SELF ABUSE - Unestablished Since 1982 [2019]

Let's continue with an interesting combo and a record, which now are already hard to get. But from the beginning: Self Abuse were formed in Bournemouth 1982 at the height of the second Punk wave by Andy (vocals/bass), Dave (guitars/vocals), Roger (guitar), Steve (drums)... age 16/17 respectively. They've been trying to form a band for some time and hit it off right away when they met through a local recording studio. In the next few months they wrote their first songs. Played their first gig in Poole/Dorset and released the State Of Mind demotape on their own Abused label during that year. In March 1983 followed the second demo Teenage (again on their own label), which was recorded in the famous Poole studios and it shows that the five made technical progress: the simple, rough monotony gives way to a playful style, whereby drums, bass & guitars have an outstanding feature and only bassist and singer Andy still sings naively infantile. The improved sound also implied old songs from the 2nd demo in a better way and also ensured that they could increase their local and national awareness after the release and played in the south of England together with Screaming Dead, Amebix, Idiom Tribe, Breakout, Shock To The System, Madmass, Cult Maniax, etc.. Sound-wise they were described by fanzines as being a cross between Stiff Little Fingers & Chron Gen.

In 1984 the ‘(I Didn’t Wanna Be A) Soldier’ EP was released by the Radical Change label, the late great John Peel played it on his radio show and the record climbed to number two in the Independent charts. Two tracks from their not released ‘Third’ demo were taken for Party Pooping Punk Provocations! compilation on by Xcentric Noise records late in 1984. Despite a mostly triumphant year, there is considerable unrest between the band members and friends, with disagreements about almost everything. Self Abuse played their final gig on 29th Dec. 1984 in Bournemouth to a packed house, two days later they split up. - Twenty years later in 2004, the original line-up reformed to play a gig in Bournemouth and released the No Change EP on Abused Records and the next year saw them play the Wasted Festival [now Rebellion Festival] in Blackpool. And since then, they're still hungry, and continue to indulge in anthemic mid-tempo Punkrock and still can't get enough of the rock circus. This classic compilation was released via Mad Butcher Records, 250 copies exist, and features sixteen delicacies [Demos, EPs & Outtakes], which outline the development of the band as well.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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