AMAZING SPACE FROGS

 

Middlesbrough

 

 

 

 
 

 

   

"Dirty Habits EP"

Nuns Of Destruction / (I'm Into) Necrophilia / Norman and Jeremy

Catalogue Number - RIB 1

Label - Ribbett Records

Year Of Release - 1979

Quantity Pressed - 500

(The nun in the photograph is "Jane Chaos" and was going out with "Matey" from the band "No Way" at the time)

Bugsy - Vocals Sav - Guitar & Vocals
Paul Gardner - Guitar Geoff Fogerty - Sax
Pete Collins - Drums Alan Cornforth - Drums
Peat Farrell - Rhythm Guitar
 

 

Above is an original A4 Promotional Flyer for the bands debut release from 1979.

 

Above is an original A4 Promotional Flyer for the bands debut release from 1979.

 

Above is an original A4 Promotional Flyer for the bands debut release from 1979.

 
The above snippet appeared in "Teeside Smells" #1 fanzine from 1979.

 
The above snippet appeared in "Teeside Smells" #2 fanzine from 1979.

 

Jane Chaos Bugsy
The above article appeared in "TPA" #4 fanzine from 1979.

 

The above snippet appeared in "TPA" #4 fanzine from 1979.

 

The band was thrown together in the Punk-tastically glorious year of 1977. After an eventful gig at the "Wellington" in Middlesbrough the band kicked into gear with the first of many support gigs at the infamous Middlesbrough "Rock Garden", the headlining band was none other than the 'Cure'. This marked the start of a new trend, with the 'Spacefrogs' frightening off major acts left, right and centre, including 'The Angelic Upstarts', 'The Rezillos' and 'The Fall'.

The band released the 'Dirty Habit' EP that featured three tracks. The line-up on this release featured members of other local acts 'Basczax', 'No Way', 'Flaming Mussolinis' and 'Nicky Beat & the Beatnicks'. The EP ended up being banned by the BBC after appearing on the 'John Peel' show, and sold out of it's 500 copies in three weeks.

The band kind of tapered out in 1982 and 'Bugsy', the lead singer and mainstay of the band (the band was basically Bugsy and whatever musicians he could find at the time to back him up) goes on an eleven year bender!!!

In 1993 'Bugsy' starts pestering local band 'Riot Act' to let him get up on stage and sing, but the band don't agree. He gets up anyway, but to the relief of all involved he falls off the stage breaking the new lighting rig at the "Georgian Theatre" in the process. Like a bad rash, he doesn't go away and ends up convincing 'Riot Act' to be his backing group for a one-off 'Amazing Spacefrogs' show. At this point 'Bugsy' starts collaborating with the bass player out of the 'Riot Act' on new material.

In 1994 the first of many gigs with the revamped 'Spacefrogs' was supporting 'Hugh Cornwell' at the "Cornerhouse" in Middlesbrough, and in August 1997 they recorded their first album "Don't Tell Me Mam". It was released as a cassette only (Shown below).

We couldn't find any photos of the original 1979 line-up, the above photo was taken early 90s with the 'Riot Act'. Still, you get to see 'Bugsy' (the little bald guy) and just thank god he hasn't got his sink plunger stuck to his head (as he did have when 'Sky Sports' were filming in his local pub when Middlesbrough were playing in the FA Cup).

 

Page Two

 

Thanks to Blank Frank for the above flyers.

 

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