Nick Hobbs/musician/singer/28-01-1954
Mick Ricketts/carpenter/guitar/21-02-1960
Mark Grebby/hospital artist/bass/21-08-1961
Julian Hutton/picture framer/guitar/12-05-1960
Jon Bentley/musician/drums/12-07-1960
Dolf/sound engineer/19-02-1953
stepped out of the ashes of "the Kevin Staples (Group)" from Watford, which included Phil Roberts, Jon Bentley and Julian Hutton (Jon & Julian also of the Three Gay Bastards). The Staples split in April '85 and Phil and Jon joined with Mick Ricketts, then of the Gloves and the Eddie Pugsley Band ("the rockinggrocer"), to write the first vocal-less versions of Brainstorm. Jon on drums, Phil and Mick sharing bass and guitar.
Nick Hobbs, meanwhile, had just been thrown out of what was to become Stump for "excessive seriousness" and started advertising for musicians. Phil answered, they met, played and in May '85 the Shrubs formed. Before Stump, Nick had lived for a year in Stockholm singing for the manic Swedes "Kropparna". Julian joined on guitar in August and they demoed the six Brainstorm songs in September. The demo was sent to fanzines and indie labels. Skin & Bone put a track on volume 2 of the Hits & Corruption compilation and a little later the Shrubs signed to Ron Johnson.
After the fourth (disastrous) gig (the last in '85) a depressed Phil left the group. Steve Brockway of the Jack Rubies offered to play bass whenever his commitments to the Rubies allowed, and the group started a year of gigs around Britain and played at the Tegeltonen festival in Amsterdam. Mick took the opportunity of a bass player to concentrate on guitar.
In February '86 they recorded a track for "C86" and soon afterwards "Full Steam Into The Brainstorm", released in June. 2 songs from a July Peel session plus 2 studio tracks recorded in September made up the second record "Blackmailer", released in December.
Steve, between two stools, left to devote himself to the Rubies in October and Phil rejoined on bass having in the meantime joined the Creepers. At a concert in Athens the Shrubs met labelmates the Ex beginning a lasting friendship. After a 10 day "artistically encouraging / commercially bleak" British tour during November, Phil left again to stick with the Creepers. Following a suggestion by Ron Johnson's label manager Dave (an ex Splatter himself), Mark Grebby, bassist from Ron's first group, Splat, joined to play in The Hague in December.
During the winter the group intermittently produced their contribution to the label's compilation video "The Gospel According To Saint Ron" (yet to be released). In March they recorded "Take Me Aside For A Midnight Harangue" in Amsterdam with Dolf (The Ex's producer) at the controls, toured Holland and played at the Carrot Festival, Warsaw.Then Belgium, Switzerland and Holland again, endless holidays and a second Peel session. Autumn brought a return to London and a resolve to somehow leave the squalors of the indie pub circuit. Back to Benelux for a lift.
The Spring of '88 brought the birth of Emily and Sam, part progeny of Mick and Jon, which meant that everything became more difficult (rehearsing, concerts, money ...). But almost despite themselves the group managed to record another album (Vessels Of The Heart) and single (Another Age). This time in England but again with Dolf who by now was all but the sixth member of the group. The Shrubs and Ron Johnson having sadly parted company after Midnight Harangue (money, sales, money ...) a new deal was sought. The seeking wasn't easy but Public Domain appeared out of nowhere to put out the new stuff and fund a video for Another Age. Some gigs here and there during the Spring. Hungarocarrot in Budapest, and London with The Ex stood out. In June the boys recorded a one-off track for "Saw Yourself In Half", a Leeds compilation.
In August to much regret Mark resigned for "personal reasons" and Sim Dunbar (bass) joined for a while and the group continued working on new songs. But by now the struggle had become all but unbearable for everyone and after Another Age and Vessels appeared to general apathy the group decided to dissolve and played their farewell concert in London in April, 1989, for which Mark rejoined.
discoradiography:
1985:
"6 songs" demo cassette (Down The Yard appeared on HAC1C; all 6 tracks were re-recorded for ZRON10)
1986:
HAC1C "Hits & Corruption" compilation cassette (Skin & Bone fanzine): Down The Yard (demo version of Carbreaker)
NME022 / ROUGH100 "C86" (NME compilation cassette re-issued by Rough Trade as an LP): Bullfighter's
Bones (alternative version of Bullfighter)
ZRON10 Full Steam Into The Brainstorm (6 tracks mini-lp / Ron Johnson)
Peel session # 1 (4 tracks - 2 of which appear on ZRON17, the other 2 appear re- recorded on ZRON23)
Vera Radio live at the Tegeltonen Festival, Paradiso, Amsterdam (3 tracks broadcast)
ZRON17 Blackmailer (4 tracks 12" single / Ron Johnson)
BLUD1 Bludgeoned ! (compilation LP / Revolver): Dead Teachers (washing-machine mix)
1987:
ZRON20 The First After Epiphany (Ron Johnson compilation LP): Blackmailer (minute alternative mix)
ZRON23 Take Me Aside For A Midnight Harangue (14 track Ron Johnson LP)
Peel session # 2 (4 tracks - all appear re-recorded on DOM 2)
1988:
Sprat & Mackerel 001 (compilation cassette): Ballet Gorilla (live version)
RAQ001 Saw Yourself In Half (Raquel Studio, Leeds, compilation LP / Red Rhino):
Latin Mills
DOM 1 Another Age (12" Public Domain single - 2 new tracks, both covers, plus
live versions of 5 old tracks)
1989:
DOM 2 Vessels Of The Heart (12 track Public Domain LP)