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Party Day

Party Day were an English goth/indie rock band formed in 1981[1] in Wombwell near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, originally a four-piece consisting of guitarists Martin Steele, Greg Firth, bassist Carl Firth and drummer, Mick Baker.[2] Their sound was described as being "hard knuckleduster goth with post-punk overtones".[3]

Party Day
OriginWombwell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England
GenresGothic rock, indie rock, post-punk, coldwave, new wave
Years active1981–1988
LabelsParty Day Records, Rouska Records, PIAS Recordings (Play it Again Sam Records), Optic Nerve Recordings, AAZ Records, Torment Records, Strobelight Records.
Past membersMick Baker - drums (1981–1988)
Martin Steele - guitar, vocals (1981–1985)
Carl Firth - bass, vocals (1981–1986)
Greg Firth - guitar (1981–1982)
Dean Peckett - guitar, vocals (1985–1988)
Paul Nash - guitar, vocals (1986–1988)
Shaun Crowcroft - bass (1986–1988)

History

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The band were formerly called 'Further Experiments' (1979–81)[2] but refocussed as Party Day. They released their first single, "Row the Boat Ashore" c/w "Poison" on their own label, Party Day Records in 1983,[2] and was well reviewed - "their simpering and delightful sound is a thing of beauty".[4]

Their second single, "The Spider" was described as "Excellent punk junk howl"[5] and was played on John Peel's BBC Radio 1.[6] We shall hopefully continue to see them rip up the roots of this bland desolate music industry.[7]

Their debut album ‘Glasshouse’ (1985) "forms their most stunning statement to date... what they do, they do searingly well".[8]

Much of Party Day's music was "very melancholic at heart but with a drop of venomous punk inside",[3] and as with their second album, Simplicity (1986), their music stayed with you - "the attractive, though slightly over-wrought black sheep, "Glorious Days", which could have brought a lump to Mario Lanza's trousers."[9]

Party Day released Rabbit Pie on the compilation LP Giraffe in Flames on Aaz Records[2] to worthy acclaim. "Highlight though is Party Day's effort, a meaty guitar based number, Rabbit Pie. The threesome are coming on by leaps and bounds and Giraffe in Flames is worth buying just for them."[10]

They had a strong following in Yorkshire, and were credited as being part of both the local scenes of Sheffield e.g. Leadmill[11] and Leeds "No strangers to the local circuit, Party Day have gigged consistently for almost a year".[12]

After the release of the Glasshouse LP[2] there was a change in personnel, with Martin leaving due to ill-health.[2] Other members came in, but by 1988 they broke up after abandoning their unfinished third album.[2]

Party Day were exciting to watch live; Sounds said "They roar along, driven by a good old-fashioned pumping drum-kit, and every so often one of those elusive moving chord-sequences falls into place, leaving you completely startled"[13] and also in the NME, "They hold their guitars like loaded AK47's. They throb".[14]

For Party Day, great success and major exposure were always just a step away.[15]

Since their demise there has been quite an interest in the band. They were included within Mick Mercer's book Gothic Rock: All you ever wanted to know but were too afraid to ask, published by Pegasus 1991 (UK) ISBN 1-873892-01-2 and Cleopatra Records 1993 (USA).

Their song "Atoms" has been included on a couple of later but favourable Gothic compilations, most notable with Germany's Strobelight Records - Volume 3 (2006).[16] And still today, their songs can be found aired at; Gothic clubs within Europe and beyond, on Livestreams.[17][18] Recently on World Goth Day 2020 with DJ Benny Blanco's Livestream[19] and with Dark Wave Radio.[20]

2021 sees the 40th Anniversary of the Band's beginnings, those moments where fun and optimism youthfully collide. Sorted! becomes the band's latest release, a comprehensive collection of all their recordings plus demos, and released by Optic Nerve Recordings.[21]

Discography

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Singles

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  • "Row The Boat Ashore" c/w "Poison" (1983, Party Day Records)
  • "Spider" c/w "Flies" (1984, Party Day Records)

EPs

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  • Glasshouse EP(1985, Rouska Records)

Albums

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  • Glasshouse (1985, Party Day Records)
  • Simplicity (1986, Party Day Records)
  • Sorted! (2021, Optic Nerve Recordings)

Compilations

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  • "Party Day" on Real Time 5 (1983, Unlikely Records [cassette])
  • "Rabbit Pie" on Giraffe in Flames (1984, AAZ Records [12" vinyl])
  • "Rabbit Pie" on Band-It No. 14 (1984, [cassette magazine])
  • "Athena" on Four Your Ears Only (1984, Play it Again Sam [12" vinyl])
  • "Opium Gathering" on Raw Red Heat (1984, Flame Tapes [cassette])
  • "Spider" on Raging Sun (1985, Rouska Records [12" vinyl])
  • "Borderline" on Bites and Stabs (1985, Torment Records [12" vinyl])
  • "Let Us Shine" on Torn in Two (1986, Torment Records)
  • "Let us Shine" on Zarah Leander's Greatest Hits (1987, Rouska Records [CD])
  • "Atoms" on Strobelights Vol.3 (2006, Strobelight Records [CD])
  • "Atoms" on Return of the Batcave - Vol. 1 (2008, internet only [CD])

References

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  1. ^ drury, steve. "SDT". Party Day. sdtfoto / party day. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Party Day Indie Goth Music". Party-day.co.uk.
  3. ^ a b "Invisible Guy". repartiseraren.se. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020.
  4. ^ Zigzag Magazine, singles review, July 1983
  5. ^ Tibet, Sounds, 19 May 1984
  6. ^ "The Perfumed Garden: John Peel - 2nd July 1984". Theperfumedgarden.blogspot.com. 16 December 2014.
  7. ^ Richard Rouska, Rouska Magazine, 1984
  8. ^ Darlington, Andy (19 March 2020). "Eight Miles Higher". Party Day Interview. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  9. ^ Mick Mercer, Melody Maker, album reviews, 12 July 1986
  10. ^ Martin Lilleker, The Star (Sheffield), album review, 11 February 1984
  11. ^ Sheffield, Polytech. "04/12/1983 gig". Sheffield Music Archive. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  12. ^ NEM. Leeds Other Paper, 27 January 1984
  13. ^ Mr Spencer, Sounds, 19 May 1984
  14. ^ Susan Williams (aka Seething Wells), NME, 3 March 1984
  15. ^ Granuaile, ZigZag Magazine, February 1986
  16. ^ Strobelight, Records. "Germany's". Strobelight Records. Strobelight. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  17. ^ "DJ Martin Oldgoth, The Last Cry 30th Anniversary, July 2015 (Brighton)" (PDF). Party-day.co.uk.
  18. ^ DJ Dragnet, League Of Extraordinary Dj’s Setlist, Nov 2016 (Amsterdam)
  19. ^ Benny, Blanco (23 May 2020). "DJ". Blancodisco. bennyblanco. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  20. ^ Dark Wave, Radio.net (15 December 2018). "Dark Wave Radio". darkwaveradio.net. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  21. ^ "Optic Nerve Recordings". Party Day - Sorted!. Optic Nerve Recordings. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
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