'DEMONSTRATION'

these were tracks compiled at the end of 95 and which represented the first fruits of the curious Shriekback Accoustic Group . This was a project conceived initially to promote 'Sacred City' on a miniscule budget. We reasoned that if you don't need to plug instruments in then you can perform anywhere anytime (which was, as it turned out, not quite the case). The image- in my mind anyway- was a sort of po-mo Celidh session (other influences included Tom Waites and the later Beethoven string quartets).

This initiative was begun by myself and Martyn Barker who proceeded to enrol Mark Raudva, multi-instrumentalist and Tai chi expert (who I knew from a unit called the Spirit Horse Storytelling Band -in which Mark and I would improvise filmic backdrops for the Irish storyteller Shivam O'Brien) and 80's stalwart Lu Edmonds (he of multiple languages, extensive World Music knowledge, fabulous Sazz collection and being the first person in the world who knew about the internet). 

We began rehearsals in Mark's tiny bedsit -filled to the brim with arcane percussionn- Mart on a snare drum with a coat over it and me on accordion (an impulse buy of 6 years earlier and at the time still to be used in anger).

It was all so quiet and lacking in the feedback and aural blur which generally characterises rock rehearsals. I liked it a lot.

It was rattly, intense, deeply uncommercial. 'Post Apocalyptic Cockroach Music', and 'Cyber-Folk' were terms irresponsibly bandied around.

Harming Tree and the giant Reco-Reco were instruments created for the project -the former taking on a sovereignty of it's own both as totem and 5^th band member (speculation was rife about it's imminent departure to pursue a more mainstream solo career).

Using Lu's connections with the multi-culti world we toured some interesting places like Berlin, Helsinki and Istanbul and using my connections we toured a lot of London pubs -it was an interesting and very creative time with a genuine Band Soul and highly distinctive sense of humour (qv 'Deer Strangulator' and 'Mercury's Broom-Cupboard' -ah, you had to be there)

After a while we were approached by Markus ('German Love-Claw') Dravs (whose immaculate pedigree included Eno, Bjork, James and -with some other mutual chums - the soundttrack to Derek Jarman's 'Blue' film) who said he wanted to try -uh-producing us. Liking the cut of his jib we said yes and so began a bunch of recordings wherein our scrawny sound was enhanced by his maximalist use of studio effects. Feeling the lack of bottom end action we finally asked Simon Edwards to join us on bass, with whom we recorded 'Hostage', 'Everything's on Fire' and , I think most successfully of the lot, 'Berlin'. Ian Shaw later recording us with a much more conventional -what you see is what you get- approach. I, however, was finding both directions lacking in something and decided to call it a day -going off to do things with metal and fire. DEMONSTRATION was compiled by Mart, Lu and Mark as a last ditch attempt to see if we could get a release. Ultimately -2 years on- the chaps took matters into their own hands and compiled the more sophisticated Naked Apes and Pond Life from this material (plus outtakes from the shelved album we did with poet Murray Lachlan Young -also produced by Markus) and finally negotiated a record deal for it.