THE STORY OF ECT (EPISODE 4) – LIVE HEAVY METAL ON CHANNEL 4
Background : ECT was a live music heavy rock show broadcast for 11 weeks during the Spring of 1985 by Channel 4 in the UK. At a time when there were only 4 tv channels available - it was a big deal!
Onto
ECT’s 4th week and again none of my very favourite bands of the time
and a definite B list line up this time around.
Opening
the show were TYGERS OF PAN TANG who’d made minor ripples in the previous few
years as part of the NWOBHM movement. Fair to say by 85 they were probably past
their best after losing key members of the band (John Sykes most notably)
and 1985 found the TYGERS going for a more melodic edge (along with many of
their contemporaries).
Next
up were Northern Irish rockers MAMAS BOYS. Three brothers and never my
favourites it has to be said, but many enjoyed their straight ahead rock style.
I do remember owning a single of theirs, heaven knows what it was though –
think I got it from a 50p bargain bin!
ROBIN
GEORGE was on next. A bit of a strange one this. With his pretty boy good looks
and one of the best pop rock songs of the mid 80’s in ‘Heartline’ – you would
have thought ROBIN GEORGE was a surefire tip for the top. We catch him here a
year or so after he produced Glam rock titans WRATHCHILD’s debut album ‘Stakk
Attakk’, performing in support of his album ‘Dangerous Music’. I guess he didn’t
quite have the magic personal charisma …
To
show you how good it really was, here’s the extended version of the awesome ‘Heartline’.
The greatest hit of 1985 that never was!!
And
finally headlining were MCCOY who made a tiny splash for a year or so. John
McCoy became famous as part of chart bothering rockers GILLAN and he went on to
form his own band. Doesn’t quite work with the short lived female singer, but
McCoy himself was a character and gotta love a bit of Pyro!
And
in case you missed my previous articles and links to footage of the first 3
episodes, here you go….
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