Artery (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 in Sheffield, England |
| Headquarters | Sheffield , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs, DVDs |
Artery is a post-punk group originating from Sheffield, England, established in 1978. Frequently mistaken for The, they produced four albums before disbanding in 1985 due to changes in their lineup. The band reunited in 2007 after receiving an invitation from Jarvis Cocker to appear at the Meltdown Festival.
History
Formed in 1978 as an offshoot of the punk outfit 'The', Artery initially consisted of Mark Gouldthorpe on guitar, Toyce Ashley handling vocals and guitar, Neil McKenzie on bass, and Garry Wilson on drums. Following a self-released single in 1979 and a subsequent release on Aardvark in 1980, Mick Fidler joined the band, contributing vocals, guitar, and saxophone. Two singles were issued in 1981 before Ashley departed; at this point, Gouldthorpe assumed lead vocals while Simon Hinkler, previously with TV Product, came aboard playing keyboards and guitar. With strong support from John Peel, Artery recorded sessions for his BBC Radio 1 program in both 1981 and 1982.
In 1982, the band signed with Red Flame and released a single along with the mini-album Oceans, produced by Dale Griffin. Their song "Into the Garden" climbed to number nine on the 1982 Festive Fifty. Although often likened to Joy Division, Gouldthorpe refuted any direct influence from that band. The lineup underwent further modifications: John White replaced Fidler, Christopher Hendrick took over bass duties from McKenzie, and David Hinkler joined on keyboards. By the time their second album, One Afternoon in a Hot Air Balloon (1983), was released, Artery had slimmed down to a trio of Gouldthorpe, Wilson, and Hendrick; White left to create UV Pop, while Simon Hinkler shifted focus toward production work. Around 1983, Simon and David Hinkler collaborated with Wilson in performances alongside Pulp.
In 1984, Hendrick exited the group as McKenzie returned and Murray Fenton was added during their transition to the Golden Dawn label. That year saw the release of their third album, The Second Coming. Simon Hinkler made a brief return while manager Tony Perrin joined on bass. A live album followed in 1985 before the band ultimately disbanded; Fenton went on to join The Batfish Boys.
Gouldthorpe and Simon Hinkler worked together on Flight Commander Solitude & the Snake (1986) and later released A Room Full of This (1992) under The Flight Commander name. In 1985, a compilation titled Afterwards featuring demos and live recordings was issued.
After the split, Gouldthorpe stepped away from music to operate a hairdressing salon. The band reassembled in 2007 after Jarvis Cocker invited them to perform at Meltdown Festival and subsequently recorded a session for Marc Riley’s BBC 6 Music show. They released the Standing Still EP in 2009. Following David Hinkler’s departure in 2010, James Bacon joined to help sustain the group’s activities. Their album Civilisation was launched in October 2011.
Albums
- Oceans (1982), Red Flame
- One Afternoon in a Hot Air Balloon (1983), Red Flame – UK Indie No. 15
- The Second Coming (1984), Golden Dawn
- Number 4: Live in Amsterdam (1985), Golden Dawn
- Meltdown: Live 2007 (2007) – live recording
- Civilisation (2011), Twin Speed
Compilations
- Afterwards: Recordings from 1979-1983 (1985), Pleasantly Surprised
- Into the Garden: An Artery Collection (2006), Cherry Red
Singles and EPs
- "Mother Moon" (1979), Limited Edition
- "Unbalanced" (1980), Aardvark – double 7-inch featuring a live EP
- "Cars in Motion" (1981), Aardvark
- "Into the Garden" (1981), Armageddon
- "The Clown" (1982), Red Flame
- "Alabama Song" (1983), Red Flame
- "A Big Machine" (1984), Golden Dawn
- Diamonds in the Mine EP (1984), Golden Dawn
- Standing Still EP (2009), Phantom Power
DVD
- 3 Days in June: the Reformation of Artery (2009), Sheffield Vision