Ned's Atomic Dustbin

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Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Ned's Atomic Dustbin performing at Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall, December 2007
Ned's Atomic Dustbin performing at Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall, December 2007
Background information
Origin Stourbridge
Genre(s) Alternative rock
Years active 1987-1995
2000-current
Label(s) spitfirepink
Website www.nedsatomicdustbin.com
Members
Jonn Penney (vocals)
Alex Griffin (bass/ vocals)
Dan Warton (drums)
Andy King (bass) 2000-
Martin Warlow (guitar) 2000-
Former members
Rat (guitar) 1987-94
Matt Cheslin (bass) 1987-95
Wiz (guitar) 1995 tour
Floyd (guitar) 1995 tour
Tracy (vocals) 1988-89

Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English Grebo rock band formed in Stourbridge in West Midlands in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of The Goon Show. The band were unusual for using two bass players in their line up: Alex Griffin played melody lines high up on one bass, and Matt played the regular basslines on the other. This gave the band a tense and highly driven sub-hardcore sound with distorted indie guitars and complicated Baggy drum beats.

The band was formed while at sixth form college and they recorded their first album while still teenagers. This led to a strong teenage fanbase with a reputation for enjoying stage diving and moshing at their gigs. The band were also noted (and sometimes ridiculed) for their early image which consisted of uniformly crimped hair, short trousers and t shirts. The Neds (as their fans referred to them) were well known for their T shirts and produced over 80 different designs within three years. Towards the end they also branched out into shorts, hats and other merchandise items.

Contents

[edit] History

Ned's Atomic Dustbin quickly gathered a strong fanbase after being noticed by local group The Wonder Stuff who offered a support slot on their 1989 and 1990 UK tours. During 1990, Ned's Atomic Dustbin released two singles "The Ingredients" and "Kill Your Television" which reached numbers 92 and 53 in UK Singles chart, respectively. They released their debut album Godfodder shortly afterwards and had hits with "Until You Find Out" (#51) and "Happy" (#16) in 1991. During the next two years, the group toured with, amongst others Mega City Four, Senseless Things and Jesus Jones. During this period they recorded their second album Are You Normal in 1992, which was promoted by the singles "Not Sleeping Around" and "Intact".

The band spent the next few years on a worldwide tour before recording their final album Brainbloodvolume. The album had a more diverse sound including samplers and keyboards. Their record label released the album in America before the UK, so most fans bought in on import leading to a poor UK chart position when it was eventually released leading to tensions within the band and with the label. The poor chart showing may have also been to do with a changed music scene now fully in the swing of Britpop. The band had one last UK top 40 single with "All I Ask of Myself Is That I Hold Together" in 1995 following an appearance on The Word. The band split in 1995. Singer Jonn Penney formed a new band, Groundswell, which had little success.

Ned's Atomic Dustbin reformed with a different line up in 2000, for a show in Dudley. The show was a success and the band have done a Christmas show every year since then, including a four date tour in 2004 where the band performed several new songs. In 2005 they again played a few late-December gigs, and on June 5, 2006, their first new single in 11 years, "Hibernation", was released, it was supported with a weekend concert series being called "Ned-Fest". The Single was not available at regular retailers. It was an online-only single, available as both an online CD purchase as well as downloadable.

The video game NCAA Football 2006 for Playstation 2 and Xbox features the song "Kill Your Television". Their song "Grey Cell Green" is featured in the video game Saints Row for the Xbox 360 platform, on "The Rock" radio station. The song "Saturday Night", a Bay City Rollers cover, featured in the movie So I Married an Axe Murderer.

The band is currently in rehearsals and in the studio working on more new material.[citation needed]

On May 7, 2007 a compilation album was released with the name of "Some Furtive Years - A Ned's Anthology". Furtive refers to their earlier label. This compilation unlike the others features liner notes by John Penney and Matt Chelsin. It offers insight into the background of songs featured on the album.

On May 12, 2008 then band announced that the original line-up of Jonn, Rat, Matt, Alex, and Dan would be performing live together for the first time since 1995 on December 6th, 2008 at the Astoria London.


[edit] Members - Classic line up 1989-1995

[edit] Discography

Furtive was the band's own label distributed under Sony, which allowed the band to retain a level of independence and control (although which subsidiary of Sony distributed each release depended on which one and where it was bought. In the UK it was Sony Soho Square, Japan Epic, and in the US they were shifted about - first Columbia, then Chaos, then Work.)

[edit] Albums

Year Title Label Other information
1990 Bite Chapter 22 Collection of the first two singles plus two other tracks
1991 God Fodder Furtive Début album
1992 And Besides... Furtive Japanese only b-side collection
1992 Are You Normal? Furtive Second studio Album
1994 0.522 Furtive B-side collection
1995 Brainbloodvolume Furtive Last studio album
1998 Intact Sony Compilation
2001 One More, No More Gig Live, June 29, 2000
2003 Terminally Groovy Castle "Best of" compilation
2004 Session Shakedown Re-recordings, Live
2007 Some Furtive Years - A Ned's Anthology Camden Compilation Album

[edit] Singles and EPs

Year Title Label UK Chart Other information
May 1990 The Ingredients ep Chapter 22 92 First release
Jul 1990 Kill Your Television Chapter 22 53  
Oct 1990 Until You Find Out Chapter 22 51  
Mar 1991 Happy Furtive 16 First release on Sony. #11 US Modern Rock[1]
Sep 1991 Trust Furtive 21 EP
??? 1991 Grey Cell Green Furtive   US Release. #24 US Modern Rock
??? 1992 Kill Your Television Furtive   US Release
Oct 1992 Not Sleeping Around Furtive 19 #1 US Modern Rock (in 1993)
Dec 1992 Intact Furtive 36  
??? 1993 Walking Through Syrup Furtive   European/Australian/American Release. #13 US Modern Rock
??? 1993 Saturday Night Columbia   Cover of the Bay City Rollers track. #26 US Modern Rock
Mar 1995 All I Ask Of Myself Is That i Hold Together Furtive 33  
Jul 1995 Stuck Furtive 64  
Jun 2006 Hibernation Spitfirepink 92  

[edit] Video and DVD

Year Title Label Other information
1991 Nothing Is Cool SMV Entertainment Live and on tour footage
1993 Lunatic Magnets SMV Entertainment Mock interview and music videos
2003 Shoot The Neds! in concert Secret Films Live, June 1, 2002
2007 ...Don't Exist Twelve42 Films Documentary / Live

[edit] External links