User:OConnell Paul/sandbox

Early years (1979–1984)
Fenzyx are a punk rock / new wave band formed in North London, England in 1979 by Tony Gialanze (rhythm and lead guitar) and Jim Rutter (bass), both from former band Demon Preacher, adding Gerry Lyons (vocals) and Paul O’Connell (drums) to the line up. Band rehearsals were held at Halligan’s Band centre on the Holloway Road, North London.

Demon Preacher (which also featured Nik Wade - now Nik Fiend of Alien Sex Fiend) released a single Royal Northern N7, a song critical of The Royal Northern Hospital in Islington, North London.

In 1980, Fenzyx recorded the double A sided single Soldiers [catalogue number EJSP 9655A] c/w Angels of Mercy [catalogue number EJSP 9655AA] at IPS Studios in Goldhawk Road, Shepherds Bush for the independent Ellie Jay record label. The single saw a release in 1981 (under the name ‘The Fenzyx’) with only 500 copies pressed. Nik Wade produced the single with the sleeve artwork and notes being penned by Ray Mathew, rock journalist for the Islington Gazette and as Ray Zell, a writer/illustrator of Kerrang!'s 'Pandora Peroxide' and member of local Islington glam rock band Marionette.

Both songs were recorded in a punk / new wave style reflecting Nik Wade's influence and production. Whilst Soldiers had an anti-war theme, Angels of Mercy had a political message protesting against NHS cuts, in particular the closure of the casualty unit of The Royal Northern hospital; the song taking a friendly swipe in its closing bars at Demon Preacher’s previous offering Royal Northern N7.

Between 1980 and 1984 Fenzyx played the North London pub circuit including; The Bull & Gate, The Pied Bull, The Butcher's Arms, George Robey's Little Rainbow, The Wellington (Shepherds Bush), The City of London, and The Crown (Harlesden), finally settling on a Friday night residency at The Pocock Arms in Caledonian Road

Vocalists Tony Heasman, Chris Balfe, Andy, Anne Maloney, Liz Quigley, Wendy Gude, Alex Couchman and lead guitarists Mark Ward, Colin Burke, Bill Muir and one keyboard player, Martin, came and went through the Fenzyx doors. With each different line-up came a slightly different musical direction and Fenzyx moved from punk / new wave through to rhythm and blues and Rock, their later live performances featuring songs from each of the bands previous styles.

Ultimately the Fenzyx line-up turned out to be fluid. The core line-up of Tony Gialanze, Jim Rutter and Paul O’Connell stayed together until virtually the very end, Nick Watts filling in on bass for a BBC Radio workshop session with Alex Couchman on vocals in late 1984 after Jim's departure a few weeks earlier. By then, Paul had already announced that he intended to quit after the BBC session.

A long succession of different vocalists and lead guitarists throughout its life had taken its toll and the band folded after the BBC recording on 25 November 1984.

2017 – present
In 2017, Soldiers and Angels of Mercy, along with the previously unreleased Angels of Mercy Dub, were included on the punk compilation album Bored Teenagers Volume 10 [catalogue number RUBBISHCD017 / RUBBISHLP017] released on Bin Liner Records on 24th November, and the original line-up of Fenzyx reformed to play the album launch the following night on 25th November 2017 at N5 Live at The Gunners, 204 Blackstock Road, London N5. This was the first time the original line-up had played together in over 35 years, and exactly 33 years to the day that the band folded in 1984.

Discography
Singles - Soldiers / Angels of Mercy 7" (1981, Ellie Jay Records EJSP 9655A / EJSP 9655AA)

Albums - Soldiers / Angels of Mercy / Angels of Mercy Dub feature on Bored Teenagers volume 10 CD (2017, Bin Liner Records RUBBISHCD017 / RUBBISHLP017)