HISTORY

History

Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IIII 

The 'Claytown Troupe' had a name, no songs, no band, just a singer, in 5 years it would be playing at Wembley Arena with an album in the charts.

At this time, Bristol had never had much success at producing successful bands, there was 'Tears For Fears' in Bath, and a few close calls with 'Rip Rigg and Panic', 'The Cortinas', 'The Pop Group' and a few others.

Bands would play in the area, but it didn't seem to create a foundation like Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, but the garage parties that became the rave scene were happening in the squats and art house clubs like the 'Dug Out', 'The Wild Bunch' who became 'Massive Attack' with locals like Nelly Hooper, creating electric drug fuelled weekends.

The main alternative scene was in 'The Bastille', it was a dark cellar club that based itself on 'The Batcave'. It had a musician who played some weird songs in a cage as you came in (his name was Ben, & would later be the Troupe's guitarist!), the music was sometimes good & it was exciting while it lasted, but it was never a breeding ground for a new scene.

" I found a guitarist in the shape of Keith Simpson, who shared the same taste in music and energy, we decided to use drum machines and synths as part of the sound after seeing 'The Cocteau Twins', we wrote and recorded three songs and went looking for a record deal. The first A & R man I met was Tony Newland, he worked for Electra Records and was in the area looking for bands, we looked cool so he asked us if we new any, yes, us. He invited us to London to play him and his colleague Saul Galpern (later to create Nude Records) our songs, they weren't impressed enough to sign us, but advised us to find a band and we might just have something, the encouragement was enough for me. "

After rehearsing & playing some private gigs with various musicians, Christian by chance met Andy Holt at an after show party at a 'Cult' gig in June 1985, he'd been in one of his earlier incarnations 3 years before, & was asked if he wanted to trial for the new band, a rehearsal was set up, it felt right so Andy joined.

" A few weeks later, we auditioned for a keyboard player, that's when we found Rick Williams, I'd known Rick for a while but we'd never played together, he was well trained and could add the extra dimension to the sound, plus I knew he could write which would become the pivotal moment for the 'Claytown Troupe' in two years. "

With a female bassist, they spent the next 2 years slogging around the circuit looking for a break, it came in 1986,with local supports with 'Fields Of The Nephilim', 'Chatshow' and 'Alien Sex Fiend', they had that essential beast, followers, and some of their people came to see the Troupe at a gig at 'The Mean Fiddler', as did Tony Newland, who was now with WEA Records, again, he said there was something there, but advised Christian to let Keith and the bassist go, the sound had moved on so much and they didn't seem to add to the mix anymore.

It was a hard decision, but the best was yet to come, they were being noticed by small labels and with various faces from each of the follower camps spreading the name,  Rick & Christian started to write the songs that went on to become 'Through the Veil', but they were still unsuccessfully rehearsing new musicians, so Christian went back to the clairvoyant, she said that he already knew the next member who was a teacher, & he would find the other in Bath.

" I walked outside & amazingly bumped into guitarist Adrian 'Ben' Bennett, I knew Ben from the Bristol scene as he had been in a band with our main roadie Jon, he told me he was teaching Karate, gobsmacked, I asked him if he fancied auditioning, Ben was in! "

Impressed by this prediction, Rick & Christian went to Bath the next day, there was an advert in a music shop for a bassist seeking a band, into 'Gaye Bikers On Acid' & 'The Pixies', he was 17 years old  had only been playing for 18 months but looked the part, this was Paul Waterson, they'd found their last piece. "

It all seemed to good to be true, but the band gelled & started to tour again across the UK, but now there was a  first class act with the songs to back it up. "

The 'Claytown Troupe' was about to explode. 

Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IIII 

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