BIOGRAPHY
Mark Perry started the first UK punk fanzine,
Sniffin' Glue, in July 1976 after hearing and seeing US punk band, the Ramones.
He was working as a bank clerk at the time.
Within a few months Mark had left his job
and Sniffin'Glue had become an essential part of the growing UK punk scene
which included bands like the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Damned. As the main
punk writer, Mark became one of the most important personalities in the scene,
making numerous media appearances to explain punk to the masses.
In early 1977, Mark started the Step Forward
Records label with Miles Copeland. Releases included early records by the likes
of the Fall, Sham 69, Chelsea and the Cortinas. Mark was also involved with
Miles' other labels, Deptford Fun City Records and Illegal Records.
In March 1977, Alternative TV were formed by Mark
(vocals/guitar) with guitarist, Alex Fergusson. ATV (as they are known) played
their first gig at the Nottingham Punk Festival in May 1977. They released their
first single, 'Love Lies Limp', as a free flexi disc given away with the last
issue of Sniffin' Glue (no.12), August 1977.
Following an abortive demo with EMI, ATV
released the first proper single, 'How Much Longer'/'You Bastard', on Deptford
Fun City Records. Following various line-up changes, their first album was
released in May 1978.
Becoming fed up with the punk scene,
Mark took ATV into areas of experimentation in late '78 and, after playing as
the Good Missionaries for a few gigs, the band broke up for the first time in
late 1979.
The Good Missionaries
During 1980, Mark released a solo album, 'Snappy Turns'. He also played drums
for the Lemon Kittens and the Door & the Window and sung with the
Reflections. ATV reformed briefly in 1981 and recorded the 'Strange Kicks' album
for Miles' label IRS.
ATV - 1986
Mark left the music biz in 1982 but was soon back in 1984 with a new ATV line up
and playing gigs like Alan McGee's early Living Room Club. The band continued,
on and off, into the mid 90s playing various gigs and recording for various
labels along the way. This period focused more on Mark's songwriting abilities
than on ATV as a punk band.
In 1995, ATV played a punk festival in
Bath and went back into the punk fold for a few years, bringing more of the
older classics back into their set. ATV have continued to play live, although
they are, once again, playing a more eclectic set.
In 1996, Mark got back into writing by providing the text for Erica Echenberg's photo book, 'And God Created Punk', which was published by Virgin. In 2000, Sanctuary Books published 'Sniffin' Glue: The Essential Punk Accessory', which compiles all the issues of Mark's fanzine along with lots of new writing and photos.
In January 2001, Alternative TV visited New York for the first time and played a few gigs including an appearance at Punk Magazine's anniversary party at CBGB. In April they returned to NYC at the invitation of Spin Magazine to play their 25 Years Of Punk party, again at CBGB (a live CD of this show was released in May 2002). In August 2001, the band released a new studio album - Revolution - and did a tour of the UK.
In the summer of 2002 Alternative TV started work on their next studio album, working title: 'Inside Project'. On the writing front, Mark has written the booklet notes for the new Saint Etienne album.
ALTERNATIVE TV - WHO'S WHO.
This is a chronological list of musicians who have been in Alternative TV.
It's followed by a list of all the various line-ups:
MP=Mark Perry - lead vocals, guitar, other instruments. Also in Lemon Kittens,
Door & The Window, the Reflections and the Long Decline.
AF=Alex Fergusson - guitar, vocals. Went on to play in Cash Pussies and Psychic
TV.
MS=Micky Smith - bass. No info on other projects.
JT=John Towe - drums. Was in Generation X. Went on to play in Rage and the
Adverts.
TT=Tyrone Thomas - bass, guitar. Also in Convent Nuns and other bands.
CB=Chris Bennett - drums. Went on to play in Secret Affair.
DB=Dennis Burns - bass. Also in the Reflections. Then retired from music.
KT=Kim Turner - guitar. Played drums for the Andy Fraser Band.
ML=Mick Linehan - guitar. Went on to play in the Lines.
DG=Dave George - guitar, other instruments. Kept the Good Missionaries name
going for a few years in Hastings.
AG=Anno Graver - vocals. Sang with Gong and Here & Now.
HB=Henry Badowski - drums, sax. Also played bass in Chelsea, the Damned and
King. And solo as 'Henry'.
GH=Gillian Hanna - vocals. No info on other projects.
AG=Alan Gruner - keyboards. No info on other projects.
RW=Ray Weston - drums. No info on other projects.
KB=Karl Blake - guitar, drums. Also in Lemon Kittens, Shocked Headed Peters and
the Reflections.
N=Nag - bass. Also in the Door & The Window and the Reflections.
P=Protag - guitar. Went on to play with Blythe Power.
SC=Steve Cannell - bass. Went on to play in Danielle Dax's band and others.
AP=Allison Phillips - drums. Also played in Ut and Taboo.
CG=Clive Giblin - guitar. Also in Shocked Headed Peters and other bands.
F=Fish - drums. No info on other projects.
JK=James Kyllo - guitar, vocals. Also played in the Dropkick Me Jesus.
DM=Dave Morgan - drums. Also in the Weather Prophets and the Rockingbirds.
B?=Bob ???? - drums. Also played with the Cardiacs.
LB=Luci Bocchino - guitar. Also played in the Long Decline and the Flips.
RU=Rob Ugly - bass. Also played in the Long Decline and the Dole Claimers.
JI=John Isaac - drums. Also played with Christian Death.
DU=Dick Ugly - keyboards. Played in the Dole Claimers.
LM= Lee McFadden - bass. Played in the Long Decline and loads of others.
TB=Tony Barber - bass, guitar. Played in Boy Wonders, Buzzcocks and others.
KM=Kevin Mann - drums. No info on other projects.
GH=Grahame Hullett - bass. Played in Yacca and others.
SC= Steve Carter - bass - Played in Sad Lovers & Giants.
Other people who have helped ATV by playing or singing
something on various occasions but were not members - Jools Holland,
Genesis P-Orridge, Steve Jameson, Kif Kif, Stefie Sharpstrings, Sam Dobson,
Brian James, Pete Brown, Terry Edwards, Ed Ball, Susie Webb, Yvette Eady, Mika
Mizushima, Mike Cook, Roddy Frame, Annie Stubbs, Siobhan Davigneau and a few
others who's names I've forgotten!
Line-ups (See above for key to initials):
(Note: dates are approx. Some line-ups lasted longer than others!)
1977
MP/AF/MS/JT.
MP/AF/JT/TT.
MP/AF/TT/CB.
MP/TT/CB/DB.
1978
MP/CB/DB/KT.
MP/CB/DB/ML.
MP/DB/ML.
MP/DB.
1979
MP/DB/DG/AG.
MP/DB/DG/HB/GH. (played as 'the Good Missionaries').
(Break in 1980)
1981
MP/DB/AF/AG/RW.
(Break in 1982 & 1983)
1984
MP/DG/KB/N/P.
1985
MP/KB/SC/AP.
1986
MP/SC/AP/P.
1987
MP/SC/AP/CG.
1988
MP/SC/CG/F.
1989
MP/JK.
1990
MP/JK/SC/DM.
(Break between 1991 & 1995)
1995
MP/AF/TT/CG/Bob..???
1996
MP/TT/CG/B?
1998
MP/TT/LB/RU/JI (a couple of gigs with DU & a couple
with LM).
2000
MP/TT/JI/TB.
2001
MP/TT/TB/KM.
MP/TT/KM/GH.
MP/TT/GH/JI.
MP/GH/JI/TB.
2002
MP/GH/JI/LB.
MP/JI/LB/SC.
MP/JI/SC/LM