Malice (band)
Encyclopedia
Malice were a short-lived British punk rock
band from Crawley
, Sussex
, who performed together between January and December 1976. Members of the group later formed Easy Cure
in 1977, who in turn became The Cure
in 1978.
, Michael Dempsey
, and two other classmates at St. Wilfrid's Comprehensive School
, "Graham" and "Graham's brother" (full names not documented by the group), began rehearsals together at St. Edward's Church Hall, Crawley
on January 23, 1976. They hired the hall every Thursday, initially playing cover versions of songs by David Bowie
, Jimi Hendrix
and Alex Harvey
. According to Robert Smith, the band had been formed "because Marc Ceccagno wanted to be a guitar hero". Ceccagno, Smith and Dempsey had previously performed together while at Notre Dame Middle School in a short-lived band called The Obelisk, which gave one end-of-year performance for their classmates in April 1973.
Marc Ceccagno left to form another band called Amulet, and was replaced by Porl Thompson
, who was dating Robert's sister Janet at the time; Porl and Janet worked at L & H Cloake – then the only record store in Crawley. (Ceccagno's band Amulet also featured an L & H Cloake employee, keyboard player Kevin Cohen.)
Martin Creasy, another former employee of L & H Cloake, was recruited as the band's vocalist. By this time the group had begun writing original material under the name of Malice. This lineup played all three of Malice's only documented live shows during December 1976.
after a song written by drummer Laurence Tolhurst.
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...
band from Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, who performed together between January and December 1976. Members of the group later formed Easy Cure
Easy Cure
Easy Cure were a British punk rock and post-punk band from Crawley, Sussex formed during the late '70s by former members of Malice. Easy Cure went on to fame when, after several lineup changes, they became The Cure.-History:...
in 1977, who in turn became The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
in 1978.
January to April 1976
Marc Ceccagno, Robert SmithRobert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
, Michael Dempsey
Michael Dempsey
Michael Dempsey is a bassist from England, who has performed as a member of several post-punk and New Wave bands including The Cure and Associates.-Early years:...
, and two other classmates at St. Wilfrid's Comprehensive School
St Wilfrid's Catholic School, Crawley
St Wilfrid's Catholic School is a voluntary aided comprehensive Catholic secondary school in Crawley, West Sussex, England for pupils aged 11 to 18. It caters for around 900 pupils in years 7 to 13, including around 100 in its sixth form...
, "Graham" and "Graham's brother" (full names not documented by the group), began rehearsals together at St. Edward's Church Hall, Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
on January 23, 1976. They hired the hall every Thursday, initially playing cover versions of songs by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Alex Harvey
Alex Harvey (musician)
Alex Harvey was a Scottish rock musician. With The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, he built a reputation as an exciting live performer during the 1970s glam rock era.-Biography:...
. According to Robert Smith, the band had been formed "because Marc Ceccagno wanted to be a guitar hero". Ceccagno, Smith and Dempsey had previously performed together while at Notre Dame Middle School in a short-lived band called The Obelisk, which gave one end-of-year performance for their classmates in April 1973.
Original line up
- Marc Ceccagno – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Robert Smith – guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Michael Dempsey – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- "Graham" (surname undocumented) – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- "Graham's brother" (name undocumented) – vocals
April to December 1976
In late April 1976, Graham and his brother left the group, and Lol Tolhurst (who had also performed with The Obelisk) convinced Michael Dempsey to teach him to play the drums.Marc Ceccagno left to form another band called Amulet, and was replaced by Porl Thompson
Porl Thompson
Porl Thompson is an English musician best known for his work with The Cure.-Life and work:Thompson is the oldest of four children; he has two brothers and one sister...
, who was dating Robert's sister Janet at the time; Porl and Janet worked at L & H Cloake – then the only record store in Crawley. (Ceccagno's band Amulet also featured an L & H Cloake employee, keyboard player Kevin Cohen.)
Martin Creasy, another former employee of L & H Cloake, was recruited as the band's vocalist. By this time the group had begun writing original material under the name of Malice. This lineup played all three of Malice's only documented live shows during December 1976.
Final line up
- Martin Creasy – vocals
- Porl Thompson – lead guitar
- Robert Smith – guitar
- Michael Dempsey – bass
- Laurence Tolhurst – drums
Concerts
- December 18, 1976 – Worth AbbeyWorth AbbeyThe Abbey of Our Lady, Help of Christians, commonly known as Worth Abbey, is a community of Roman Catholic monks who follow the Rule of St Benedict near Turners Hill village, in West Sussex, England....
, Crawley (Malice played under a pseudonym, and devised an acoustic set for the performance) - December 20, 1976 – St. Wilfrid's Comprehensive Catholic School Hall, Oakwood, Old Horsham Road, Crawley (Malice supported Marc Ceccagno's new band Amulet)
- December (date unrecorded), 1976 – Upjohn Pharmaceutical, Crawley
Malice to Easy Cure
In January 1977 following Martin Creasy's departure the band was renamed Easy CureEasy Cure
Easy Cure were a British punk rock and post-punk band from Crawley, Sussex formed during the late '70s by former members of Malice. Easy Cure went on to fame when, after several lineup changes, they became The Cure.-History:...
after a song written by drummer Laurence Tolhurst.