Chaos UK "Stunned To Silence" tape (1985)
"Everybody loves Chaos UK!"
Or so the saying goes here at Negative Insight HQ. Most fans of the band are quite familiar with Chaos UK's studio recordings from the 1980s which includes two blazing 7" EPs and several LPs of fuzzed out thrashers.
In the mid '80s prior to releasing vinyl records on the Manic Ears imprint, Shane Dabinett was running a tape label under the name of Manic Tapes out of Bristol, England. He released tapes by Conflict, Ripcord, Ad Nauseam, Lunatic Fringe, and more. Shane also released this
scorching tape by Chaos UK entitled "Stunned To Silence."
This tape seems to get little to no acknowledgement. I wonder if most people simply don’t know of it’s existence, or if the format and limited availability prevented it from being more widely heralded. There was talk of Pushead releasing it on Pusmort in the 1980s, but that never happened. There was also talk of it coming out in more recent times on a British label, but that hasn’t come to fruition ever.
The A side on "Stunned To Silence" contains a live rehearsal recorded sometime in 1985 and features songs mostly from the first two 7"s and the "Short Sharp Shock" LP. It's interesting to note that no working versions of songs that would be included on the split LP with Extreme Noise Terror in the following year are featured on here.
The insert states it was recorded after they hadn't practiced for quite a while, and my guess is that it was recorded when rehearsing for their November 1985 Japanese tour. The songs are played at a breakneck speed with reckless abandon.
The recording is raw and noisy (though not too blown out), and while every Chaos UK release has an out of control feeling, the vibe on this tape is completely off the rails.
On the B side, if you've ever wondered if other shows from the Chaos UK 1985 tour of Japan were recorded other than Osaka which was released on the "Just Mere Slaves" LP, this is for you. It's
a live soundboard recording taken from their show in Tokyo on November 11th, 1985. It's got similar sound quality to the live tracks on the "Just Mere Slaves" LP, but this release actually includes the entire live set! The whole set lasts for 15 songs including all their hits plus some stage banter. Of interest to note is that the "Just Mere Slaves" LP and the B side on this tape are the only recordings that came out from 1984-1991 that don't feature long time Chaos UK banger Chuck on drums. This was due to Chuck's inability to get a passport to Japan, so Ade Blackmore from fellow Bristol punk band Lunatic Fringe was enlisted to fill the role. All in all it's a great live set, and it's nice that it's soundboard quality.
This tape was also officially released by MT (Musical Tragedies) Records from Germany (part of Empty Records) later in 1986, which is the version pictured here
.
While I don't think this is the best place to start if you're hearing Chaos UK for the first time. Like any alt/rehearsal/live recordings, these different variations of well known tracks will surely be of interest to any Chaos UK fan.
