Chaos UK
Encyclopedia
Chaos UK are an English hardcore punk
band formed in 1979 in Portishead, near Bristol
. They played fast aggressive hardcore punk rock
initially. The original line up of Simon on vocals, Andy on guitar, Chaos (aka "Lice") on bass and Potts on drums recorded two EP's and a full LP for Riot City Record. In the process they along with fellow Bristolians Disorder
and Stoke's Discharge
revolutionised the HC punk scene. In particular the Japanese 80's HC punk bands were heavily influenced by Chaos UK and Disorder's brutal take on punk. Chaos UK's debut LP was notable in the fact that the band's label claimed it was the "fastest, noisiest LP in the cosmos" in the short lived "Punk Lives" magazine; vocal duties on this recording were also handled by bassist Chaos.
The mid 80's saw an almost new line up with Chaos remaining the only original member. He was joined by Mower on vocals, Gabba on guitar (previously with Nottingham's The Seats Of Piss) and Chuck on drums. Over the rest of the 80's Chaos UK were the mainstay and lynchpin of the UK hardcore punk scene playing many hundreds of shows around the world including Japan (the first English punk band to do so, but with a standin drummer, Blackmore of Bristol punk band Lunatic Fringe), the USA, Mexico and all over Europe.
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band formed in 1979 in Portishead, near Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. They played fast aggressive hardcore punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
initially. The original line up of Simon on vocals, Andy on guitar, Chaos (aka "Lice") on bass and Potts on drums recorded two EP's and a full LP for Riot City Record. In the process they along with fellow Bristolians Disorder
Disorder (band)
Disorder are a hardcore punk band that formed in the Bristol area of the United Kingdom in 1980, and has existed with varying line-ups to this day. Faithful to anarcho-punk ethics, Disorder are a band who aligned with politically-charged punk bands like Crass and Conflict.-History:Disorder formed...
and Stoke's Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
revolutionised the HC punk scene. In particular the Japanese 80's HC punk bands were heavily influenced by Chaos UK and Disorder's brutal take on punk. Chaos UK's debut LP was notable in the fact that the band's label claimed it was the "fastest, noisiest LP in the cosmos" in the short lived "Punk Lives" magazine; vocal duties on this recording were also handled by bassist Chaos.
The mid 80's saw an almost new line up with Chaos remaining the only original member. He was joined by Mower on vocals, Gabba on guitar (previously with Nottingham's The Seats Of Piss) and Chuck on drums. Over the rest of the 80's Chaos UK were the mainstay and lynchpin of the UK hardcore punk scene playing many hundreds of shows around the world including Japan (the first English punk band to do so, but with a standin drummer, Blackmore of Bristol punk band Lunatic Fringe), the USA, Mexico and all over Europe.
Releases
- Demo (1981)
- Burning Britain E.P. 7" (Riot City. Riot 6, 1982) #8
- Loud Political & Uncompromising 7" (Riot City. Riot 12, 1982) #27
- Chaos UK LP (Riot City, 1983) #16
- Short Sharp ShockShort Sharp Shock (Chaos UK album)Short Sharp Shock is an Album by British Hardcore Punk Band Chaos UK, Released in 1984 Thru Anagram Records.-Track listing:# Lawless Britain# Living in Fear# Detention Centre# Support# Control# People At The Top# Global Domination...
12" (COR/Weasel, 1984) - Just Mere Slaves 12" (Selfish, 1984)
- Chaos UK/Extreme Noise Terror split LP (Manic Ears, 1986)
- Chipping Sodbury Bonfire Tapes LP (Slap Up/Weasel, 1989)
- Headfuck 7" (Desperate Attempt, 1989)
- Head on a Pole 7" (Desperate Attempt, 1991)
- Enough to Make You Sick LP (Vinyl Japan, 1991)
- Chaos UK/Raw Noise split LP (Vinyl Japan, 1991)
- Live in Japan LP/CD (Cargo, 1991)
- Total Chaos LP/CD (Anagram, 1991)
- Death Side/Chaos UK split CD (Selfish, 1993)
- 100% Two Fingers in the Air Punk Rock 12"/CD (Slap Up/Century Media, 1993)
- Secret Men 7" (Slap Up, 1993)
- Floggin' the Corpse CD (Anagram, 1996)
- King for A Day 7" (Discipline, 1996)
- Morning After the Night Before CD (Cleopatra, 1997)
- Heard it, Seen it, Done it LP/CD (Discipline, 1999)
- Chaos UK/Assfort split 12" (Discipline, 2000)
- Kanpai 12"/CD (Discipline, 2000)
- Chaos UK/FUK split CD (HG Fact, 2007)
Reissues
- The Singles LP (Riot City, 1984 - includes first two 7"s) #31
- Short Sharp ShockShort Sharp Shock (Chaos UK album)Short Sharp Shock is an Album by British Hardcore Punk Band Chaos UK, Released in 1984 Thru Anagram Records.-Track listing:# Lawless Britain# Living in Fear# Detention Centre# Support# Control# People At The Top# Global Domination...
CD (Anagram, 1991) - Radioactive Earslaughter/100% Two Fingers in the Air CD (Anagram, 1993)
- The Best of Chaos UK CD (Anagram, 1999)
- Enough to Make You Sick/Chipping Sodbury CD (Anagram, 1993)
Compilations
- Punk and Disorderly LP (Abstract/Posh Boy, 1982) "4 Minute Warning"
- Riotous Assembly LP (Riot City Records, 1982) "Senseless Conflict"
- UK/DK LP (Cherry Red, 1983) "No Security"
- Digging in Water LP (COR,1986) "Kill your Baby" a different/faster version
- Punks Not Dread LP (Sink Below, 1991) "For Adolfs Only", "Bone Idol", "Brain Bomb"