Alternative Television

Music:

Member Since: 23/12/2007
Influences:

CURRENT LINE UP

LEAD VOX / GUITAR: MARK PERRY
GUITAR / BACK VOX: LEE McFADDEN
BASS / BACK VOX: STEVE CARTER
DRUMS: KEV MANN

Mark Perry started the first UK punk fanzine, Sniffin' Glue, in July 1976 after hearing and seeing US punk band, the Ramones. He was working as a bank clerk at the time.

Within a few months Mark had left his job and Sniffin'Glue had become an essential part of the growing UK punk scene which included bands like the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Damned. As the main punk writer, Mark became one of the most important personalities in the scene, making numerous media appearances to explain punk to the masses.

In early 1977, Mark started the Step Forward Records label with Miles Copeland. Releases included early records by the likes of the Fall, Sham 69, Chelsea and the Cortinas. Mark was also involved with Miles' other labels, Deptford Fun City Records and Illegal Records.

In March 1977, Alternative TV were formed by Mark (vocals/guitar) with guitarist, Alex Fergusson. ATV (as they are known) played their first gig at the Nottingham Punk Festival in May 1977. They released their first single, 'Love Lies Limp', as a free flexi disc given away with the last issue of Sniffin' Glue (no.12), August 1977.

Following an abortive demo with EMI, ATV released the first proper single, 'How Much Longer'/'You Bastard', on Deptford Fun City Records. Following various line-up changes, their first album was released in May 1978.

Becoming fed up with the punk scene, Mark took ATV into areas of experimentation in late '78 and, after playing as the Good Missionaries for a few gigs, the band broke up for the first time in late 1979.

The Good Missionaries

During 1980, Mark released a solo album, 'Snappy Turns'. He also played drums for the Lemon Kittens and the Door & the Window and sung with the Reflections. ATV reformed briefly in 1981 and recorded the 'Strange Kicks' album for Miles' label IRS.

ATV - 1986Mark left the music biz in 1982 but was soon back in 1984 with a new ATV line up and playing gigs like Alan McGee's early Living Room Club. The band continued, on and off, into the mid 90s playing various gigs and recording for various labels along the way. This period focused more on Mark's songwriting abilities than on ATV as a punk band.
In 1995, ATV played a punk festival in Bath and went back into the punk fold for a few years, bringing more of the older classics back into their set. ATV have continued to play live, although they are, once again, playing a more eclectic set.
In 1996, Mark got back into writing by providing the text for Erica Echenberg's photo book, 'And God Created Punk', which was published by Virgin. In 2000, Sanctuary Books published 'Sniffin' Glue: The Essential Punk Accessory', which compiles all the issues of Mark's fanzine along with lots of new writing and photos.
In January 2001, Alternative TV visited New York for the first time and played a few gigs including an appearance at Punk Magazine's anniversary party at CBGB. In April they returned to NYC at the invitation of Spin Magazine to play their 25 Years Of Punk party, again at CBGB (a live CD of this show was released in May 2002). In August 2001, the band released a new studio album - Revolution - and did a tour of the UK.
In the summer of 2002 Alternative TV started work on their next studio album, working title: 'Inside Project'. On the writing front, Mark has written the booklet notes for the new Saint Etienne album.

ALTERNATIVE TV - WHO'S WHO.

