Easterhouse Biography
Formed in Manchester, England, by the Perry brothers, singer Andy and guitarist Ivor, during the mid-80s, Easterhouse first came to prominence after being championed by Morrissey of the Smiths. Taking their name from a working-class area of Glasgow, they signed to Rough Trade Records and were widely praised for early singles "Inspiration" and "Whistling In The Dark", which merged Andy's left-wing political rhetoric with Ivor's echo-laden guitar patterns. Contenders, a confident debut, also featured Peter Vanden (bass), Gary Rostock (drums) and Mike Murray (rhythm guitar). Contained within were entirely convincing accommodations between music and politics - the hard line of Andy Perry's lyrics exemplified by the compelling "Nineteen Sixty Nine', a bitter assault on the betrayal of the working classes by Britain's Labour Party. Arguments broke out soon after its release and Ivor Perry went on to form the short-lived Cradle. Andy Perry kept the name Easterhouse, but by the time of 1989"s Waiting For The Red Bird he was the only remaining original band member. He was joined on this disappointing, over ambitious record by David Verner (drums), Neil Taylor (lead guitar), Lance Sabin (rhythm guitar) and Steve Lovell (lead guitar). "Come Out Fighting", with its anthemic rock pretensions, failed to make the singles chart and the new Easterhouse, with all songs written solely by Perry, was heavily criticized: the political content was still high with tracks such as "Stay With Me (Death On The Dole)", but the soul and subtle melodies were no longer present. Easterhouse's impact was, aside from one great album, probably minimal, but along with other Manchester guitar groups like the Chameleons, they laid the foundations for the explosion of interest in the city in the late 80s.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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