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The Good Missionaries

Alternative TV
Mark Perry of Alternative TV performing at CBGB, NYC on 22 October 2003.jpg
Mark Perry in New York City, 2003
Background information
Origin London, England
Genres
Years active 1977–79, 1981, 1985–2004, 2014-present
Labels
Website http://www.markperryatv.com/
Members Mark Perry
Steve Carter

Clive Giblin
Dave Morgan
Past members
Alex Fergusson
John Towe
Tyrone Thomas
Chris Bennett
Dennis Burns
Dave George
Mick Lineham
Wally Brill
Alex Gruner
Ray Weston
Steve Cannell
Alison Philips
Karl Blake
'Protag'
James Kyllo
Mike Cook
Luci Bocchino
John Isaac
Kevin Mann
Roddy Frame
Rob Ugly - Lee McFadden

Alternative TV (sometimes known as ATV) are an English punk/post punk band, formed in London in 1977.

Author Steve Taylor writes: "Alternative TV pioneered reggae rhythms in punk and then moved on to redefine the musical rules".

Alternative TV were formed by Mark Perry, the founding editor of Sniffin' Glue, a punk fanzine, with Alex Fergusson. Early rehearsals took place at Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records studio with Genesis P-Orridge on drums (recordings from this period appeared, long afterwards, on the Industrial Sessions CD). The band's first live appearance was in Nottingham supporting The Adverts.

The band's debut on record was "Love Lies Limp", a free flexi disc issued with the final edition of Perry's Sniffin' Glue fanzine. For their first two singles Perry and Fergusson were accompanied by drummer John Towe (ex-Generation X) and Tyrone Thomas on bass; Towe later left to join The Rage and was replaced by Chris Bennett. This line-up was the most straightforwardly 'punk' version of ATV, although they combined short, fast songs with extended pieces such as "Alternatives to NATO", in which Perry read an anarchist political text and envisaged the possibility of a Soviet invasion of Britain. Shortly afterwards they released the "How Much Longer"/"You Bastard" 7" in December 1977. The A-side was a pointed critique of punk style: "How much longer will people wear/Nazi armbands and dye their hair?"

At the end of 1977, Perry sacked his chief collaborator and co-writer Fergusson. The latter went on to form the short-lived Cash Pussies and, a few years later, Psychic TV along with Genesis P-Orridge. Tyrone Thomas switched to guitar, later replaced by Kim Turner, while Dennis Burns joined on bass. A dub-influenced single, "Life After Life", was released, followed by the band's debut album, The Image Has Cracked, both featuring Jools Holland guesting on piano.


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Wikipedia

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