When I were a lad, we’d often spend the early part of the night (pre midnight) hanging around a dodgy pub / club called La Sorbonne, before that 4am bottle of dark Furstenburg in Sneeky Petes. We didn’t know it at the time, but it was a goth pub. Except goth hadn’t been formally invented.
However, we’d sup at the front, then stagger through the back to see the likes of Southern Death Cult (never guessing that the pasty faced wee boy fronting them would grow up to be Native American Shaman, Ian Astbury), The Sisterhood, Nico and, my favourites, Lords Of The New Church. Formed by ex Damned guitarist Brian James and featuring 100% nutter Stiv Bators on vocals, they were a genuinely dangerous proposition, as you never knew what the hell they would get up to.
Apart from shooting up and banging skinny girls, that is.
They were destined never to make it, despite some brilliant records. However, thanks to the power of the internet you can now rejoice in;
1. Russian Roulette
2. Method To My Madness
and
3. their killer version of Like A Virgin
You can get all the Lords you’ll ever need, for under a fiver,here.
Madness video below, where the late Stiv enjoins ECT viewers to take coke instead of smack, cos it’s cheaper. Proper telly in them days.
2 responses so far ↓
Thumper // November 10, 2008 at 12:14 pm |
I remember Sneeky Petes. Vividly. Please tell me that it closed years ago and the location is now the home of a tapas bar or vegetarian cafe.
*crosses fingers*
I’m not averse to a bit of Goth, but I thought The Sisters of Mercy were the best of that bunch.
Mr H // November 10, 2008 at 12:25 pm |
Sneekys underwent a number of changes after the eighties expired, but now that the new paint has worn off, it has returned to being Sneeky Petes, as the original sign outlasted all the attempted interlopers. It’s till a shithole, but without the excellent 7 plays for 50p jukebox.