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Trapped in a Scene by Ian Glasper (2009) Paperback
The underground hardcore scene of the mid- to late-1980s was UK punk rock's last significant creative gasp. Emerging from the wreckage of the anarcho-punk scene spawned by the likes of Crass and Conflict, it took its influences from the studs 'n' leather punk bands of the early 1980s such as Discharge and GBH, as well as the nascent American hardcore movement and the emerging metal/punk crossover scene. Filtered through some through fiercely DIY aesthetics, there was a potent movement that spawned such seminal acts as Napalm Death, ENT, the Stupids, and Heresy. With the backing of John Peel and an unwavering work ethic, these bands, and the labels that launched them—such as Earache and Peaceville—pushed musical boundaries into new and previously unexplored avenues of extremity. Ian Glasper digs deeper than anyone has previously dared into a subculture that was as manic, exciting, innovative, and defiant as anything before or since. Constructed upon meticulously gathered firsthand accounts and heaving with exclusive never-before-seen photographs, here is the definitive document on UKHC.
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First published January 1, 2009
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July 10, 2022
This is the third of Ian Gasper's history of the UK punk scene in the 1980's (the first two focussing on the UK82 and anarcho punk scenes of the early 1980's). If you've read any of his other books you know what to expect - there are exhaustive accounts and interviews with members of each band who made up part of the scene covering their formation, recording history, gigging stories, politics and reflections on the scene and their eventual demise and what happened next. It can get a little 'samey' at times to be fair (as in other books, many interviewees have little more to say than, 'we formed, we were rubbish, these people left because of something, we recorded this, went on tour, split up and now we are in these bands'). That said the strength of this book is it's comprehensiveness and it's brave attempt to cover as much of the scene as possible.
As with the other two 80's books and the thrash metal book I read there is inevitably a boundary choice about who is included and who is not but when reading I didn't feel there were any glaring omissions and I think the scene as I understood it is accurately covered. There are some bands that one could arguably have fitted better in the 90's book (the fourth of the trilogy!) or in one of the earlier books. Likewise, from a musical point of view the focus is on the hardcore punk scene as other influences entered the British isles and the emerging DIY scene that grew out of the anarcho-punk scene, so more 'traditional' punk bands that may have been active then are not part of this book (even though one could argue they were not part of the scene anyway as there are a lot of 'punky' bands in here). I'm pretty sure when I read the 90's book I'll be one of those bores picking holes in it as I was more involved in the scene then, but in a series where the author cannot ever hope to get everyone in 600 pages I think a super achievement has been made here pulling this together.
One of the reasons this book is quite special for me, is because it covers a period of music I largely read about later and discovered the records a year or two later. I was to young to get into this scene in the 80's and like a lot of kids in the 90's got into it through the metal scene. So, reading this book I recalled a lot of many happy memories and in the pages there are interviews with people I knew (albeit somewhat briefly in many cases) from playing in bands, putting on gigs, making tapes, writing for zines and of course the endless letter writing. I really miss that time in some respects and although this book is quite old now it's still cool to see some familiar faces still doing stuff. Pre-internet, it really was a network of friends, and that letter writing in the 90's, the people I met and the music I was listening to was a significant factor in who I am today. I'd largely left the scene by the late 90's but I can trace 30 years of veganism and identifying as an anarchist back to those days. What is really evident is that the bands and people in this book were part of the transition away from the 'music industry' that had been going on for a decade, and there is a clear split between those who were in it for the money and those who pursued the DIY ideals into the 90's.
The other thing I think is evident is the gradual branching out of the scene into disparate elements. Although, again it had been happening since the early 80's there is a real sense of US style hardcore and melodic hardcore branching away from the more metallic, crust sounds, and of course grindcore emerging into a distinct genre of it's own. What I did love was the very real sense that during this period all these bands happily played together as part of the same scene and although the bands may have sounded very different the bills worked. It was still the same in the early and mid-90's in my opinion, and one of the reasons I got a little disillusioned with the scene in the late 90's was that bills were getting less and less diverse, particularly around 'hardcore' and 'metalcore' and losing something in the process.
