| BAND OCCUPY GADAFFI'S LONDON BUREAU "A cheap publicity stunt" claims hack TODAY POSSIBLY the greatest self-publicity stunt ever went public. After a call to this desk, I found myself In Princes Gate SW7 outside the Libyan people's Bureau, recently vacated due to hostilities between Britain and Libya and even more recently re-occupied by pop group come anarcho-guerllla art activists, God Told Me To Do it. The group have been achieving minor notoriety on the London indie scene due to their consistently brilliant fly-posters slagging off rival bands and rubbing salt In the wounds of the public consciousness. Their most recent artefact involves a substitution of Colonel Cadaffi for Colonel Saunders and the slogans 'Kentucky fried Britain" and "Libya. Libya, hard as fuck". But this time they've really hit the jackpot, by squatting In the hastily deserted Libyan Embassy. Ostensibly this is a protest at the New Mediocre Express, reproducing God Told Me To's self-descriptive logo. "The AIDS Pistols" without either permission or payment of copyright fee, but in truth the action is part of their erratic publicity campaign, milking the press for every column Inch they can get. By the time you read this they may well have already hit the nationals and TV. But their handling of the situation has been superb: on first entering the building a phone call was made to Scotland Yard, the caller claiming to be from a national paper and asking to confirm rumours and outline the legal position on a squat in the Embassy. He was told that there was nothing the police could legally do to evict any squatters. This call was taped and later played back to a plain clothes detective who came to Investigate. He left. Apparently there are plans for "events" to take place In the building but with the situation changing so quickly the group are taking it hour by hour. And as for their music, all the reports I've received speak of trashed equipment and cries of "Never again!" from promoters. This one could run and run. RICKY KILREAGAN (NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS 1986 - DC Collection) |
The cheeky nerve of the short lived London Anarcho's GOD TOLD ME TO DO IT was
one of the more enterprising scams perpectuated in the mid 80's as punk pulled into
it's barren cul-de-sac. You can read below how it all took place and view further on
down some of their magnificent poster campaigns and the methods behind them.
one of the more enterprising scams perpectuated in the mid 80's as punk pulled into
it's barren cul-de-sac. You can read below how it all took place and view further on
down some of their magnificent poster campaigns and the methods behind them.
THE WRATH OF GOD
Yet another great swindle or divine intervention? Through hardcore and graphic thrust Beatle-bashers
GOD TOLD ME TO DO IT (aka The AIDS Pistols) channel their anger against,er. . .modern evil.
RICHARD NORTH reports on the gospel according to a thousand T-shirts.
'THE VOICE Of The AIDS Generation', 'The Ayatollahs Of Rock', The First Band Of The '80s' . . . introducing God Told MeTo Do
It. But forget about music for a short while, 'cause the overwhelming thing about God (as their fans affectionately call them) is the
graphics — bizarre and provocative, they are instant collages involving current issues (AIDS, crack, etc) that thump home in the
same way as the work of JamieReid.
The band have signed a lucrative deal with the largest popT-shirt production company before even thinking about vinyl. It's an
unusual move, but one that's worked - the shirts are selling in their thousands. The only trouble is that — due to their
"outrageous" nature — many shops are refusing to stock them. There's even been talk of an outright ban. In a recent
article headlined "Ghastly Gimmick", The Sunday Sport slammed the group for their 'Crucifox' design which shows a
nude, crucified Sam Fox.
God (Sean-vocals; Bug-drums; Bill-bass; Animal MC-guitar) are vehemently anti-press and refused to speak to me (How
original-Ed). But JohnTravis, manager and mentor, had his say:
"We were very impressed with The Sunday Sport. What a ludicrous paper - we had to be in it. The 'Crucifox' shirt is
merely a joke at Sam Fox's expense. She is England, the public image. The youth of this country aspire to her. Can you
think of a better target?"
GTMTDl are no strangers to scam and scandal. This is the group who a few months ago uncovered and publicised The
Beatles' infamous 'Enoch And Roll' tapes. Recorded at Abbey Road in 1969 they feature the fab four singing a selection
of their hits, but with slightly altered lyrics (eg. "I don't dig no Pakistanis taking all the people's jobs / Get back to where
you once belonged").
Is this for real?
"Yeah we were given the tapes by a studio engineer," explains Travis. "We publicised them in retaliation for McCartney
recording 'Ebony And Ivory'! It's just The Beatles being stupid hippies. They're out of their heads thinking that they're
being really funny. Paul McCartney had the gall to deny writing those lyrics in a Rolling Stone interview. He gave a
trendy, Lefty excuse about how they understood the plighit of the Asian community. Bah!"
