S*M*A*S*H | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Welwyn Garden City,Hertfordshire, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1984–1996, 2004–2016-present |
| Labels | Hi-Rise Recordings,Virgin,Sub Pop,Major League Productions (MLP) |
| Members | Ed Borrie Simon Parry Rob Hague |
| Website | Official Facebook page |
Smash (normally typeset asS*M*A*S*H) are an Englishpunk rocktrio, who enjoyed brief notoriety in the early 1990s in theUK.[1] S*M*A*S*H was formed by Ed Borrie (vocals,guitar), Salvatore Alessi (credited as Salv) (bass), and Rob Hague (drums) inWelwyn Garden City inHertfordshire,England.[2]
Ed Borrie and Salvatore Alessi formed S*M*A*S*H after meeting at school in the mid-1980s - Salvatore had previously been in a band called GLC.[1] Rob Hague joined soon afterwards.[2]
The band's sound recalled the late 1970s and early 1980spunk andnew wave bands. TheBritishmusic press were enthusiastic about the band creating a scene calledNew wave of new wave, along with similarUK bands of the time such asEchobelly,Sleeper,Compulsion andThese Animal Men.[3]
The band's secondsingle was a tribute tofeminism called "Lady Love Your Cunt",[1] after an essay of the same name byGermaine Greer. It appeared on their debut minialbum "S*M*A*S*H" which was a compilation of their first two limited edition 7" singles, and was well received by critics. The band made some appearances onUKTV programmes such asNaked City, as well as live performances, including a collaboration withBilly Bragg during anAnti-Nazi League rally.
With arecording contract, the bandtoured tirelessly, increasing press coverage and attention fromfans.[1] The trio still found time to laugh at themselves, occasionally performing under the name S*H*I*T*E.
S*M*A*S*H became the first act to appear on theBBC Television flagship chart showTop of the Pops (TOTP) without having released a single. The trio played "Shame" on TOTP, after their debutEP reached number 26 in theUK Albums Chart.[4]
Their onlyhit single was "(I Want to) Kill Somebody", which was only available in the shops for one day in 1994. It reached number 26 in theUK Singles Chart.[4] Its controversial subject matter eventually lead to its banning.[3] Their debut full-length album,Self Abused, was not a commercial success, although the group remained a favourite of the critics.[3]
The bandrecorded a single for theSeattle basedlabelSub Pop, but S*M*A*S*H remained virtually unknown outside the UK, despite a whistle-stop tour of theUnited States and support slots across Europe.[3] The EP "Another Love Song E.P." followed in 1995, before the group released their final single, "Rest of My Life", a year later.[3] The band split up in 1996.[3]
In 1997 bass player Salv joinedCarter USM as a full-time member, but in 2004 the trio reformed, recording a number of tracks for a forthcoming EP and playing several gigs around the UK.
Recently Rob has been playing drums forThe Bleach Boys.
S*M*A*S*H's second LP,Icon was released on 8 October 2007, 13 years after theirSelf Abused album.
The band released a third album,Goodbye WGC, in 2017. They were due to release a fourth album in 2018/2019, but split at the end of 2018.[2]
On 24 July 2019, Ed Borrie played his first solo gig at the Lexington, London, supportingMy Life Story, and in promotion of his solo albumWhat Goes On.
| S*M*A*S*H discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 3 |
| EPs | 3 |
| Singles | 5 |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