Another thing I appreciated from this book is just how much Napalm Death's 'Scum' LP was, not just for creating Earache (whether that is a good or a bad thing!) but also for opening the door for metalheads to discover punk. When I was at school it was all thrash and early death metal for the metalheads and then Napalm Death came along as faster and more extreme. Everyone had at least heard of them as a touchpoint, even in the mainstream. Likewise, the first record I bought that was part of the scene was the Extreme Noise Terror / Chaos UK split. I loved that aged 15/16 and retrospectively and in the book there is a strong argument for ENT being the 'first' trail blazers that Napalm Death became.
It's funny because getting into Extreme Noise Terror and Napalm Death drew me to the Strange Fruit Peel Sessions compilation which had loads of the bands in this book in like Dr and the Crippens and the Stupids and then that led me to the Earache Grindcrusher compilation with stuff like Intense Degree and Unseen Terror so I absolutely devoured these bands and it wasn't long before I was getting involved in things myself. Indeed, the first time I ever wrote to a band (I think!) for something, other than buying something in a shop are in here - a band called MTA. I don't think I liked the demo and, or 7" I got off them to be honest but I have to say cheers to them for helping me kick that ball off!
There is also a section on the Leicestershire band Sarcasm. I don't think their singer Mark will ever know what an amazing impact he had on my life. I'd probably written to them to get a track for a benefit compilation I was making and we'd been letter writing and I got a letter out of the blue asking if the band I was in wanted to go on tour with them. It was remarkable in hindsight pre-internet but typically everything worked through a handful of letters and maybe the odd phone call. We went on tour, it was the first time I had been abroad and exposed to different cultures, cities and of course the organised European squat scene. Of course it was a drunken laugh and had it's tour mishaps with vehicles and things but it was such an important experience for me I have never forgot decades later. Sure you can backpack, or sight see but nothing replaces getting in the back of a van with friends and new friends and playing in front of like minds in places autonomous from the music industry. We probably lost touch shortly afterwards, but I will always be grateful for that experience and showing me how people really could 'do it their self'.
So if you were in the scene you'll probably love this book (and possibly grumble here and there about who said what). If you were 'nearly' in this scene you'll love it too. If you have a casual interest you may find it a slog to get through at times. It does work as a reflection on the late 1980's and how people got stuff done (especially the strength of the squatting and travelling scenes that have contracted). It's also the birth of the first truly DIY labels and traces how some of these bands and people involved became very influential (particularly the metal labels Earache and Peaceville).
I had heard of, and had records or tapes of most of the bands in this book at one time but hadn't heard some for decades so it was good reminiscing. I was surprised to discover quite a few new bands to me I criminally missed out on first time such as The Fiend, Sacrilege, Axegrinder and Prophecy of Doom - a mate of mine loved Prophecy of Doom and were laughed at by a few mates of mine in the metal scene around 1990 following a 1K review in Kerrang and I wished I gave them a chance because they were awesome.
In terms of checking things out from the era, Boss Tuneage reissues are plentiful and available on Spotify and some labels like Flat Earth have all their stuff up on Bandcamp. You'll also find a lot of the DIY stuff on blogs or you tube. There are still a few things you'll need to dust off a record player and tape deck for and I am thankful for the internet era that preserves a lot of this stuff. For record collectors or people wanting to discover more then there is LOTS of info in here (a minor grumble I had with the scene in the 90's is that it became more about rare record collecting than the politics and ethos).
Don't really have any major grumbles with the book. The interview with Dig Pearson of Earache feels a bit out of place. Of course he was a part of the scene then and via the lucky break of Scum did introduce this music to lots of people, but Earache's hardcore punk output was a couple of LPs at best and few people in the scene or the metal scene in the 90's have a good word to say about Earache. The label was exceptionally influential but perhaps had a bigger role in grindcore and death metal rather than hardcore punk. I felt there was a lot unsaid, which other people have filled the gaps for over the years. Peaceville got the same shit over the years for similar reasons, (I don't buy the rationale for allowing Darkthrone's fascism on the LP sleeve then or now).
