The new album 'Soldier Dolls' (catchy name eh?) is now out on Longshot Music......please please buy the the bloody thing...YOU WON'T REGRET IT..........YOU CAN GET COPIES FROM LONGSHOT OR DIRECT FROM US. FOR YOUR COPY EITHER EMAIL US AT MYSPACE OR TO [email protected] IS ACCEPTED, OUR PAYPAL ACCOUNT IS [email protected] THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE PAYPAL, PLEASE EMAIL US AND WE'LL GIVE YOU A MAILING ADDRESS FOR SENDING PAYMENTS.
THE PRICE OF THE CD IS (us)$10 PLUS $2 POSTAGE IN NORTH AMERICA ($3 POSTAGE FOR row)
________________________________________________________CHEC
K OUT:
DKA'S NEW BAND WAREHOUSE 99 PROJECT
FESTER'S NEW BAND FOR ZERO
MORPH'S NEW BAND IS GIVE ME MEMPHIS
ALL BANDS HAVE LINKS BELOW
_________________________________________________________WE NOW HAVE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE.COM JUST SEARCH "SOLDIER DOLLS" AND YOU WILL SEE THEM IN ALL THEIR GLORY!!!
HERE'S A RARE VIDEO, WHICH INCLUDES A QUIZ FOR THE DOLLITES OUT THERE
_________________________________________________________SO HERE'S THE INFO FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW US........FOR A FULL HISTORY CHECK OUT WWW.SOLDIERDOLLS.COMSOLDIER DOLLS (REPRODUCED FROM 'BURNING BRITAIN' (CHERRY
RED BOOKS) COURTESY OF IAN GLASPER
Despite two very strong singles, the Soldier Dolls remain one of the more internationally obscure of the
Welsh punk bands from the early Eighties, probably because they only played outside of Wales once
and that was their final show! The Soldier Dolls formed in 1981(after a short period under the
unfortunate moniker of Animation), and played their first show in September of 1982 a show they
actually gatecrashed rather than were invited to play at. This seemed something of a trademark for the
band, seeing as decent gigs were few and far between at the time.
None of us could play a note... and I really mean that, we couldnt even tune our guitars, laughs
Fester, recalling those pre-Soldier Dolls endeavours. We didnt have a drum kit and both myself and
Evo wanted to be the drummer, so we had a pact whoever got their drums first would be the
drummer and the other the singer! Thank god he got his kit first (mine came a few months later), so I
ended up singing; hes a fantastic drummer.
The original line-up of Andrew Fester Mae vocals, Dave DKA Alderman guitar, Slow Bob
Humphries bass, and Dave Evo Evans drums, recorded two tapes, the Ten Track Sampler and the
From The Cradle To The Grave demos, and it was apparent even from these earliest studio efforts
that the Soldier Dolls had a lot of potential.
That original line up was, in my opinion at least, twenty years ahead of its time, reckons Fester. The
music was a mix of hardcore, metal, and pure punk which seems to be much more popular now than
it was back then. The bass player and drummer were really into heavy metal, which helped give the
band quite a different sound.
Musically we were much faster than a lot of other bands... before it was trendy to play so fast, adds
DKA. And we had a big Yank influence as well, especially on my part as the guitar player. We even
had a sense of humour when most people were turning into po-faced fuckers!
I actually probably prefer that earlier mark 1 period, he admits, with the benefit of hindsight. It was
tighter - maybe more bombastic - and was when we really captured the real spirit of the band. We
probably took ourselves too seriously afterwards
Soon after the second tape was in the can, Evo and Bob left for musical pastures anew, taking with
them much of the metallic edge enjoyed by the bands first incarnation. They were replaced by
respectively Matt Morph Gray (who eventually ended up playing guitar in The Darling Buds!) and
Jamie Richards.
This line-up was the one that appeared on the bands two subsequent EPs and at the majority of the
shows they played.
Another reason why Evo and Bob quit, explains Fester, Was that everywhere we seemed to play,
trouble seemed to follow. The skinhead movement was picking up pace and violence came with it, like
hand in glove. At one gig some guy in the crowd was spitting at my then-girlfriend. I didnt like it and I
jumped off stage and gave him a slap. I thought at the time it was quite justified however, he was in
with all the skins and that was the beginning of the end for tranquillity at our gigs.
Those gigs were disorganised, violent, rowdy affairs, agrees DKA. We played to anyone and everyone
who would listen: young kids, punks, skins, whoever. I remember being 100 percent into playing every
show possible; logistics and monetary matters werent a concern back then - we just got up, got stuck in
and sweated our balls off for very little reward. Big deal!
In 1984, the Soldier Dolls self-released their debut EP, What Do They Know?, on their very own
Scream Records, the label being ran by guitarist DKA. A three-song affair, featuring the tracks Gotham
City Is Dead and Be Like You alongside the anthemic title track, it showcased the bands high-speed
gruff-vocal approach to decent effect, but they werent particularly happy with how it turned out and
only bothered with a bare minimum of promotion.
Later that year, they recorded their second EP, which was unleashed by Scream late in 85. Partially
funded this time around by Revolver/Cartel, who were handling distribution duties, A Taste Of Blood
was to be the bands defining moment, and was pressed on an appropriately garish red wax. Their first
release to be blessed with a solid, thick sound, all four tracks tore along with a vengeance, but it was on
Iron Curtain that the Soldier Dolls found an intensity so urgent it was breathtaking.
After hitting such a peak, the only way was down, and the band slowly disintegrated.
That second line up - the one on the records - went fairly gradually, confirms Fester. I think that
Jamie, the bass player, really wanted to play guitar; he just got tired of playing bass. So we became a 3-
piece and I played bass. By that time I was writing all the songs, and I was trying to get a more
commercial feel happening,. DKA and Morph didnt like the way it was going, so, after playing in Bristol
with The Folk Devils we called it a day. That was late 1985.
We all did other things later but for me it was never the same
In fact, DKA and Morph started up Slowjam, whilst Fester and Jamie played together in Highway 4,
but neither band hit quite the same spot as the raw, youthful angst they had exorcised whilst in the
Soldier Dolls.
Incidentally, the ex-Soldier Dolls members now reside abroad, having all emigrated to the sunnier
climes of Spain and France and in the case of Fester, Canada during recent years.
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