To buy tickets for this event please visit our events page: Unpeeled Hardcore Halloween tickets from Skiddle.
Unpeeled Hardcore Halloween: The Stupids, Hellbastard, Deviated Instinct, Intense Degree
In the mid 80s, John Peel's relentless quest for the cutting edge led him to champion the emerging British acts who were putting their own spin on US hardcore and thrash metal, mixing it with anarcho punk to produce something new. UnPeeled is proud present a ridiculously good line-up comprising 4 of the best grindcore/extreme metal/hardcore acts from this period, namely :The Stupids, Hellbastard, Deviated Instinct Dr and The Crippens and Intense Degree. Also don't forget the aftershow featuring a DJ set from Tommy Stupid's drum and bass alter ego Klute, who also recorded for Peel (obvs!).
Tickets here: skiddle.com/e/35821233
The Stupids
Described by John Peel as “highly diverting, playing hard and fast with commendable brevity and lack of attention to detail”, The Stupids ripped thru the mid to late 80s, recording 4 Peel sessions (including one as Frankfurter, their fast food obsessed alter egos) before the wheels came off their skateboards at the end of the decade. The second Stupids John Peel session, from May 1987, was so good it was released as a 12” single on Peel’s manager’s label Strange Fruit.
The Stupids were moronic East Anglian teens, into American Hardcore, Sesame Street, pizza and trying not to suck. It may be hard to believe now, but their belated adoption by Peelie (who cottoned on following the sneaky placement of one of their friends as Peel’s intern) saw Stupids Mania hit the UK and kick-start a year of music press front covers and almost sold out shows for the band. In 1987, and two albums into a hitherto largely unheralded career on an anarcho punk label, even David Bowie’s son was into The Stupids. Consequently, the Thin White Duke himself was name-checking The Stupids in all his interviews, at least the ones he did before he actually listened to them. Tommy Stupid’s invite to join Bowie’s ground-breaking new thrash combo, Twat Machine, was hastily withdrawn, but by then Tommy had already burned his bridges with the other band members and The Stupids were wiped out.
However, much to the anticipation and delight of, literally, several fans, The Stupids put aside their differences and returned to the scene in the noughties. They managed a prophetic new record, ‘The Kids Don’t Like It’ and were surprisingly good at the Rebellion Festival. Tuff Life Boogie did try to secure the band for the ill-fated 2012 original iteration of Hardcore Holocaust Un-Peeled, but this was derailed by Tommy Stupid breaking his leg in a tragic scooter accident. Tommy has since recovered, from the embarrassment of the news leaking that he rides scooters, and The Stupids have been able maintained a gruelling schedule of 3 gigs per year. The Stupids appearance in Preston will be a truly seismic event and you should not miss it!
Hellbastard
Whilst Napalm Death were developing grindcore in the Midlands, Hellbastard were experimenting with anarcho punk and thrash metal in Gateshead and ended up inadvertently birthing the crust punk genre, which was named after Hellbastard’s magnificent 1986 demo ‘Ripper Crust.’ Maximum Rock’n’ Roll accurately described their sound as “Metallica meets Crass meets Slayer.” In the next couple of years Hellbastard recorded for both the esteemed Peaceville and Earache labels and were also lauded by John Peel, although they never managed to record a session (due to singer/guitarist Scruff not being able to afford a phone). Whilst playing a track from their first LP, ‘Heading for Eternal Darkness’, Peel famously commented “I now tell my children, if they don’t brush their teeth, I’ll invite Hellbastard round for tea.”
Hellbastard split up in 1992, but Scruff fired up a new version of the band in 2007 which has toured extensively and released a couple of albums and a split, most recently 2015’s insane ‘Feral’. This will be Hellbastard’s first show anywhere since 2018 and you should not miss it!
Deviated Instinct
Deviated Instinct formed in Norwich in 1984 and are one of the pioneers of crust punk and extreme metal and also birthed the sub-genre, ‘stentch’ with their impressively-titled ‘Terminal Filth Stenchcore’ cassette in 1987. After two cassette releases they were snapped up by the brand-leading Peaceville label and unleashed their debut LP ‘Rock n Roll Conformity’ in 1988. Based in East Anglia, home of Peel Acres, it was only a matter of time before Deviated Instinct attracted the attention of John Peel. Peelie duly requested a session from the band in Spring 1990, remarking on air that they were “the toast of Norwich, at least if Norwich knows what’s good for it.” 3 more records appeared, including the ‘Nailed’ EP in 1990, arguably their finest hour, before the band went their separate ways in 1991.
Peaceville put out a well-received compilation in 2006 and the following year guitarist Snappa and bass player Mid put the band back together for a one-off gig supporting Steve Ignorant at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. After being nagged for more gigs from promoters all over Europe, they decided to keep going and shortly were joined by original vocalist Leggo. Since then Deviated Instinct have put a split single and a couple of EPs, most recently the Husk 12” in 2018, which was recorded by Bri from Doom at the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford and played a great show at the Continental a couple of years back. Tuff Life Boogie is stoked to bring them back to Preston for Hardcore Holocaust UnPeeled!
Intense Degree
Normally the only denizens of Mansfield who turn up in Preston are the notoriously dull Mansfield Town FC and their cursed fans. Thankfully this appalling scenario has become less frequent since the wretched Stags failure to keep up with the Championship also-ran status PNE have enjoyed since the noughties. However, for a change, Tuff Life Boogie are delighted to present some genuine excitement from the biggest town in the Mansfield Urban Area, namely superfast hardcore legends Intense Degree. Intense Degree shared countless stages with the leading lights of the newly-spawned UK grindcore scene all over the UK in 86/87, leading them to securing a John Peel session which was broadcast in March 1988 and, like The Stupids, it was so good it was later released as a standalone 12” single on Strange Fruit.
The band were less metallic sounding than their contemporaries, concentrating instead on super swift HC based material, and in drummer Frank they boasted one of the fastest in the scene. Intense Degree were also notable for having a female bass player, Liz, which was unusual for the time, Bolt Thrower aside. Intense Degree produced one memorable album for Earache Records, 1988’s ‘War in my Head’, and a couple of singles in the early 90s before everything went quiet. Intense Degree reformed in 2017, took a few rehearsals to get up to speed and since then have been gigging occasionally and writing new songs, which drummer Rich describes “as fast as ever and sounds like we never stopped, just got better at playing.” The new material was recorded in lockdown and Tuff Life Boogie is delighted to give Prestonians the chance to witness this righteous group.
The Crippens (Dr and the Crippens)
Dr and the Crippens were Lancaster's contribution to the late 80s hardcore boom in the UK, and ended up being one of the most notable bands on the scene, feted for their on stage costumes, props (such as the infamous exploding head) and antics as well as the music.
Their music was good enough to secure them 2 Peel sessions though and their second album Raphanadosis was a nit everywhere, with or without the stage show.
The band reformed a couple of years ago with 3 original members, and a shorter name (now just 'The Crippens') but have done few gigs so far due to the COVID shutdown. Tuff Life Boogie is made up to have them at Un-Peeled.
https://www.facebook.com/TheCrippens
https://thecrippens.bandcamp.com/
Klute aftershow
There will also be a separately-ticketed aftershow featuring a DJ set from Tommy Stupid's drum and bass alter ego Klute. Klute recorded a John Peel session and the last record Peel played on air was a Klute track, 'Time 4 Change. Click here for more aftershow info.