95-07-09 Varukers – Chaos UK – Fleas & Lice – Chosen Choice – Muggles

Bassist Beckie Gibbons had left ‘Chaos UK’ (from Bristol) before their 1994 US tour and ‘RamRaider’ Marv(in) replaced her. ‘Nausea’s guitarist Vic(tor) ‘Venom’ Dominicis (also ex ‘Reagan Youth’) had joined as second guitarist (he had been at the V.V. already during their first passage 93-11-21). Pat ‘Devilman’ Evans had replaced Chuck on drums. Their album Floggin’ The Corpse (some new recordings but mostly stuff recorded live in 1983) was released in 1995, after which all members left the band except Adrian ‘Chaos’ Rice (vocals; taking over from Kieran ‘Mower’ Moylett) and guitarist ‘Gabba’; the new bassist was J. Cloth and new drummer Phil Thudd… Their CD The Morning After The Night Before was recorded with that line-up in April 1996… The EP King For A Day was also released in ’96.

It was the ‘Varukers’ (Leamington Spa) 2^nd time at the V.V. (see: 94-02-05) and they’d played Belgium in the 80s before… So their D-beat à la ‘Discharge’ was not new… In July ’94 they had recorded the Nothing’s Changed EP (released on Weird recs) with Anthony ‘Rat’ Martin doing vocals (also sang for ‘Discharge’ later on), drummer Kev(in) Frost, guitarist ‘Biff’ Ian Smith and bassist Brian Ansell. In 1995 We Bite recs did the Still Bollox But Still Here LP for them.

‘Varukers’ (photo by Wim De Leersnijder)

Some ‘Fleas & Lice’ history… In the beginning of 1995 Oene Brandsma (ex ‘Chronicore’) had joined the band (see 93-02-06 & 94-03-19) on bass (Joshua Lagerwerf had left). In 1996 Esther took a break for half a year and Willy ‘Wills’ Nollomont (‘Hiatus’) replaced her for a while. In 1997 Piet (Pierre Erickson) got hit by a taxi-cab and couldn’t play guitar for 14 months. In 1998 Pelle replaced Maynard Schut on drums. In December 2002 Oene leaves the band and gets replaced by Stiff from Scotland. Jim got added in early 2004 as a second guitarplayer.

‘Fleas & Lice’ (photo from Ludovic Hache’s zine Ras L’Bol #5)

‘Muggles’ (from the Mechelen area) played chaos-punk: Frédéric/Fred ‘Baskie’ Vandersype (vocals; Gnome zine & distro), Bruno ‘Sloef’ Mastyn (guitar; also ‘Intestinal Disease’), his brother Geert & his partner Manuella ‘Manu’ De Roover (drums). They did a split-7” with ‘Blindspot A.D.’ (Germany) on T.V.G. recs in 1996, and together with 3 other Belgian bands (‘Les Schtroumpfs Alcooliques’, ‘Hirudo’ and ‘Honey Honey’) they appeared on the Screams From Belgium ‎LP) that Tim Leten (Filth-Ear distribution) put out in 1997. They were invited back to the V.V. for a second gig on 98-04-19…

‘Chosen Choice’ was a “thrashpunk” band from Lublin with guitarist Piotr(ek) Kowalczyk & drummer Marek (who was also in ‘Amen’). They had been playing at the V.V. already half a year eralier (94-12-31). Their tape, entitled Think For Yourself, was released by Lagart Factory (formerly Lagart Tapes; ran by Dariusz ‘Pała’ Palinowski, Paweł ‘Bocian’ Sikora & Tomasz ‘Mrówa’ Komorek of ‘Amen’ & Kultura Nędzy zine).

Brob

Michael [Maes] and myself were doing the entrance on this one, I think…

Henk Loobuyck

I started the band together with Geert & ‘Manu’ in 1991. We had several singers: Frédéric, Steve, Tom Jonckheere (later ‘Wizards Of Oi’), Erik Minnen (‘Cornucopia’) & Kurt van den Eynden (‘Noise Reduction’ & ‘Karma’)…

Bruno ‘Sloef’ Mastyn, ‘Muggles’ guitarist

I remember that we all took our wives/girlfriends at the time on this weekend-gig. They decided never to come again afterwards. ;-) I liked the venue and we always had a good crowd. Didn’t like sleeping upstairs though in February [the year before]… ‘Chaos UK’ were always fun to play with and are good friends. ‘Fleas & Lice’ were an excellent band also and great people. Again: we played with them a few times over the years…

Kevin Frost, ‘Varukers’ drummer

I recall that the English all had brought their girlfriends and slept in hotels, except for Brian, the ‘Varukers’ bassist. He stayed behind by himself and had to party all night in the V.V. with us…

Maynard Schut, ‘Fleas & Lice’ drummer

‘Chosen Choice’ was a two-piece and I believe they both dropped out years ago…

Pawel ‘Scream’

excerpts from the V.V. guestbook:

Paolo M. informs us of a new place that has been squatted in Ghent (May ’95). A building at the Hogepontstraat. Together with the adjoint (even bigger building) at the Scheldekaai (on the riverside) – squatted in February 1996 – that would be come the residence of a big bunch of ‘Schelderatten’ …

additions wellcome!…