GTMTDl are also the people who squatted in the Libyan embassy last year. This confused the authorities, who didn't
know whether to praise them, ignore them or tow them away. They eventually left quietly, unwilling to be associated with
the prevalent anti-Gadaffy sentiment of the time.
But enough of this. What's the music like? Why are you "the first band of the '80s"?
"We're the first band to revel in the '80s, we wallow in every bit of shit going. In the past you've had people like
Grandmaster Flash moaning about the big city. Well we live there and we like it. We don't knock the shit, we bring it out
and use it. In the '70s you had the Sex Pistols, in the '80s you've got us. . .the AIDS Pistols."
God are currently in the studio working with the guitarist from the best English hardcore band, The Stupids. The music is a fusion of thrash and hip-hop.
"We rap where other MC's fear to tread," John boasts. Vinyl results will be heard when they've chosen one of the several companies that are
"interested". Until then, get yourself a T-s hirt.
(NME JAN 1987 -
DC Collection)
Yet another great swindle or divine intervention? Through hardcore and graphic thrust Beatle-bashers
GOD TOLD ME TO DO IT (aka The AIDS Pistols) channel their anger against,er. . .modern evil.
RICHARD NORTH reports on the gospel according to a thousand T-shirts.
'THE VOICE Of The AIDS Generation', 'The Ayatollahs Of Rock', The First Band Of The '80s' . . . introducing God Told MeTo Do
It. But forget about music for a short while, 'cause the overwhelming thing about God (as their fans affectionately call them) is the
graphics — bizarre and provocative, they are instant collages involving current issues (AIDS, crack, etc) that thump home in the
same way as the work of JamieReid.
The band have signed a lucrative deal with the largest popT-shirt production company before even thinking about vinyl. It's an
unusual move, but one that's worked - the shirts are selling in their thousands. The only trouble is that — due to their
"outrageous" nature — many shops are refusing to stock them. There's even been talk of an outright ban. In a recent
article headlined "Ghastly Gimmick", The Sunday Sport slammed the group for their 'Crucifox' design which shows a
nude, crucified Sam Fox.
God (Sean-vocals; Bug-drums; Bill-bass; Animal MC-guitar) are vehemently anti-press and refused to speak to me (How
original-Ed). But JohnTravis, manager and mentor, had his say:
"We were very impressed with The Sunday Sport. What a ludicrous paper - we had to be in it. The 'Crucifox' shirt is
merely a joke at Sam Fox's expense. She is England, the public image. The youth of this country aspire to her. Can you
think of a better target?"
GTMTDl are no strangers to scam and scandal. This is the group who a few months ago uncovered and publicised The
Beatles' infamous 'Enoch And Roll' tapes. Recorded at Abbey Road in 1969 they feature the fab four singing a selection
of their hits, but with slightly altered lyrics (eg. "I don't dig no Pakistanis taking all the people's jobs / Get back to where
you once belonged").
Is this for real?
"Yeah we were given the tapes by a studio engineer," explains Travis. "We publicised them in retaliation for McCartney
recording 'Ebony And Ivory'! It's just The Beatles being stupid hippies. They're out of their heads thinking that they're
being really funny. Paul McCartney had the gall to deny writing those lyrics in a Rolling Stone interview. He gave a
trendy, Lefty excuse about how they understood the plighit of the Asian community. Bah!"
GTMTDl are also the people who squatted in the Libyan embassy last year. This confused the authorities, who didn't
know whether to praise them, ignore them or tow them away. They eventually left quietly, unwilling to be associated with
the prevalent anti-Gadaffy sentiment of the time.
But enough of this. What's the music like? Why are you "the first band of the '80s"?
"We're the first band to revel in the '80s, we wallow in every bit of shit going. In the past you've had people like
Grandmaster Flash moaning about the big city. Well we live there and we like it. We don't knock the shit, we bring it out
and use it. In the '70s you had the Sex Pistols, in the '80s you've got us. . .the AIDS Pistols."
God are currently in the studio working with the guitarist from the best English hardcore band, The Stupids. The music is a fusion of thrash and hip-hop.
"We rap where other MC's fear to tread," John boasts. Vinyl results will be heard when they've chosen one of the several companies that are
"interested". Until then, get yourself a T-s hirt.
(NME JAN 1987 -
DC Collection)
