SCARAB

[Scarab]

I think the 'rock night' single came out 2-3 years earlier than the excellent 'Poltergeist' single, and Malc's book does have both bands being form that general area, although the entry for the 'rock night' Scarab doesn't have may details.

A release of classic Scarab material would be very cool indeed! Very cool news!

It's wildly thought thatboth singles came from us...but you dont have to listen to long to suss out it isn't.........Rock night came out in 81 I think. We were already playing around the midlands when it appeared. The first time we ever played at the Coach and horse in west brom (later to be a strong hold of ours) people turned up thinking we was the "rock night" Scarab.....this is how we found out about them......We came frm the Sutton Coldfield area, the "rock night" Scarab came from the West brom area. To my knowledge, the "rock night" Scarab never played live? or at laest had stopped gigging altogether by the time we started. I think they were all a lot older than we were. They never approached us about changing our name. So fair play to em for that.

We did at some point just before the single packaging was put together, almost change the name of the band to "Poltergeist" but it didn't happen.
Scarab stated life in 1980 as a "rock" (as apposed to metal) 4 peice. I was just the guitar player and we had a great singer called Andy Lewis who sound like Paul Rogers. We were given cash to record a demo for "Heavy metal records" at a studio called "The Pitstop" Andy got pissed, didnt show one day, and I did the vocals instEad............it was getting all to heavy for him anyway.....that was the line up that recorded "Poltergeist". Me, Dave Parrish, Nige Shaw and Steve Riley.

We are back together (not Steve, although we are in touch and he may get involve in the production) and the album comes out on Miskonic around october I hope.

Paul

[nightsblood]

thanks for all the great info! I've never heard the 'rock night' single buy yeah, folks that have heard both always say they're pretty distinct.

I wonder how many peopele went to Warrior concerts only to see a different Warrior There were what, 5 bands using that name in the UK in the early 80s?

[Scarab]

thanks for all the great info! I've never heard the 'rock night' single buy yeah, folks that have heard both always say they're pretty distinct.

I wonder how many peopele went to Warrior concerts only to see a different Warrior There were what, 5 bands using that name in the UK in the early 80s?

The very frist "kerrang" had both Venom's featured. Mr Lant's lot were in the "armed and ready" section, and there was a pretty boy bunch from Manchester who had a full page feature/interview ...........and at the time, I knew another band called Venom that were huge in Birmingham.........they'd been Venom since 1976. I think they changed there name after that to Warrior for a while ha ha ha ha...................
There's no hope sometimes...............

Paul

[Scarab]

I've got a slight impression that both bands come from the area of Birmingham or that city itself but I would like some more details from anyone well-informed NWOBHM-ist.

We (The "Poltergeist" Scarab) came from the Sutton Coldfield/Erdingtonarea (about 50 km from Birmingham) and The other Scarab came from West Bromwich.
I never once met the other Scarab, and as far as I know no-one from our band or crew ever saw them..................it would be great to know if they ever gigged, I certainly didn't think they ever did. The first time I ever heard about them and there single was at The Coach and Horse in West Bromwich, when people turned up to see the "Rock Night" Scarab the first time we played there. The place became a real strong hold of ours in 84/85. but they never once played the place, which was THE place to play in that area......................

There was a great music scene in Birmingham/midlands at the time, loads of bands fighting for the same record deals...............It's unbeliveable that not one Birmingham band from that 81-85 period became HUGE. It seems that every other part of the country has there "HUGE BANDS" but I guess that Birmingham's time was in the 70's with Priest/Sabbath etc etc.
but unheard of bands like "Trouble" and " Crazy Angel" were amazing acts................I'd kill for the Crazy Angel vidio now, with it's flashing double bass drums and Pedro's out of sinc lead solo or the First Trouble demo, before "WARDI" joined and turned em into just another "HAIR" band..............................all lost for ever I think..........

