The System

11.4.83 Warehouse Liverpool, photo by Jenny Plaits.

      In 1980, The Lethal Objects and the Atomz joined together as a five-piece and named themselves The System. Jimi, Jan, Maki, Andy and Spider played their first gigs in a car park. At one gig there, they caused an outrage when the played during Prince Charles and Lady Di's wedding day, but where stopped halfway through their set by police. Once The System heard "The Feeding of the 5000" they met up with Crass and began playing gigs with them.

     Further connections with Flux of Pink Indians led to The System playing their first real show at Sheffield's Marples on 7th September, 1981. Flux of Pink Indians were so impressed that they helped the System release their first two singles on their label Spiderleg records. Marcus Featherby, promoter at Marples and head of Pax records, was impressed with the band and asked them if he could include their song "Their Decisions" in his anti-war compilation "Wargasm".

       Their debut E.P. "Dogs of War" was going to originally be released on Crass's label, but Spiderleg insisted, releasing it in April on 1982. It became a success, and was followed by their E.P. "The System is Murder" later that year.

June 1982, Wigan, photo by Jenny Plaits.

     Flux of Pink Indians and The System toured nationally in April of 1983 to promote it(Gigs were going to be played in Europe, but Dick Lucas who was in charge of those gigs was hit by a bus, cancelling the gigs).

     The system played around 60 gigs and traveled from Inverness(on that night they slept over a fans croft home, in the middle of nowhere) to Aberdeen. At one gig, Crass came by surprise and asked them if they could burrow their equipment to play at the Triad in Bishops Stortford, Essex, to support them in the summer of 1982.

  

     The band had an interesting way of making music, seeing as they did not have a practice room. Jimi the bass player wrote most of the songs and Andy would add his bits on guitar. Afterwards, they would all work together on the their songs during sound checks and play them on those nights at gigs. "Struggling" is a song that was created that way, and is featured in their album"Thought Control" released on the German label Skuld Records.

     The System split in November 1983, after vocalist Ian decided to leave.Andy(guitar), Jimi(bass and vocals) and Spider(drums) reformed in 1986 as Fear of Music, wrote new material, played old System songs, recorded a live set at Wigan Transport Club on 27th June 1986 but split again around the end of the year.






     In 1998, The System reformed for a Mclibel Benefit gig. Dick Lucas from the Subhumans and Jon from Active Distribution organised it. They played at London University on the 16th and 17th of June.

     They helped raise money for legal costs, for a couple of activists whom Mcdonalds had sued for exposing their environmental damage from deforestation. They played alongside Zounds, The Subhumans and Omega Tribe.

11.4.83 Warehouse Liverpool, photo by Jenny Plaits

      However, their vocalist Ian did not show up, as he was planning to move to New Zealand, so they had to move Jimi from Bass to vocals, have Maki, their original second guitarist play bass, have Andy and Simon play guitar and Bri(from Wigan band ACAB) play drums. After that gig, the System disappeared forever. In 2006, their drummer Spider passed away.

"Dogs of War"

What will happen to the country when it starts

warheads, atom bombs dropping with the rain

giving the war dogs another fucking game

just like the Japanese they had to sit there when it came

don't think you'll get away with

because you've got a famous name

chemical warfare doesn't want to know your fame!

The dogs of war are starting with their game

warfare,warfare! it will always be the same

the dogs of war don't even know your name

who gives a fuck they'll destroy you anyway!

you'll end up a pile of ashes of fertilizing fields

miles of devastation to match your needs

the war dogs look around them and say it had to be done

to perverse the human race

it wasn't just for fun

well we don't want a part in your mindless little games

because a four minute warning just isn't playing fair!!

The dogs of war are starting with their game

warfare,warfare! it will always be the same

the dogs of war don't even know your name

who gives a fuck they'll destroy you anyway!

is Europe your next target

will we see another D-day

are the Normandy beaches gonna see another lot

miles and miles of gravestones glorify a loss

its Auschwitz MKII but they don't give a toss

well I'm not gonna end up with your soldiers on their task

they'd never find me,oh no they'd never tell

I'm not gonna end up a poppy on your lapel

The dogs of war are starting with their game

warfare,warfare! it will always be the same

the dogs of war don't even know your name

who gives a fuck they'll destroy you anyway!

