The Lurkers GLM

Now: Nigel Moore (Bass), Pete Stride (Guitar and Vocals), Peter "Esso" Haynes (Drums)

The Lurkers were nicknamed "The London Ramones" in their heyday and rightly so as like their counterparts on the other side of the pond they were delivering short, sharp and snappy Punk Pop Tunes a long time before the likes of Green Day, Blink 182 and a thousand and one other bands invented the term!

Back in 2012 I stumbled on an album by GLM (God's Lonely Men) called Chemical Landslide (you can hear a few tracks from it below). Much to my amazement I discovered that lively trio was none other than musical machine of one of my absolute favourite bands...yep, you guessed it...The Lurkers!

I'd often wondered what happened to them all. I knew that Pete "Esso" Haynes had been writing (he has a couple of wonderful little books out as well - check 'em out here) but had no idea what had happened to Pete Stride and Nigel Moore (and I think we need to send out a search party to discover exactly what corner of the world Howard Wall is in!).

So it was really great getting to hear them doing some new music that was absolutely nothing like The Lurkers of old, much heavier and darker.

Back in 2013 they spoke with LouderThanWar about the band and the new direction they were taking by writing songs that were more akin to the classic Lurkers sound, and it's funny because one of the particular songs they were talking about turns out to be the title track to their new album. It's actually been sitting around for a few years but finally they have someone to actually release it.

But the new album is actually very Limited Edition - 300 CD's and 333 Vinyl LP's. You can hear four tracks from the album down below.

It's interesting that they have reverted to using The Lurkers name again, especially as a certain bassist, Arturo Bassick has been out playing under the name of The Lurkers for many years now. Pete Stride said in a recent interview "as we are all the original members who created and named The Lurkers in the first place we feel that we are totally justified in using the name". You can read the interview with Pete Stride and Nigel Moore for Uber Rock Here.

For details on how to get the album Check Here.

Here's a Little Four Track Taster from the New Album:

The Future's Calling (2016)

The Lurkers GLM

Here's a few tracks from the Debut Album from GLM

Chemical Landslide (2012)

GLM (God's Lonely Men)

Then: Peter "Esso" Haynes (Drums), Nigel Moore (Bass), Pete Stride (Guitar) and Howard Wall (Vocals)

The S4L Top Ten
The Lurkers
10. Cyanide
09. Mass Media Believer
08. Then I Kicked Her
07. Take Me Back To Babylon
06. Freak Show
05. Little Ol' Wine Drinker Me
04. Total War
03. Shadow
02. Pills
01. Out In The Dark
 

45RPM: #7 Shadow - The Lurkers (1977)

The Lurkers have cemented their place in the vast musical landscape because they were the first band to release a record on Beggars Banquet - a label that went on to have Tubeway Army, The Go-Betweens, The Cult, Biffy Clyro and even the Ramones at one point, plus a whole lot more.

They also have their name etched into one of the classic songs from Television Personalities - Part Time Punks - with the lyric "Then they go to Rough Trade to buy Siouxsie and the Banshees, they heard John Peel play it just the other night. They'd like to buy the O-Level's single or Read About Seymour, but they're not pressed in red so they buy The Lurkers instead".

And the single that was "pressed in red" was Shadow by The Lurkers (and it was also released in White and Blue).

It was released on this day in 1977 and sold in excess of 10,000 copies!

Funny thing about The Lurkers is that they divided opinions. There were those on one side who were saying they were brilliant and that the sheer simplicity of their musical style was what made them appealing. On the other side were those who mocked them for their simplicity of sound and said they were nothing more than the London Ramones (I'm sure that the band would have taken that as a massive compliment rather than a put down!).

They had formed in 1976, playing their first live show supporting Screaming Lord Sutch to an audience of 10 at Uxbridge Technical College. They had also played at The Roxy in Neal Street supporting The Jam, Eater and Slaughter and the Dogs.

Whilst I wouldn't say I was a huge fan of everything they have done, the early singles and the first two albums are the best things they've done. Auturo Bassick is holding the name of the band these days and whilst not an original member, he does appear on the first single but left afterwards to start his own band Pinpoint. He is still touring and releasing music under the name of The Lurkers as well (though the last album was 7 years ago!).

It's a little slice of history, and whether you love it or hate it, nothing is ever going to change that.

Howard Wall - Vocals

Pete Stride - Guitar

Arturo Bassick - Bass

Pete "Manic Esso" Haynes - Drums

A-Side: Shadow

B-Side: Love Story

Beggars Banquet

Produced by Beggars Banquet and The Lurkers

Released 20th August 1977