Peace, Anarchy & Lemons

Admittedly not the greatest of recordings ever committed to plastic, but essential none the less.

Without wanting to sound too much like Rik from The Young Ones, this album documents the time when the tribes came together.
Of course not everyone was on side or so readily gregarious, but Mark Perry was always going to be a special case; a loose canon who right from the outset puzzled many with his opening track 'Alternatives' from the now seminal Alternative TV debut album.
A track that suggested future experimentation, hinting at an interest in the avant-garde from one would not acquiesce to genre conventions.

The Wild Fruits

As for Here & Now, well, you kind of get the impression they were up for anything.
Bringing their own sense of neo-psychedelia, madcappery and profundity to their music, they were the perfect act for Perry to synergize with, allowing the audience to fuse in their own minds two seemingly disparate ideologies.

Here & Now and Alternative TV (split album) -
What You See... Is What You Are (1978)

Here & Now side

What You See Is What You Are
Dog in Hell
Addicted

Alternative TV side

Action Time Lemon
Going Round in Circles
Fellow Sufferer
Splitting in Two

As decent a vinyl rip I could make @320kbs
Find harmony here

Deictic Dissonance

Released by Cold Harbour Records in 1986, this recording captured the apparent farewell performance of the Here and Now band at Dingwalls in Camden Town early in the year.

Only two thousand copies were pressed, and I doubt a CD release has even been considered.
A shame, as it’s a great performance; and for that period of Here and Now’s career it’s definitely the best live recording.

Emerging from some cosmic debris left behind by the ever journeying Planet Gong, Here and Now began life as a spacey, crusty, psychedelic, free festival-loving, prog outfit, sounding a little like Hillage playing with Hawkwind after listening to early punk.

What they didn’t take from punk was an adoption of the short song; and live they could play for what seemed like hours without ever changing track.

But as the eighties kicked in, Here and Now’s sound morphed and changed, as did their line up.
Their songs got shorter, more coherent, and dare one say, more accessible (but not commercial).
New wave had a big influence on their output, and keyboards, often playing ska-like riffs, became as important and intrinsic to their sound as the EBowed guitar.

This recording does capture what was billed as Here and Now’s last gig.
But they weren’t away long.
In fact they’re still doing it.

I don’t know what they’re thinking some of these bands.
I mean, what else are Keith the Bass and Kif Kif going to do?
Get jobs in Spar?
I don’t think so.

Here and Now – Been and Gone (1986)

Intro – 23 Skidoo
Fake It
Theatre
Another Tense
Drifting Away
Ways to be Free
Spaces In Between
Satellite Kid
Jacques Cousteau
Last Chance

Excellent cassette rip @320kbs
Get far-out with the Here and Now band here