The dogs of war are starting with their game

warfare,warfare! it will always be the same

the dogs of war don't even know your name

who gives a fuck they'll destroy you anyway!

Who's fucking war?

"In the System"

You've got nowhere to go

Fuck all to do

trapped in their lives

But you'll have to strive

To get away

from the things that they say

Coz your anarchist thoughts just can't delay

Well your in the System

and you want to get out of it

Being in the system is breaking your life 

to bits

You live day by day

by the laws that they lay

and you work nine to five

just to live system lives

and your bored with the state 

and the things of today

and your sick of the way that they still make you pay

Well your in the System

and you want to get out of it

Being in the system is breaking your life 

to bits

They say your bad

but you know your sad

and the governments law is gonna put you away

so you'd better run before they come 

It's a straight jacket life for someone who fights

Well your in the System

and you want to get out of it

Being in the system is breaking your life 

to bits

Still the flesh-piles mount

as they die day by day

for their country they fought

so their minds would not stray

anarchy i what we want

so we must now delay

because this is the hour

and we have the power

Downloads:

The Atomz Demo(Pre-System)
http://www.box.net/shared/2gv2p01iab
Lethal Dose demo(Pre-System)
http://www.box.net/shared/ray3bayxqq
March 22nd, 1981 Demo
http://www.box.net/shared/x2i5ir67nd
Demo October 10th, 1981
http://www.box.net/shared/1bk5htleyv
The Warefare E.P. 1982 (Dogs of War)
http://www.box.net/shared/rujzd3nh59
The System is Murder 1982 E.P.
http://www.box.net/shared/2gjs6xlr7s
Demo July 22nd, 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/a5a2synt1u
Thought Control L.P. (1982, released 1997)
http://www.box.net/shared/m9s1sozyoh
Live in 1982
http://www.box.net/shared/gly9obp4qh
Live 04/05/1982
http://www.box.net/shared/kaf0o5mkix
Live Unknown Date and Place (1982?)
http://www.box.net/shared/fqdze2rv9h

Kulturkampf

     In 1982, a band called Sub-Zeros split into two different bands. One was Societies Vultures which only lasted until sometime in 1983. Guitarist/vocalist Andy Burden of that band eventually moved to Sunderland and formed the Famous Imposters. The other band, was named Kulturkampf (meaning 'struggle for civilization') which consisted of brothers Mark and Carl Wroe, Paul Kirkwood and new vocalist Karl Gallear. 

     Their first gig was at Barugh Green, a benefit gig for Barnsley CND supporting the Passion Killers. Karl left the band aferwards after a misdemeanour, leaving the band as a three-pice, just in time for them to record their first demo, 'The Struggle', at Barnsley's Street Life Studios during July 1983. Shortly after, Andy Clough formerly of Sub-Zeros and Societys Vultures, joined as an additional guitarist.

   
     Kulturkampf continued to rehearse in mark's mom's betting shop. One interesting thing about Kulturkampf is that all their equipment was given to them as Christmas and birthday presents. Unfortunately, right before they were set to play at an all-day festival thing at Bierkeller in Leeds, Carl, their durmmer, broke his ankle playing around on a kid's BMX bike.

     In November 1983, Kulturkampf went into the Lion Studios in Leeds to record their second, and final, demo, 'The Corpse of Bureaucracy'. To everyone's disbelief, by the time their Mortarhate album was released in early 1986, Kulturkampf had already split up. They played their last show at the Nottingham Narrow Boat with Famous Imposters and the Scumdribblers.

     According to the band members, nothing dramatic had caused the split, but they where disillusioned with the lack in the bands progress. In 1984, two of the members began missing rehearsals to focus on their private lifes. Soon after, Kulturkampf were no more.

"We Need No More"


Firing on the front line with a machine gun. One day you're here, the next you're dead. Praying for hope that I'm not dead for the war that so many shed. The screams of murder and slaughter elite, as a thousand dead bodies lie by me feet. For in the mud and blood I fight for a lost cause that can't be right. We don't want your wars - they try to maim for a lost cause that can't be right. Media feeds us the lies and tells us their own story, but the real truth is hidden behind fame and glory. All your warts are just games of hate – fighting to the orders they dictate. Is this the life that wants to be led? Because in the end we’ll all be dead. War is nothing to be proud of – it’s the shame of life. Without all the weapons and nuclear arms we shouldn’t be in this strife. We can do without your violence, and war to meet its fate. All the world should live in peace and reject the system’s hate.