I don't think this is a gap as such, because I don't know if there is one, but it would be nice to have had interviews with people who wrote zines or put on gigs, or run distros who may not have been in bands. Of course the bands were important, but a lot of the politics and ethos - and actual hard work in the scene were driven by people who never picked up an instrument. One could argue that a lot of people in bands, certainly in the 90's never did anything other than play and write songs and the lifeblood of scenes were elsewhere. That said, I don't know 'who is missing' so whatever...
Great book for those who this music, time period and scene are special
As with the other two 80's books and the thrash metal book I read there is inevitably a boundary choice about who is included and who is not but when reading I didn't feel there were any glaring omissions and I think the scene as I understood it is accurately covered. There are some bands that one could arguably have fitted better in the 90's book (the fourth of the trilogy!) or in one of the earlier books. Likewise, from a musical point of view the focus is on the hardcore punk scene as other influences entered the British isles and the emerging DIY scene that grew out of the anarcho-punk scene, so more 'traditional' punk bands that may have been active then are not part of this book (even though one could argue they were not part of the scene anyway as there are a lot of 'punky' bands in here). I'm pretty sure when I read the 90's book I'll be one of those bores picking holes in it as I was more involved in the scene then, but in a series where the author cannot ever hope to get everyone in 600 pages I think a super achievement has been made here pulling this together.
One of the reasons this book is quite special for me, is because it covers a period of music I largely read about later and discovered the records a year or two later. I was to young to get into this scene in the 80's and like a lot of kids in the 90's got into it through the metal scene. So, reading this book I recalled a lot of many happy memories and in the pages there are interviews with people I knew (albeit somewhat briefly in many cases) from playing in bands, putting on gigs, making tapes, writing for zines and of course the endless letter writing. I really miss that time in some respects and although this book is quite old now it's still cool to see some familiar faces still doing stuff. Pre-internet, it really was a network of friends, and that letter writing in the 90's, the people I met and the music I was listening to was a significant factor in who I am today. I'd largely left the scene by the late 90's but I can trace 30 years of veganism and identifying as an anarchist back to those days. What is really evident is that the bands and people in this book were part of the transition away from the 'music industry' that had been going on for a decade, and there is a clear split between those who were in it for the money and those who pursued the DIY ideals into the 90's.
The other thing I think is evident is the gradual branching out of the scene into disparate elements. Although, again it had been happening since the early 80's there is a real sense of US style hardcore and melodic hardcore branching away from the more metallic, crust sounds, and of course grindcore emerging into a distinct genre of it's own. What I did love was the very real sense that during this period all these bands happily played together as part of the same scene and although the bands may have sounded very different the bills worked. It was still the same in the early and mid-90's in my opinion, and one of the reasons I got a little disillusioned with the scene in the late 90's was that bills were getting less and less diverse, particularly around 'hardcore' and 'metalcore' and losing something in the process.
Another thing I appreciated from this book is just how much Napalm Death's 'Scum' LP was, not just for creating Earache (whether that is a good or a bad thing!) but also for opening the door for metalheads to discover punk. When I was at school it was all thrash and early death metal for the metalheads and then Napalm Death came along as faster and more extreme. Everyone had at least heard of them as a touchpoint, even in the mainstream. Likewise, the first record I bought that was part of the scene was the Extreme Noise Terror / Chaos UK split. I loved that aged 15/16 and retrospectively and in the book there is a strong argument for ENT being the 'first' trail blazers that Napalm Death became.
It's funny because getting into Extreme Noise Terror and Napalm Death drew me to the Strange Fruit Peel Sessions compilation which had loads of the bands in this book in like Dr and the Crippens and the Stupids and then that led me to the Earache Grindcrusher compilation with stuff like Intense Degree and Unseen Terror so I absolutely devoured these bands and it wasn't long before I was getting involved in things myself. Indeed, the first time I ever wrote to a band (I think!) for something, other than buying something in a shop are in here - a band called MTA. I don't think I liked the demo and, or 7" I got off them to be honest but I have to say cheers to them for helping me kick that ball off!