Paul

[Black Axe]

I'd love to hear to those bands. Weren't Jameson Raid also from that area?
Birmingham's always been a great center for quality music.

[Scarab]

I'd love to hear to those bands. Weren't Jameson Raid also from that area?
Birmingham's always been a great center for quality music.

Jameson Raid were, in my humble view, the greatest metal band ever to grace the stages of Birmingham, and are one of my favourite band of all time.......along with Priest and Sabbeth. I was honnered to know Ian Smith as he ws my Guitar tutur for a while in 1977) when he worked at John Birch Guitars (he built slades, super job)..................I saw the band at least 50 times as a teenager. The first time was at Sutton Colfield carnaval (a stage Scarab went to play er....and nortoriously not play, ahem!!!) ....................When Ian left in 1981 I almost auditoned to take over, but it would never have been the same. How this band arn't HUGE now I don't know...............Live they had it all............when they opened at Stafford Bingley hall for Def lep, 2000 people chanted there name...

Ian now lives the easy life in Tialand (succsesful biusnessman) Terry (Howley, aka Dark) lives in Amsterdam I think and is in a club band called "Kick the fridge" and John Aldride (AKA ACE) lives in the midlands still. I spoke to him in the late 80's about putting a band together just before I left the midlands, but it was never going to be. I still talk to Ian via email every so often, and he talks about getting involved again, ...........Jameson Raid to me were everything a metal band should............If Scarab ever did a cover, it would be "it's getting hotter" ..................these people were gods to me.............gods...........

[Black Axe]

They're one of my all-time favorites too. Anyone who was around in those times and saw or heard them play say they love them, they appeared on the MFM 2 comp. and still nothing came of it.

Great to hear Ian's doing so well. Next time you mail, tell him to get their material reissued!

Just listened to a Kick The Fridge song, and Terry sounds as good as ever!

[Scarab]

The man to talk to is John (bass player) he'd be up for re-issues......The Raid was his life....................I worry that it still may be he was that comitted to them..............Awsum bloke........real talent.....

The Metal for Muthus session was the begining of the end really.........they'd spend ages getting the production right on that track, and EMI went in and screwed it all up.............they changed the name to the "The Raid"...................Ian left, and was replaced by Maz machenka I think from a another brum band called " hoi polloi".................it was never the same.................If I told about all the antics Ian got up after The Raid, you'd never believe me................really, it's a book in it self.........hahahaha........................

[Khnud]

How could I have missed this thread? The Poltergeist 7'' is one of the best NWOBHM-singles I've heard, surely a reunion and new material is news worthy of great praise! I assume the songs on the myspace-page will be included?

[lunaboy]

Well.I found kinda tribute page to local bands and quite informative article about SCARAB.

Check This Out

There's also lots of info about local bands(Including TYTAN and more Obscure stuff).

[Scarab]

Well.I found kinda tribute page to local bands and quite informative article about SCARAB.

Check This Out

There's also lots of info about local bands(Including TYTAN and more Obscure stuff).

Scarab wern't a Tamworth band, we were from sutton coldfield........It's just that unlike some of the lazy fuckers in Brum at the time, we played any gig that was offered us. Instead of posing at the bar at the Railway with Shy and Brair when we wern't gigging, we'd be looking for the next shit hole to play...........Tamworth was just one of many small towns that we'd inflict our noise on...............

[Helm]

This thread is amazing. If I may, a question to Paul.

If such a thing did indeed happen, do you remember when exactly you felt Heavy Metal was its own type of music, distinct and separate from rock and roll, hard rock et al.? Was it a specific record you heard that gave that impression to you, a specific year when things were happening that told you this sort of music is its own thing, here to stay, not just a branch of rock and roll? I am very interested in how from 1979 to 1982-3 Heavy Metal just came together, solidified and self-defined, and since you were around perhaps you'll be kind to satisfy my curiosity

[Scarab]

This thread is amazing. If I may, a question to Paul.


