Sunday 14 June 2020

Anabollic Steroids - All For One!



   A song today from a Anabollic Steroids (https://www.facebook.com/anabollicsteroids/), a band that formed in the late 70's. Rather than paraphrasing I think I'll just c&p their bio to give you a band history...

  The Anabollic Steroids formed in the late 70's . It began by posting fictitious gigs in the back of the music papers namely Sounds and the NME. It helped get the name out there along with a massive graffiti campaign in the North Kent South London area. The band had a period of various people turning up and rehearsing at late night sessions in Streatham. Although not having actually played live anywhere a line up came about in early 1981 which would become really what was the birth of the Anabollic Steroids as a live gigging unit. James Bondage (Gerard) vocals and bass, Steve Steroid (Steve) vocals and bass, Kappa (Michael) drums, 999Si (Simon) guitar. Steve and James would swap bass on stage and would interchange on vocals too. The early gigs were very chaotic and much fun. A loyal set of jovial lads and lasses would turn up on mass and jig the night away fired up on plenty of cider. The band played The Wapping Anarchist Centre a couple of times, various Kent village halls were secured for a nights entertainment. In 1982 The Steroids played at Skunks with The Straps. Skunks became quite a well known venue for Punk bands and was a venue very close to Angel tube in London. Further gigs in 1982 included playing with The Drones again at Skunks, The Business at The Red Lion in Gravesend. There was also a classic Sunday night gig in Brixton, which was brilliantly attended at The Old Queens head of which there still is an entertaining live recording of the night. Much fun had been had along the way but it came to an end in 1983 with a final gig at The Moonlight Club in Hampstead in May of that year. The gigs were often more of a celebration of all our mates being together under one roof than just focusing on the band. The band reformed kinda by accident in 2012 when we played at The Legendary 12 Bar in Denmark Street and since then have played various festivals and have played with such bands as the UK Subs, The Vibrators, Crisis and TV Smith to name but a few. The current line up is Michael De Victor (lead guitar) Jason Glen (rhythm guitar) Michael Karczweski (bass) Kevin Gregory (drums) Steve Nash (vocals). We were included on a compilation album in 1982 entitled Hundreds and Thousands and our featured track was "I Always Cry At Funerals". 2018 saw the release of our 'Carry On Stinking" CD album which "Vive Le Rock" magazine awarded us a creditable 6 out of 10 for. 2018 also saw the release of our "Life Stinks" ep which came out in CD form and was later released onto vinyl.

  They recently released a new single, dedicated "to the Steroid Barmy Army and the glory days we shared."  It's an old school punk tune looking back in fond reminiscence and it features live excerpts from that 1982 gig at The Old Queens Head in Stockwell. You can get it name your price here :   https://anabollicsteroids.bandcamp.com/track/all-for-one

  It's titled All For One!

Do you remember the days of ’81
Steroid Barmy Army , Stinkers on the run
Boozing in the Max', playing down Skunx
Hanging out at Bonaparte – BR6 Punx
Chaos at the youth club, banter with the Mods
Snogging on the back seats, love against the odds
Old enough to live the dreams we had when we were young
That summer was our youth and life was so much fun

Stinkers all for one!
Stinkers all for one!

All these years on, from Kent right up to Fife
Hear old bones-a-rattle, Stink’s a way of life
Rockin’ up the West End, what a fucking row
Anabollic Steroids - Stinkers know-how
Not all of us have made it, we remember every day
Our brothers and our sisters who fell along the way
Be proud of who you are, be proud of what you’ve done
Hear the barmy army roar “Stinkers all for one!”

Stinkers all for one!
Stinkers all for one!


4 comments:

  1. Long live the Steroids!

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  2. Shoreham Village Hall 1983 What a gig!!??!

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  3. Whatever happened to SAVAGE DOLLY?

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  4. Does anyone recall The Invisible Sandwiches? The keyboard player Tim Camm turns up and Steve Nash says to him `what are you doing here Tim? Classic stuff!!

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