DESCRIPTION:
The Sceptres formed at the Maidstone College of Art in 1986. The band initially comprised Brendan Mooney (guitar/vocals), Martin De Sey (bass/vocals) and Neil Sparkes (drums). The drum stool was later taken over by Adam Cole. The Sceptres evolved from Mooney's previous band, The Submarines (which had also included Adam Cole on drums). Mooney, De Sey, Sparkes and later Cole played numerous gigs from Kent to the Midlands between June 1986 and October 1987, their last stand taking place at Goldsmith's College in London on the 27th of that month. The band could best be described as a psychedelic beat group, playing a combination of 60's garage band gems and Mooney/De Sey penned originals. Mooney went on to join Dave Vanian in his Phantom Chords (via The Volcanoes), while De Sey (a former member of The Cravats, The Girl Guided Missiles and the T-Killers) went on to re-join former Cravats Robin Dallaway and Richard London in the darkly glamourous seven piece Vivarama. Neil Sparkes has played drums and percussion with numerous bands since, including the Stranglers. This short clip (twice repeated for good measure) is from a sound-check at The Sir George Robey, Finsbury Park, London on Saturday 6th June 1987 (supporting Dallaway's Very Things), and is the only live footage of the band in existence. The song extract being played is 'Medicine Man', a Brendan Mooney original. Though nothing was released at the time, De Sey has compiled a 2cd set from the band's four-track and rehearsal tapes. For further images of the Sceptres see Martin De Sey's Facebook page.
Contact: martindesey@hotmail.co.uk