If such a thing did indeed happen, do you remember when exactly you felt Heavy Metal was its own type of music, distinct and separate from rock and roll, hard rock et al.? Was it a specific record you heard that gave that impression to you, a specific year when things were happening that told you this sort of music is its own thing, here to stay, not just a branch of rock and roll? I am very interested in how from 1979 to 1982-3 Heavy Metal just came together, solidified and self-defined, and since you were around perhaps you'll be kind to satisfy my curiosity

How it came together at all is a miracle, and testament to the will of some musicians in the area.............Brum was in the grip of "hair metal"......it was a nightmare...........everyone of us scrambling around for none existent record deals...........it's hard to believe now, but Don Arden and Jet records took an interest in us in 1982, before even Dave joined the band........I thought then, the only difference between metal and hard rock is the attitude............you really had to be into the music and not give a fuck at what was going on around you, cos if you did, you'd never call yourself Heavy Metal, or try to be heavy metal, musically, to be honest, there can be a real fine line between rock and metal.................... but it's worth noting, that not one Birmingham band from that period went on to be a major force......not one............I'll tell you why? cos they couldn't make up there fucking minds what they wanted to be? hair metal? AOR, soft rock? glam? , and when they did get a break/deal they fucked it up (tubruk?)..........bands like Briar, Shy, Trouble, steel, surface, all sounding the same.........and looking the same......... Pedro howes from "Crazy angel" is Geezer Butlers Nephew and they had a great Video done..........great image, great guys, amazing sound..........and "huge" connections through Geezer............but even they couldn't get a deal................I think if they had called themselves "Hard rock" they'd have been snapped up...........The record companies had all the metal acts they wanted by 1983.........We (Birmingham's metal bands) missed out really...............

I sound very cynical I know? 25 years in heavy metal does that to you.......now all music is split in to 2 groups as far as I am concerned........that with integrity, that without.........you don't have to be a genius to work out which is which, never really did...................Would you call Pagan Alter ,Heavy Metal? or Warning, Hard rock?.............and I know Jameson Raid (from that era), call themselves "Hard Rock" and don't like to know as Heavy Metal.....................Scarab were metal, I always loved being called a metal band...........still do..............but Now I'm also proud to called A new wave of heavy metal band...............not so much British, as the 79-84 metal movement was world wide...........metal never went away, the fucked up magazine's and music press in general just stopped talking about it..................punk was a great movement, but to many bands jumped on that wagon..........and took the journalists with em..............................

[Helm]

Thank you for your reply.

I thought then, the only difference between metal and hard rock is the attitude............you really had to be into the music and not give a fuck at what was going on around you, cos if you did, you'd never call yourself Heavy Metal, or try to be heavy metal,

Integrity and personal vision, then? It's very reassuring to hear you explain this as you've been there all along. I'm a young guy and sometimes I worry that I am inventing qualities and attributing them to the past, that might have not been there at all.

It is really interesting to see how bands that shifted around in their style (and heaviness) didn't stay alive while bands like say Iron Maiden who have pretty much stuck to their guns for their whole career forged a life out of this - most would agree - financially limited endeavor of Heavy Metal.

What was it, I wonder, that made these young bands write this archetypal Heavy Metal for their first releases and then once they thought they were closer to the 'big time' water down their sound? Was it this idea that 'alright, we've come this far playing games, but now we have to get serious and play what everybody else plays in order to survive in this industry'? An attitude like this? Truly a shame for a lot of these bands on one hand, but also a valuable lesson for the generations of metalheads since then.

[Scarab]

I guess Metal has gone full circle, but it really didnt have much choice.............it began as an undeground movement and thats were it is again.............with no help from radio, tv or any mainstream media, it's back in the street................................does that really matter? don't know, but one thing is for sure .................keep it underground and you keep it pure............and away from the money men who will always water it down so your mom can hum along...........................I'd rather have 500 chanting the words, than 5 million huming the melody any day...........

Pure cheese I know, but pure truth just the same..............