SHRUG

New split single with The Bent Moustache from Netherlands - 7" vinyl old school - Shrug's contribution is a brand new recording, "Hood Street Gyratory" - TBM is "Mind Your Language Cock" -

Costs £4.99 from Rough Trade, Piccadilly Records and hopefully all Independent Record stores of which there aren't exactly hods left so best support them.



ALSO you can buy from us "Shrug In A Quango" OUT NOWTracklisting:1.Doggerland (Thrilled Skinny)2.Last Train From Station Town3.Wheres Stevie Gone?4.Magic Ket!5.Quango FandangoBuy now for £4 (inc P&P);



Shrug were formed by Robert Nichols, Richard Pink and sometimes Robert March in the summer of 1985 or thereabouts. October 2005 was the 20th anniversary of our first ever gig, upstairs at The Albert, Middlesbrough. We celebrated that 20th birthday week with a support slot for The Fall (lifetime ambition) and a headline gig for John Peel Day in Stockton's Georgian Theatre. Some week.



We started out with no drummers, then co-opted a drum machine which wouldn't keep time! We being Kev Wall, Richard and Rob Nichols. Sarah O'Brien soon played keyboards for us. Eventually we bit the bullet and brought in some percussion, double trouble, with future Space Raider Gary Bradford and Richie O'Brien.



We released an EP Nevil Wanless in 1988 - and album Septober Octember Nowonder a year later, rushing it out for a German tour - which included a gig in East Berlin and featured 3 drummers, Weg Hornby at 6ft 7" the tallest of our drummers. Carl Sims and earlier Michael "Monk" Sanderson also plied the sticks. Carl sticking (bad joke!) around till 1999.



It's as a live band that most people know us. Whether it was for the 3 drummers drumming. Or me haring around the stage in loads of stupid costumes and masks or just that dynamic orange 60s organ. Oh and there's always the horses head!



There were several more singles, Beardo Weirdo, Building Society and (Return) Mission From Todd and tours abroad in Holland, France, Belgium. A high speed van crash. Not good. Tours with Sebadoh and The Ex. TV appearances, and all sorts of stuff. Richard left, replaced by Dale and then Nathan. And the drummers eventually worked their way back down to one.



We gradually wound down and Kevin grew older. No I'm lying the rest of us grew older, Kevin has a picture in the attic. Then in 2005 we got invited back, Richard rejoined and now we're back with plans for gigs and who knows recordings etc. Should be fun.



We are featured in a new book and Cd out on Cherry Red called DEATH TO TRAD ROCK. The book is by brother John Robb and talks about the post post punk scene of the mid-80s. The compilation includes Van With Square Wheels along with contributions by The Ex, Membranes, Dog Faced Hermans - many bands we used to play with or promote in Middlesbrough and some we didn't.



You can see a couple of very old interviews with us and a couple of tv appearances from about 18 years ago!! Type in "Crackpan" and "Shrug" on Youtube



Beardo Weirdo Live @ The Hat Factory, Luton 2007



Donna And The Daleks (Tyne Tees 1989)



Sir Walter Raleigh's Fast Food Takeover (BBC 1989)



Egg And Chips Promo Video



Through The Iron Curtain - Look North - Jan 1990