There is also a section on the Leicestershire band Sarcasm. I don't think their singer Mark will ever know what an amazing impact he had on my life. I'd probably written to them to get a track for a benefit compilation I was making and we'd been letter writing and I got a letter out of the blue asking if the band I was in wanted to go on tour with them. It was remarkable in hindsight pre-internet but typically everything worked through a handful of letters and maybe the odd phone call. We went on tour, it was the first time I had been abroad and exposed to different cultures, cities and of course the organised European squat scene. Of course it was a drunken laugh and had it's tour mishaps with vehicles and things but it was such an important experience for me I have never forgot decades later. Sure you can backpack, or sight see but nothing replaces getting in the back of a van with friends and new friends and playing in front of like minds in places autonomous from the music industry. We probably lost touch shortly afterwards, but I will always be grateful for that experience and showing me how people really could 'do it their self'.
So if you were in the scene you'll probably love this book (and possibly grumble here and there about who said what). If you were 'nearly' in this scene you'll love it too. If you have a casual interest you may find it a slog to get through at times. It does work as a reflection on the late 1980's and how people got stuff done (especially the strength of the squatting and travelling scenes that have contracted). It's also the birth of the first truly DIY labels and traces how some of these bands and people involved became very influential (particularly the metal labels Earache and Peaceville).
I had heard of, and had records or tapes of most of the bands in this book at one time but hadn't heard some for decades so it was good reminiscing. I was surprised to discover quite a few new bands to me I criminally missed out on first time such as The Fiend, Sacrilege, Axegrinder and Prophecy of Doom - a mate of mine loved Prophecy of Doom and were laughed at by a few mates of mine in the metal scene around 1990 following a 1K review in Kerrang and I wished I gave them a chance because they were awesome.
In terms of checking things out from the era, Boss Tuneage reissues are plentiful and available on Spotify and some labels like Flat Earth have all their stuff up on Bandcamp. You'll also find a lot of the DIY stuff on blogs or you tube. There are still a few things you'll need to dust off a record player and tape deck for and I am thankful for the internet era that preserves a lot of this stuff. For record collectors or people wanting to discover more then there is LOTS of info in here (a minor grumble I had with the scene in the 90's is that it became more about rare record collecting than the politics and ethos).
Don't really have any major grumbles with the book. The interview with Dig Pearson of Earache feels a bit out of place. Of course he was a part of the scene then and via the lucky break of Scum did introduce this music to lots of people, but Earache's hardcore punk output was a couple of LPs at best and few people in the scene or the metal scene in the 90's have a good word to say about Earache. The label was exceptionally influential but perhaps had a bigger role in grindcore and death metal rather than hardcore punk. I felt there was a lot unsaid, which other people have filled the gaps for over the years. Peaceville got the same shit over the years for similar reasons, (I don't buy the rationale for allowing Darkthrone's fascism on the LP sleeve then or now).
I don't think this is a gap as such, because I don't know if there is one, but it would be nice to have had interviews with people who wrote zines or put on gigs, or run distros who may not have been in bands. Of course the bands were important, but a lot of the politics and ethos - and actual hard work in the scene were driven by people who never picked up an instrument. One could argue that a lot of people in bands, certainly in the 90's never did anything other than play and write songs and the lifeblood of scenes were elsewhere. That said, I don't know 'who is missing' so whatever...
Great book for those who this music, time period and scene are special
November 13, 2009
a great reference tool for uk hardcore 85-89, which is in my opinion where it became really interesting. will probably take me years to get through all the demos, 7"s and lps listed here, but will be worth the effort to find the hidden ragers. this scene is much more to my liking (faster and heavier) than the uk82 stuff and 77 british punk, though those have some standouts as well
October 1, 2020
Another great work from Ian Glasper. I waited for this one after his earlier works and it did not disappoint. Well researched and well presented by a guy I know was right there as it happened around him. A++++
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews