R.I.P. Algy Ward

R.I.P. Algy Ward

The sad news has reached us that one of his generation’s most iconic and influential musicians has passed away. the private man that was Alasdair Mackie “Algy” Ward is thought to have passed away in Hospital last Wednesday after a long illness. His contribution to music should never be underestimated. Having played with the iconic Australian punk rockers The Saints when he played on their single in 77 ‘This Perfect Day’ and also playing on the classic ‘Eternally Yours’ and its follow-up album before being replaced in the band it was in 79 he joined the mighty Damned.

Ward played on their iconic, classic post-James era album ‘Machine Gun Etiquette’. His formidable bass line intro on ‘Love Song’ cemented the album as many fans’ favourite thanks in no small part to his driving, take no prisoners, sound that fit in with the band’s MO at the time. Wards Lemmy-inspired attack made the album’s core sound and the second phase of the band’s many different genre-changing periods. His time however, didn’t last too long after internal wranglings and The Damned being The Damned, Algy left and went on to form the much underrated NWOBHM bands, Tank.

Tank was at the sharp end of NWOBHM and in 82 they released their iconic album ‘Filth Hounds of Hades’ again the band went through many lineup changes but did manage to make five albums of metal/punk but due to a lack of commercial success and the old faithful internal disputes then band fell apart and by the end of the 80s Algy wasn’t seen or heard of performing until the late 90s when he reformed Tank with Bruce Bisland on drums, and Tucker and Evans on guitars when they released one more LP ‘Still At War’ (of course they were) the band limped on into the naughties making several albums before Ward teamed up with fellow metal/punk legend Evo to record an EP ‘Damned Unto Death’ then his final record was released in 2018 the eighth studio album ‘Sturmpanzer’ and so it was done.

Rest In Peace Algy, that iconic intro on ‘Love Song’ will forever be etched into my brain where Algy with his leather jacket, cheeky grin and thumpingly effortlessly cool bass line led the way on one of the best albums ever made on this spinning rock. Alasdair Mackie “Algy” Ward your work here is done may you rest in peace.

Evo’s Songbook of Filth (the songs that help inspire the Metal Anarchy of Warfare)

Evo’s Songbook of Filth (the songs that help inspire the Metal Anarchy of Warfare)

Having just released the excellent ‘Songbook of Filth’ retrospective via Cherry Red/Hear No Evil Recordings. RPM’s Johnny H caught up for a brief chat with Evo, drummer and singer with UK punk metallers Warfare to discuss the songs that helped inspire the total armageddon his band unleashed on the rock world, initially back in the early eighties.

 

Hi Evo thanks for chatting with me today so let’s start at the beginning. What initially gained your interest is listening to music?

 

“When I was only a kid, I dreamed about making records and being on stage and ‘Turn It Down’ by The Sweet (from 1974’s Desolation Boulevard album) sounds amazing if played very loud with the bass up.  I may one day even do a cover of it only noisier.”

 

 

You’ve always called Warfare “metal punk” but what bands from the halcyon days of both those genres initially inspired you?

 

“It has to be UFO and ‘Let it Roll’ but the version from the Paris Theatre BBC in Concert 11th December 1975 (available in the UFO – At The BBC box set) that track really was a forerunner along with the Ramones ‘Commando’ live at the Rainbow Theatre on New Year’s Eve 1977 (from the ‘It’s Alive’ album). The aggression in both tracks is superb.”

 

Was there a song from those early days that made you think “I can do that”?

 

“I was always very anti conformist and raised hell in school but when I first heard ‘Do Anything You Wanna Do’ by Eddie and the Hot Rods (from the 1977 album ‘Life On The Line) my destiny became clear and indeed the guy who played bass on it, Paul Gray, also plays on the new Warfare album.”

 

 

There is something about that era of music here in the UK that just oozes class and attitude and when you look back at the charts from late 1978 to around 1981 its like a mini masterclass in how to write great tunes, would you agree?

 

“I just love rock ‘n’ roll period and there are many songs to choose from but for charisma and attitude and good lyrics I like ‘No Time To Be 21’ by the Adverts (from their 1978 album ‘Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts’), ‘Ugly’ by The Stranglers (from their 1977 album ‘Rattus Norvegicus’ and ‘Over the Top’ (originally the B-side from the Bomber 7” released in 1979) by my mate Lemmy and Motorhead.”

 

 

You got to work with Lemmy when he produced your Metal Anarchy album and more recently you also worked with Lem’s old pal Pete Way (who plays bass on ‘Misanthropy’ from Songbook Of Filth). What was it like working with him?

 

“His bass sound is unreal and for that reason I’ll add ‘Fortune Town’ by Mogg/Way (from their 1997 album ‘Edge Of The World) which has the same sound Pete got for the WARFARE stuff. The legendary Thunderbird bass through an Ampeg amp. This is another song if cranked right up is great stuff.”

 

Finally, as you’ve included tracks from your bands prior to Warfare (Major Accident, The Blood and Angelic Upstarts) on the new album what track has really stuck with you?

 

“An album that should have been much bigger, which I actually played on, was the Blood’s 1983 debut ‘False Gestures for a Devious Public’. the song ‘Degenerate’ is a belter and I would love to re-master the full album and get it released.”

 

Thank you, Evo, it’s been great chatting with you and discussing your influences. I wish you all the best with ‘Songbook Of Filth’, and here’s the video for Misanthropy for all our readers to get a taste of what Warfare sounds like in 2021.

 

“Cheers!”

 

 

You can read Johnny’s review of ‘Songbook Of Filth’ right here on RPM and you can pick up your own copy direct from Cherry Red Records via the following link.

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Author: Johnny Hayward

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Warfare – ‘Songbook of Filth’ (HNE Recordings/Cherry Red Records)

Warfare – ‘Songbook of Filth’ (HNE Recordings/Cherry Red Records)

Aah Warfare! The band that for the briefest of moments back in the mid-80s was out-thrashing even the mighty Venom, and doing it all with zero fucks given. They are to this very day the only band I’ve ever seen play a proper guerrilla gig, their legendary protest performance outside Metallica’s debut headline show at Hammersmith Odeon back in 1985 still ranks as one of the most “what the fuck” moments of total chaos I’ve ever had the “pleasure?” of experiencing in all of my 40 odd years of gig going.

 

Formed by drummer/singer Evo after he’d left Angelic Upstarts, his fine musical pedigree also included stints with Oi! stalwarts Major Accident and legendary shock rockers The Blood. Warfare might very well be considered the bastard sons of all those bands, albeit with a hint of metal shot through their sound due to the guitar histrionics of Gunner and thunderous bass rumble of Falken.

 

Warfare’s rather appropriately titled debut album, ‘Pure Filth’, was produced by one Algy Ward, and for me it’s still stands as one of the best albums Neat Records ever released, being right up there with ‘Black Metal’ in the noisy bastard stakes.

 

Subsequent Neat albums were produced by the likes of Lemmy (1985’s ‘Metal Anarchy’) and Cronos (1986’s ‘Mayhem Fuckin’ Mayhem’) but they never really topped the out and out musical carnage of their debut album and 1988’s ‘A Conflict Of Hatred’ aside by the time the ill-fated ‘Hammer Horror’ album finally crept out via FM Revolver in 1990 Warfare had somehow become a shadow of their former selves, sonically at least, with Evo retiring from the music business in 1992.

 

Returning some 20 odd years later for a trio of “demos” releases via German label High Roller Records. Albums that saw Evo reliving the magic of the band’s early days. The renewed interest in his band sparked Evo into re-joining the musical world once again, with him vowing to record the angriest Warfare record yet whilst drafting in the likes of Fast Eddie Clarke and Pete Way to help him make this dream come true. ‘Songbook of Filth’ then is the chance for us all to finally hear this material, something I couldn’t wait to get on the CD player.

 

Playing out in a non-chronological order, the 31 tracks spread out across three CDs (there’s also a twelve-track “highlights” vinyl LP available) and featuring some cracking demos, radio sessions, rare rehearsals/outtakes and live recordings, the set it meticulously curated by Evo via extensive track by track sleeve notes.

Highlights include new tracks ‘Black’ (featuring Fred Purser), ‘Cemetery Dirt’ (featuring Fast Eddie and Tom Angelripper) and ‘Misanthropy’ (featuring Fast Eddie and Pete Way). There’s also a brutal run through of ‘Burn Down The Kings Road’ recorded for Tommy Vance’s Radio 1 Rock Show, plus the ‘Metal City’ versions of ‘Metal Anarchy’ and ‘Rape’ which were previously only available on the dodgy as hell Neat Records compilation VHS of the same name. There’s a brutal version of GBH’s ‘Sick Boy’, a hilarious take on Robert Palmer’s Addicted To Love’ retitled as ‘Addicted To Drugs’, whilst the three-track tribute to Evo’s previous bands that bring the second disc to a close is topped off by an immensely trashy rehearsal version of ‘Degenerate’ by The Blood, a band who at the time of their legendary debut album (‘False Gestures For A Devious Public’) were writing better Damned songs than The Damned themselves.

 

So much more than just another compilation, or “best of” set, ‘Songbook of Filth’ offers even the most hardcore Warfare fan plenty of new listening material to get excited about. This most certainly is not just a re-hash of those old well-worn Warfare LPs from the ‘80s, and if you are quick enough you can even bag yourself a signed copy from the Cherry Red website (via the link below).

 

Get this bad boy on your “MUST BUY” list, because this is proper fucking Metal Anarchy.

 

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Author: Johnny Hayward