Hop era. The band had now arrived at its classic line-up, losing Ronan Maguire (except for occasional guest returns) and adding Bristol one-man band SCOOPER on keyboards, JASON COLLINS on bass and dancers MICHELLE GASKELL and BETHAN WHITE.
Highly active all over the UK, and with excurions out to Eastern Europe and even further, ME played gigs and festivals, formed supergroups and clubs with other Popgod activists and generally improved the life of the nation, getting busy on Radio 1 with sessions and on record with singles including 'WORLD PEACE NOW', 'VICTIMS OF TESTOSTERONE' and '21ST CENTURY FOSSILS'

This line-up released two albums on Popgod, the classic 'HARMONISE OR DIE' winning critical acclaim in 1993 in the national music tabloids and the second, a double set, 'FECUND HAUNTS' taking them to foreign deals under which selections from the first two albums would be repackaged as 'HARMONISE OR HAUNT' (1996). By this time the band had split, scattering singer Francis as far as China while brothers Mark and Paul stayed on the Bristol scene in jazz-mutants THE ORGANELLES and George released a solo album, 'GIVEN THINGS'.

Occasional events (weddings, funerals, bar-mitzvahs) have seen the band reform for one-off gigs, usually without prior rehearsal and always upping their live reputation which remains second to none among the roster of Bristol's once and future legends.

From an original article by Michael Kearney

Troubled

Since We Haven't Been Together' / 'World Peace Now'

Here Comes Everybody

Vladimir

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