Crash The Pose: The Story of Gauze's 1989 UK Tour
An interview with Gabba of Chaos UK with unpublished tour photos
When Gauze landed on UK soil for a brief tour in August of 1989, British audiences were largely unprepared for what they were about to experience. At this point, Japanese bands were illusive, obscure and completely alien to Western English speakers. Only the truly dedicated enthusiasts of the genre with an insatiable appetite for discovering the extreme would become enlightened of these otherworldly groups from the East Pacific. Most UK punks were completely unfamiliar with Gauze. Even being one of the forerunners of the continent, Gauze's releases were hard to find with only limited distribution in the UK.
By all accounts, the gigs were sparsely attended. But the few who did bear witness to Gauze during the tour have never forgotten the experience of being present at these historic shows. The explosive energy of Gauze's live performance quickly made a lasting impression, as Gauze's continued popularity attests to. However, other than several live tracks recorded at their Scotland gig and photos from the tour appearing on their "限界は何処だ" album from 1991, there has been very little documentation of the 1989 tour.
One of the lucky ones to witness the tour was Richard Short from Birmingham, who was fortunate enough to have his camera with him that night. He took some striking photos, capturing the power of Gauze live, and he has allowed them to be published here.
Along with this, we interviewed Gabba from Chaos UK on how the tour came together, his memories of it, and the details on the legendary unreleased LP recordings completed by Gauze at S.A.M. Studio in Bristol (where Chaos UK, Disorder, Amebix, Ripcord and others recorded). Here's what he had to say…
Who organized the tour? Did you guys propose they came to the U.K.?
I did the contact by mail with Selfish Records, and Mower booked the gigs, as he had a phone at his parents house.
How did you communicate with them during the tour? Did they bring a translator? Any funny mishaps due to communication issues?
Mr. Okamoto from Selfish [Records] spoke English, but gin and tonic and cider seemed to be good at communicating......
Were Gauze pleased with how the gigs went?
I got a letter from the drummer, Hiko, saying they enjoyed the tour although we couldn't book a gig in Bristol and that's where they most wanted to play.
Were the gigs well attended? Were Gauze well received in the U.K. by fans?
I enjoyed the gigs. Birmingham was probably the best, as it was a big turnout with Napalm Death and friends going bonkers to them. Not many people knew much about Gauze but was surprised when they saw them.
Gauze flyer for the London gig on August 13, 1989
Gauze recorded an album in the UK, but were not happy with the recording. Were you there when it was recorded, and do you remember anything about the session?
I think the session was kind of rushed, as it was limited to them going back. I think the drums needed more attention with microphones in the set up and didn’t come out as clear in the mix. It was recorded at S.A.M. Studio that had already recorded Chaos U.K., Ripcord, Disorder, Chaotic Dischord, etc., and they had a good sound. But sadly it ended up as a duff recording for Gauze. I watched them record it live and that was a great experience. We did backing vocals on some screams.
As you did the split LP with Deathside, was there any discussion about ever doing a split with Gauze?
Can't remember anything being said about a split with them.
Any other thoughts to add?
Gauze are an energy force that has to be experienced live at least once in your lifetime......
Gauze live photos taken at the Barrel Organ at Digbeth High Street in Birmingham on Thursday, August 10, 1989 by Birmingham lifer Richard Short. Check out his photography page at Richard Short Photography. Massive thanks to Richard for allowing us to share these!
Gauze "限界は何処だ" LP photos from the collection of Takeshi Evolstak of the great CFDL and more.
Gauze gig flyer from the collection of Rikki Flag of Red Flag 77 and used with permission.
