User:Steve Cherree

The Lost Cherrees were formed in 1979/1980 by Steve Battershill (drums), Dave Greaves (guitar) and Siân Jeffreys vocalist. After a period of rehearsal, six demo tracks were recorded and released on a tape cassette 'The Worst Demo Ever Recorded At Hark Studios, Kingston', this was a split release with other local punk band Warning. A first gig was played in front of a small crowd at a party held at singer Sian’s house in Sutton Surrey in the summer of 1981. Soon after this Greaves left the band and Andy Rolfe took his place as guitarist, Steve switched to playing bass and Nuts (Warren Samuels) joined as the new drummer. The new Lost Cherrees line-up of Andy, Nuts,  Sian & Steve recorded a second demo in 1982, some tracks of which were to eventually feature on a release on the Subhumans label Bluurg. Their first proper gig was at the Swan pub in Kingston in July 1983 with Riot/Clone. Having struck up a close friendship and working relationship with Dave Floyd and Riot/Clone, they played many gigs across the UK together and eventually were offered a release on the Riot/Clone label. No Fighting, No War, No Trouble, No More was released in late 1983. A week after its release, Radio 1 DJ John Peel played it and expressed an unlikely fondness for it. Subsequently, John Peel often played Lost Cherrees records on his evening show and shared the odd phone call with Steve from the band from his studio, before one day, a good three years after, meeting with the Cherrees (whilst they were promoting the Unwanted Children EP), quite by chance, outside the BBC building and having an early evening impromptu beer or two at a local pub with himself, his producer John Walters, the Cherrees and Alison (George Cheex) from Action Pact. As the Lost Cherrees reputation grew, and with the first EP under their belts, the band were offered gigs with Conflict and the Subhumans. The second record, a five track EP A Man's Duty, A Woman's Place was recorded at Jon Hiseman's (Colisseum) newly built Sutton studio and released in 1984. It was originally planned for a release on Bluurg records but Conflict singer Colin Jerwood persuaded the Cherrees to let him release it on Mortarhate Records. 'A Man's Duty, A Woman's Place' spent several months in the UK Independent Music Top 50 Chart, peaking at number 4. The band played gigs with Flux of Pink Indians, Rudimentary Peni, DIRT, Chumbawamba, Icons of Filth, Subhumans, Conflict, Omega Tribe, Hagar The Womb, The Partisans, Icon AD, Youth In Asia, Brigandage, Rubella Ballet, Anthrax and many others during this time. These gigs were all in the UK and included appearances at the legendary 100 Club, Feltham Football Club, The Brixton Ace, and, in a gig organised by Cherree's drummer Nuts, an infamous event at the Surbiton Assembly Rooms which ended in a pitched battle on the streets of suburban Surbiton with the SPG (Special Patrol Group) and reported as riots in the next day's national press. It was during this period that the band grew in numbers, with Gail Thibert, ex lead singer on electronic indie band Adventures In Colour, joining on keyboards, Beverly Cook-Abbott on joint lead vocals with Sian, and when Sian announced her plans to move on, Debbie McKenna joined to act eventual replacement. However, Sian stayed for quite a while longer and the band ended up playing live with seven members and then going on to record the debut album with three female vocalists. In 1984, the track 'The Wait' and another track, ‘Poem’were recorded at The Greenhouse and was released on the Mortarhate compilation LP Who? What? Why? When? Where?, an album which also featured Poison Girls, Hagar The Womb, Anthrax, Exit-Stance, Karma Sutra, Vex and, of course, Conflict. A few weeks after the Greenhouse sessions The Lost Cherrees entered Ariwa studio in Brixton, engineered by legendary artist the Mad Professor and Patrick Donegan, and recorded a 16 track album. 'All Part of Growing Up', the band's first album was released on Fight Back records (through Conflict and Mortarhate) in 1985. Sometime between its recording and release, Sian eventually left to join Joseph Porter's Blyth Power collective. The Lost Cherrees had always been recognized as a band always looking to push the boundaries of the genre. They were one of the first of the wave of female fronted 'Anarcho' bands, they experimented with keyboards, as big fans of the Clash and the Ruts they often used reggae stylings to flavour their songs, and in 1985 decided to feature a brass section (Pigbag's no less!) on their next release, a four track 12" EP named after the title track, Unwanted Children. This was recorded at Alaska Studio in Waterloo. It signalled a growing up for the band in musical terms, but also alienated many of their hardcore fans who still preferred the bands early style. This became a source of some frustration for the band, who had worked hard at improving and developing their sound. A frustration, which manifested itself, in petulant fashion. When asked by their record label Mortarhate to contribute a track to an anti-war release, 'We Don't Want Your Fucking War'. The Cherrees went into the studio and recorded 'War pts 1&2', the first part of which was a parody of thrash punk, and the second half a conversation set to music, mocking the fundamental naivity of the movement's understanding of the subject. It was an offering designed to challenge the project, but to Colin Jerwood's great credit, seeing through its frustrated tones and mocking subtext, he included it on the LP (notwithstanding a return 'dig' on the vinyl’s run off scratch). In early 1986, after the disappointing sales and lack of airplay of the Unwanted Children EP, the Cherrees began to struggle with their belief in the movement and its future progression. Rehearsals slowed, occasional arguments developed, and an increasing reluctance to play the role of headlining band led to one awful January mid-week night at the Mermaid pub in Birmingham, when during a particularly average live performance by the band, singer Bev took exception to sexist comments from a small pocket of idiots in the crowd, and after a prolonged bout of 'discussion' with said idiots, decided to announce that this would be our final gig. The fact that no one in the band disgreed with Bev, was not only a sign that this was a terrible gig but also that each member had by now become disillusioned to the point of not caring any longer. At a post-rehearsal meeting held the following Sunday in a Surbiton pub, the Lost Cherrees decided to split up. During the 17 or so years that the Cherrees were separated, various members continued pursuing music projects. Andy and Nuts, created and played, together and apart, in several incarnations, including Good Question and Pipe. Whilst Bev joined her brothers' bands The Gotham City Wreckers and the Bubble Eyed Dog Boys. They reformed in 2003 with Rolfe, Cook Abbott, Samuels and Battershill. They have been touring, and are working on new material. Full details to follow shortly... The subject of their songs often included feminism, anarchism, and several notable songs regarding animal rights, including "Poem", "Yet Still Comes The Rain" and "You Didn't Care", which were all included in the controversial This Is The Alf compilation album, released by Mortarhate Records in 1998. From 2010 Steve Battershill has also been playing bass in London based punk band Condition:Dead.