Certified 3 : 1984
WORKING WITH FIRE AND STEEL
Certified 3 : 1984
S.P.K. are the most unconventional band that I have ever seen
live, armed with sheets of metal, chains, bars and a metal cutter, they
set out to give an unforgetable, if not dangerous performance.
The metal banging is structured around backing tapes, and a fourth
member had joined the original trio to help out, I dont know if he has
become a permanent member or was just helping out with live work.
The stage was littered with oil drums, empty gas cylinders, and sheets
of metal, which when hit, produced a surprisingly varied and interesting
ary of sounds. The stage was not lit with the usual coloured spot lights
and the band used vitally no lighting, adding to the bands effect.
S.P.K. are truely an international band, female singer SINAN
is from china DEREK THOMPSON (trumpet, keyboards, metal precussion) is
from England and GRAEME REVELL (synthesisers, electronics, metal precussion)
is from New Zealand.
Halfway through their set Graeme Revell started cutting into sheets
of metal producing large amounts of sparks creating a tremendous effect
on the partially lit stage, he then started swinging a four foot long metal
chain above his head at the front of the stage producing an almost immediate
evacuation of the front half of the hall (I read somewhere that one of
their gigs in London was stopped because either counsil officials or the
management of the venue thought that it was to dangerous for them to continue),
one wrong move with the chain and someone could have had a permanent reminder
of their night out.
I must admit that I had'nt heard much from S.P.K. before this gig apart
from METAL DANCE, and now after hearing them on the radio (Dave Jenson
session) that they are better live than vynal or tape, although the single
'METAL DANCE' is a classic.
The last few songs in the bands set were the highlights of the night
all the members of the band apart from SINAN, proceeded to knock hell out
of anything they could find in time to the backing tapes, a perfect end
to an unforgetable gig that to say the least different.
The original meaning of S.P.K. was Socialistische Patieten Kollective,
who were a group of mental patients in Germany who tried to break out if
the system they were in by building bombs for the Baader Meinhof group,
they ended blowing themselves up, but recently they changed the meaning
of the name to 'Se Pukku' the Japanese word for ritualistic suicide. They
have released a tape called "live at the krypt", and the single "Metal
Dance", but I am not sure if they have recorded any other material. Although
S.P.K. have a hard metalic sound which would only appeal to the minority,
they do feel capable of producing more commercial material and under the
name of "The Cruel Pleasure" are going to release more pop orientated music
in the future, aswell as continuing with the experimental side and S.P.K.
P.S. S.P.K. ALBUM IS CALLED " AUTO-DAFE"
