4.52am Issue: 016 - 8th January 2017

THEATRE OF HATE
Whatever Happened to the Westworld?
I never got to see Theatre of Hate during
the two years that should have been their
glory days, in fact I never got to see Kirk
Brandon at all until much later, fronting
Spear of Destiny in a Hockey Stadium
somewhere in Milton Keynes. It doesn’t
get more New Wave Punk than that, let’s
face it.
Although whilst I loved Spear of Destiny,
I never feel that you can beat what an
artist’s first real band is doing as like
authors and painters, first time around
you get their art in the purest form,
before the real world gets in the way.
With novels you often get them of the
kitchen sink variety where every possible
plot twist and detail is included that has
ever popped up in the author’s brain, and
it is the same with bands and song
writers, it is why there are so many onehitters
out there.
All of which I couldn’t help but think of
when I got the rather brilliant compilation
of Theatre of Hate from those cool chaps
at Cherry Red Records. As they do so
often they have taken something
shortlived but special, and gathered all
the parts that maybe dropped to the side
– live performances, demos, unreleased
tracks – and opulently packaged it for
my delectation. (OK, anybody that
wants it, not just me, but you know.
I’m nothing if not ego-laden.)
Listening to the band now, I have to
say I really can’t understand how it did
go wrong, but like many before them
and since, a little bad luck here and a
bad break there was enough to change
what should have been into another
tale of woe.
The story started earlier of course, but
the first time I remember seeing ToH
was on Top of the pops. It was the only
place you used to see any band of
course, but I can vividly remember the
strutting, spitting rockabilly punks with
the monotonous beats and screaming
guitars, they were like nothing else
around and totally fascinating. Then
there was the saxophone. Man, it was
definitely a good time for music and I
can’t help but wonder how all those sax
players have eaten over the decades
since.
The single that day was of course their
only real hit ‘Do You Believe In The
Westworld’, and the thumping drums