The Wall (band)
| Company type | Punk rock group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 in Sunderland, England |
| Headquarters | Sunderland , England |
| Products | Studio albums, singles, EPs |
The Wall was a punk rock group originating from Sunderland, England, established in early 1978. Throughout their career, they launched two studio albums.
Formation and Early Period
The band came together in early 1978 with the original members being Ian Lowery on vocals, Andy Griffiths handling bass and vocals, John Hammond playing lead guitar and providing vocals, and Bruce Archibald on drums. This lineup produced their first single, "New Way," which was released in April 1979. The track gained significant airplay from BBC Radio 1's DJ John Peel and sold upwards of 10,000 copies. Following this achievement, Lowery and Griffiths moved to London, while Hammond and Archibald were replaced by Nick Ward (guitar) and Rab Fae Beith (drums), who had previously played with Patrik Fitzgerald and The Pack. The Wall frequently shared stages with other Small Wonder label artists such as Crass and the Cockney Rejects.
After crossing paths with former Sex Pistols members Paul Cook and Steve Jones at a Moonlight Club show, Cook and Jones took on production duties for the band's next release, the double A-side single "Kiss the Mirror" / "Exchange," marking The Wall as the first punk band to have a record produced by ex-members of the Pistols. Rab Fae Beith assumed the role of manager; when Small Wonder ceased operations, he secured a contract with Fresh Records. The group recorded the track "Ghetto," produced by Jimmy Pursey. Initially featuring Lowery's vocals, it was later re-recorded with Ivan Kelly (formerly of Ruefrex) as the new lead singer. Lowery expressed a desire to remove Ward from the lineup; however, the band disagreed and instead dismissed Lowery. He subsequently formed Ski Patrol alongside Archibald and later established The Folk Devils, producing solo material that influenced artists such as Kurt Cobain. Lowery passed away in 2001. After Ward's exit, former Straps guitarist Andy Forbes joined the band.
Debut Album
The Wall's first album, Personal Troubles and Public Issues, produced by Pete Wilson, was released towards the end of 1980. The band embarked on a UK tour supporting the Angelic Upstarts. Following an incident involving Kelly, he was dismissed from the group, leading Griffiths to take over vocal duties. They then supported Stiff Little Fingers on their successful Go For It national tour and released the Remembrance EP to coincide with these performances, utilizing a substitute bassist for live appearances. Claire Bidwell from The Passions joined as bassist, enabling Griffiths to concentrate solely on singing.
Sophomore Album
Their second album, Dirges and Anthems, was released in April 1982 through Polydor Records. Polydor advocated for "Epitaph" to be issued as a single; however, it was outsold by the Hobby for a Day EP released on Fresh Records, which resulted in the band being dropped from Polydor. Reduced to just Beith and Griffiths alongside guitarist Al Gregg and bassist Claire Bidwell, they released the Day Tripper EP and 12-inch later that year before disbanding in 1983.
After Disbandment
Following The Wall's breakup, Beith briefly joined And Also the Trees before becoming part of U.K. Subs in 1984 and managing his own label, RFB Records; he later pursued work as a motorcycle mechanic.
In 1998, a compilation featuring their independent releases was issued by Captain Oi!.
In August 2007, The Wall reunited for a headline performance at Blackpool Rebellion organized by Al Gregg via their MySpace page. This reunion included seven original members: Andy Griffiths (vocals), Nick Ward (guitars), Al Gregg (guitars & bass), Andrew Forbes (guitars), John Hammond (guitars), Claire Bidwell (bass), and Mark Dyvig (drums). Prior to this event, they played a warm-up show at The Thatched House in Stockport. A live album followed in August 2009 under Captive Records. Their debut album was reissued on blue vinyl and CD by Westworld Recordings on 13 May 2016.
The Wall regrouped once more in 2017 to perform at Rebellion's Opera House festival, coinciding with the release of the "Damnation Disco" 12-inch through Andy Forbes' Riskaverse Records. They also completed a successful UK tour including performances alongside Spizz Energi.
Original singer and bassist Andy Griffiths passed away from cancer in August 2020; original guitarist Joe Hammond died in March 2022; drummer and manager Rab Fae Beith succumbed to cancer in April 2023.
Discography
Positions listed refer to the UK Indie Chart.
Albums
- Personal Troubles and Public Issues (1980) Fresh FRESHLP2 (Reached No. 18); CD reissued in 2016 by Westworld Recordings (WW0035CD)
- Dirges and Anthems (1982) Polydor POLS1048; early editions featured a complimentary 7-inch EP single containing "Plastic Smiles," "Victims of Future Wars," and "Missing Presumed Dead"
- The Punk Collection (1998) Captain Oi! AHOY CD95
- The Wall - Live (2009) Opus/Captive Records CAPCD001
- A New Way to Peroxide (2021) a compilation highlighting the Ian Lowery period, released by Spectacle Music Ltd
Singles and EPs
- "New Way" backed with "Suckers" / "Uniforms" (1979) Small Wonder SMALL13
- "Kiss the Mirror" / "Exchange" (September 1979) Small Wonder SMALL21 (Peaked at No. 26)
- "Ghetto" b/w "Another New Day" / "Mercury" (April 1980) Fresh FRESH17 (Reached No. 19)
- "Remembrance" b/w "Hsi Nao" / "Hooligan Nights" (April 1981) Polydor POSP260
- "Hobby for a Day" EP featuring "Hobby for a Day," "8334," and "Redeemer" (July 1981) Fresh FRESH27 (Achieved No. 14)
- "Epitaph" b/w "Rewind" / "New Rebel" (November 1981) Polydor POSP365
- "Day Tripper" available as a 4-track 7-inch EP and a 10-track 12-inch EP (December 1982) No Future 02.21 (Reached No. 21)
- "Damnation Disco" 12-inch EP (June 2016) Riskaverse Records
- "Manchuria - Back to the Wall" 4-track EP (February 2022) Spectacle Music Ltd