"A Nation with No Glory"


All across the nation I see people dying from the depression in the Third World, and in Belfast with a bomb. The news has just come on TV – there’s another war in Beirut, and the politicians arguing over who’s got the boot. Why can’t you hear them saying? Why can’t you hear them praying? Life’s begun and no-one’s won, and the people say “What’s it all about?” The scientists are murdering the animals with their rays while the meat and guts are rotting over the countless days. The political groups are arguing over who’s gonna with the day, when all the rack and ruin just ends up in our dismay. Are everybody in the system all too blind to see what society’s corruption is doing to you and me? We’ve gotta find a better way and learn to live life free, and the only way to do it is believe in anarchy.


"Let Them Live"


When I woke up screaming in the dark at night, from the blood of a murder and horrific fright. You talk Adolf Hitler gassing all the Jews – never hear the animals, because they’ve got no right to chose. They’ve no right to chose. You hear them in the abattoir, see them on your plate. You never realize their murder or realize their fate. You just blindly accept it as you blindly feed. All the innocent creatures slaughtered for your greed. A rich man’s ritual – from birth he’s been taught to hunt down foxes. He calls it sport. Block up its home, so to live it has to run – its limbs mutilated for trophies of a good day’s “fun”. People eat the murder – they don’t see it for real. Just because they say they like it they eat it every meal. Just think how you would feel “just for the taste”. All this pointless slaughter – what an incredible waste.


"Pollution"


The Earth is decaying from rot and pollution. A distorted brain makes us all the pain. Discharge and waste gets thrown in our face. Nuclear energy to kill all humanity. My lungs have now turned green and there’s no-one to be seen. For miles around there is a sound of all the people who have drowned. Factories and industries churning out the smoke. Oxygen in the air is turning into mucus. Plutonium, uranium – burning to dilute. We don’t want your equation to make more radiation. For all your sciences and all your arts, all the world is going to be torn apart by all the chemicals and all your gases, to separate and kill – kill all the masses.


"The End"


There they all sit in Number 10, having a drink now and then – whispering out their stupid lies. It ain’t gonna help the whole of mankind. Enola Gay had it all to say. They’re gonna kill us with deadly rain – to blind us with their burning light, to blister us with their fearful might. Speaking with lies of nuclear war – perhaps it’s been suggested all before. Are they gonna tell us once and for all, or do we have to suffer the four minute call? Someone in the world is trying to end it, so we will have to protest and try to disarm it. For we don’t want a Third World War, for it began and ended in 1984.


"Please Help"


Do you know how it feels to be watched upon – to be caged to be raged, to be shat upon, to be used as a scapegoat for a workman’s joke? Look at us and laugh at us to the worlds you provoke. You put us in an asylum from day to day, and no one wants to know if we die away. The village conversation says that one of us is dead, “But what’s it really matter when they have cabbage for a head?” The working man’s money is spent on nuclear arms. The working man’s money is spent on nuclear arms. The working man’s money is spent on meat in the farms. Millions upon millions is spent on a tragic waste, while no one wants to know of the Rampton case. “A thousand pounds is the aim of the walk. I don’t know why we do it for the spastics who can’t talk.” “They’re no use to any of us or society – Just convert them away to cure their insanity.”


"General Instigators"


The army’s here, they’re here to stay. They’re never, ever going to go away. Fighting with their weapons of war – the Irish plead that they don’t want no more. Killing people seems such a game, but it’s not the death that counts it’s only the fame. You’ve got to fight for what you think is right, but death and blood is only an act of might. Why do people have to die? Why do people have to cry? Why do people have to hate? Have the Government got the right? The Government only want to be thrilled while innocent people are killed. The cause for wars and problems might be right, but sadists and generals will never see the light. Another dead hero so put him on the list. Wars and deaths are run by the fist. A death here and a death shot there – people are running faster from the soldiers’ war scare.


Downloads:

The Struggle
http://www.box.net/shared/zqmvve1hcr
The Corpse of Bureaucracy
http://www.box.net/shared/9bet39upfi
Live at Haddon Hall, Leeds, July 24th, 1984
http://www.box.net/shared/09yscycifs