26 January 2011

JDF


I know I've posted a few blind tapes from bands I know little about, or demos that feature few clues as to their origins, but this time all I can offer is a band name, 8 gruff UK punk numbers, and a year. After the blatant MOTORHEAD lift from the opening riff, JDF slow the tempo for most of the rest of the demo and rip through pissed, midpaced and slightly metallic Oi punk jams. There is a mysterious dub/thrash song that works shockingly well, and the last tune is a chaotic burner that is easily worth the whole tape on its own. The vocals throughout are reminiscent of THE BLOOD, but with more fire behind them, though JDF are far more rudimentary than that comparison might imply. I wish I knew something about the band, but aside from the disdain for Maggie Thatcher suggesting that JDF are from England, I have nothing to offer. Nothing, that is, except a demo....enjoy.


2 comments:

Slow Listener said...

JDF were the John Deathshead Formation from Uckfield,East Sussex, John (real name Mckay) lives in Brighton still, still punk as fuck, they used to do a killer cover of Silver Machine with the chorus "i've got a silver capri"

Anonymous said...

I knew them all very well. John really was punk as fuck and i first met him at punk gigs at the Richmond in 84 04 85; there were quite a few of us taking trains back from Brighton to Lewes. Some of the earlier gigs I met him at were of course the Test Tubes, Upstarts, Conflict, Alternative, Blyth Power, and he was always a good laugh. He had a studded leather with hundreds of bands painted on the arms and a fat version of the punk off the day the country died taking up the whole of the back; looked like it was drawn while he was drunk. One time he had just been falsely arrested on suspicion of drug possession. I think he worked at a polysterene factory in Uckfield. I bumped into them all on Bonfire Night in Lewes, 1986, and drove w them to Uckfield, where I stayed w Brendan, their bassist. Next day we both hitched to Lewes College where Brendan was a student. We attended some kind of talk about how the RUC were torturing people in Northern Ireland. Later that night we all drove to Shellys pub in Nutfield, where tons of great bands used to play. I believe that was their first gig. I also remember a birthday bash for him at the Shelly, where Alan on Immolatos gave him a 10 inch Adrenalyn OD LP. I saw JDF lots, including a Saturday afternoon gig at the Zap club. I also remember bumping into John during an all day open air concert somewhere in Brighton that erupted into a big riot, with police vans trying to run people over. Last time I saw Jon was when my band, Cirrhosis, had done a gig at the Dorset in 1992, and I stayed at his n we watched pirated splattermovies n drank beer all night. I think he made me a grilled cheese sandwich.