This is a chronological list of musicians who have been in Alternative TV. It's followed by a list of all the various line-ups:
MP=Mark Perry - lead vocals, guitar, other instruments. Also in Lemon Kittens, Door & The Window, the Reflections and the Long Decline. AF=Alex Fergusson - guitar, vocals. Went on to play in Cash Pussies and Psychic TV. MS=Micky Smith - bass. No info on other projects. JT=John Towe - drums. Was in Generation X. Went on to play in Rage and the Adverts. TT=Tyrone Thomas - bass, guitar. Also in Convent Nuns and other bands. CB=Chris Bennett - drums. Went on to play in Secret Affair. DB=Dennis Burns - bass. Also in the Reflections. Then retired from music. KT=Kim Turner - guitar. Played drums for the Andy Fraser Band. ML=Mick Linehan - guitar. Went on to play in the Lines. DG=Dave George - guitar, other instruments. Kept the Good Missionaries name going for a few years in Hastings. AG=Anno Graver - vocals. Sang with Gong and Here & Now. HB=Henry Badowski - drums, sax. Also played bass in Chelsea, the Damned and King. And solo as 'Henry'. GH=Gillian Hanna - vocals. No info on other projects. AG=Alan Gruner - keyboards. No info on other projects. RW=Ray Weston - drums. No info on other projects. KB=Karl Blake - guitar, drums. Also in Lemon Kittens, Shocked Headed Peters and the Reflections. N=Nag - bass. Also in the Door & The Window and the Reflections. P=Protag - guitar. Went on to play with Blythe Power. SC=Steve Cannell - bass. Went on to play in Danielle Dax's band and others. AP=Allison Phillips - drums. Also played in Ut and Taboo. CG=Clive Giblin - guitar. Also in Shocked Headed Peters and other bands. F=Fish - drums. No info on other projects. JK=James Kyllo - guitar, vocals. Also played in the Dropkick Me Jesus. DM=Dave Morgan - drums. Also in the Weather Prophets and the Rockingbirds. B?=Bob ???? - drums. Also played with the Cardiacs. LB=Luci Bocchino - guitar. Also played in the Long Decline and the Flips. RU=Rob Ugly - bass. Also played in the Long Decline and the Dole Claimers. JI=John Isaac - drums. Also played with Christian Death. DU=Dick Ugly - keyboards. Played in the Dole Claimers. LM= Lee McFadden - bass. Played in the ARF, Long Decline and loads of others. TB=Tony Barber - bass, guitar. Played in Boy Wonders, Buzzcocks and others. KM=Kevin Mann - drums. TV Personalites, The Creation. and others GH=Grahame Hullett - bass. Played in Yacca and others. SC= Steve Carter - bass - Played in Sad Lovers & Giants.Other people who have helped ATV by playing or singing something on various occasions but were not members - Jools Holland, Genesis P-Orridge, Steve Jameson, Kif Kif, Stefie Sharpstrings, Sam Dobson, Brian James, Pete Brown, Terry Edwards, Ed Ball, Susie Webb, Yvette Eady, Mika Mizushima, Mike Cook, Roddy Frame, Annie Stubbs, Siobhan Davigneau and a few others who's names I've forgotten!Line-ups (See above for key to initials): (Note: dates are approx. Some line-ups lasted longer than others!)1977 MP/AF/MS/JT. MP/AF/JT/TT. MP/AF/TT/CB. MP/TT/CB/DB. 1978 MP/CB/DB/KT. MP/CB/DB/ML. MP/DB/ML. MP/DB. 1979 MP/DB/DG/AG. MP/DB/DG/HB/GH. (played as 'the Good Missionaries'). (Break in 1980) 1981 MP/DB/AF/AG/RW. (Break in 1982 & 1983) 1984 MP/DG/KB/N/P. 1985 MP/KB/SC/AP. 1986 MP/SC/AP/P. 1987 MP/SC/AP/CG. 1988 MP/SC/CG/F. 1989 MP/JK. 1990 MP/JK/SC/DM. (Break between 1991 & 1995) 1995 MP/AF/TT/CG/Bob..??? 1996 MP/TT/CG/B? 1998 MP/TT/LB/RU/JI (a couple of gigs with DU & a couple with LM). 2000 MP/TT/JI/TB. 2001 MP/TT/TB/KM. MP/TT/KM/GH. MP/TT/GH/JI. MP/GH/JI/TB. 2002 MP/GH/JI/LB. MP/JI/LB/SC.

Present Line up as above MP/LM/SC/KM.

Background Photo: Phil Guild
Sounds Like:
Record Label: Lost Moment Records Ltd.
Type of Label: Indie