Intro – C-86 Explained
1983 – 1988 highlight my years as a musician as part of the early indie scene – often called C86.
C-86, for those that don’t know, is the name commonly given to the start of what is now called ‘indie’. One of the N.M.E.’s series of compilation-tapes, C-86 was compiled by NME writers Roy Carr, Neil Taylor and Adrian Thrills. They licensed tracks from labels like Creation, Subway and Dan Treacy’s Dreamworld Records. The ‘C-86’ name was so influential it is now used as a term to cover that early indie sound. Although I wasn’t on the original tape, I was very much part of that scene. My bands Go! Service and Bluetrain released 12″ singles on Dreamworld Records.
Dreamworld Records – Go! Service and Bluetrain 1983 – 1988
I had been in my first band aged 15, singing and playing bass in The Essential Extras. We played a couple of gigs and I knew I would always be in a band. Here’s our demo, Rudy on guitar aged 14 and Kieran on drums is 18. It makes me smile to hear it.
It started properly for me in 1983, with The Service. Myself on guitar and vocals, Danny Hagan on bass, Dom ‘Rudy’ Carroll on guitar and vocals and Mick ‘Hi Hat’ Highgate on drums.
We practised at my parents house in Frimley Green in Surrey and borrowed my Mum’s nursery school mini-bus to play gigs.
We recorded a couple of songs and sent them off to various pubs, clubs and independent record labels.
This is me on stage at Fleet Country Club in 1983 when I was 17.
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