Now this serves a shitload of memories. One goes back to 29.09.1983 where they graced the Kir (and that was the old location in Hamburg Poppenbüttel) and we sneaked into the place through a broken window of the toilets (it was a sold out show anyway and the club was tiny). And they gave a hell of a live show with all the rock’n’roll glitter they had to give (and some more). They looked like rock stars, came across like rock stars and we did not give a flying fuck. For parts they looked junk too but little did we know back then about hard drugs and hard booze.
The other memory is that they looked like so many punks that had gone through the length of punk and came out at the end as “styled longhaired rocknroll twats” as i would say. Many of the Hamburg punks that went trough the late 70ties around that time sported similar looks, they where too much tied to what was going on in London! About that time US H/C came into view and that fresh look and sound was going to be what i was leaning to, rather than … rock’n’roll junkies?
Never mind, the Lords had something and sure they had members from bands i did dig: Dave from Sham 69 (i did love Sham back then to the max), Brian from the Damned (Hamburg Punks favorites), Nick from The Baracudas (just class!) and fronted by our lovely Dead Boy Stiv Bators. A match made from heaven and their first record really a fit!
The verdict:
1977 – yes, but with a scent of glam
published by a cool label – Illegal Records, sure a household name
found in a cool shop – Michelle Records, back then a great place for vinyl!
catching sound – powerfull glampunk i’d say, not waste like later recordings
the lyrics – surprisingly sharp, to the point and up to date with politics!
There a several “fav” songs on this record and i sure would love to see some covered by hardcore bands in a more modern style, that would show how good tunes they actually where. Let’s take this one – named after the fanzine we did back then and the record label i was soon to run:
Holy War! Holy War! A Roman is invading Britain after hundreds of year. With a pope star's world tour amidst fanatical tears. A false prophet, the bible warns us. Who's wearing a crown. Deceiving and uniting churches burn the whole world down. Holy War! Holy War! Anti-soviet polish priest was just the image they need. Seize control of the catholic church for political greed. They replaced him with an actor. Set the stage for war. Pope John Paul II was poisoned behind Vatican doors. Holy War! Holy War! Inquisition, crusades and martyrs burned for blasphemy. Religion causes most the wars throughout history. Divine combat - revolution - the actor pope fraud. Greed and murder is forgiven when in the name of god... Holy War! Holy War! Holy War! Holy War! Holy War! Holy War! (c) Steve Bator, Brian James - Illegal Music 1982
The very reason for this song is actualy a triplet in my record collection:
Now listen yerself and remember: This comes from 1982!
And live it looked like this – down at the Marquee in London on 27.01.1984:
And where did it go from here? Downhill. As ever. Bators lived a junkie life and died a lone death after running into a car in Paris in 1990 – the other continued in and out of music. Even a sad “reunion” of the Lords happened in 2003 with a bad album in tow.
But this one still stands out, indeed!
