Thee Armitage Shanks

What can you say about Armitage Shanks a band named after a fine bit of porcelain..... well quite a lot actually. Formed in Snodland, Kent in early 1991, good mates of Billy Childish they released their first single Do You Want Some Fuckin’ Shirts Off Or What (with Childish on Vocals) in early 1993, they became the support band at Thee Headcoats London shows at the now legendary Wild Western Room in Archway (mainly because Dick drove Thee Headcoats van). They recorded and mixed their debut album Takin’ The Piss (Damgood 34) in three and a half hours at Toe Rag Studios (still a record I believe), Mr Childish twiddled the knobs while they drunk excessively. A fantastic album, still one of the best albums ever on DG. From there on there was no stopping them, playing to over 20 people sometimes at their own shows in London, they then headed out on their first (and only) UK tour, drinking their way around the country followed by a full European tour the year after. They did a punk covers album for Vinyl Japan in which they anhiliated 20 punk classics (a couple of the roughest out-takes appear on the CD version of Takin’ The Piss) and then released lots of singles on... more...