Bogshed

Bogshed were an English indie band formed in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, England in 1985, initially as The Amazing Roy North Penis Band, and comprising of Phil Hartley (vocals), Mike Bryson (bass), Mark McQuaid (guitar) and Tristan King (drums). The band's name came from a misheard line in a song, with Hartley explaining "I like the way that the mouth moves when you say Bog Shed". They were helped initially by The Membranes, leading to several performances in London, and the band's first release was the Let Them Eat Bogshed EP on John Robb's Vinyl Drip label in 1985. By the time of this release, the band had already played around 35 concerts and, according to Hartley, written between 80 and 100 songs.

The group released two albums and several singles before splitting in 1987. Hartley popped up late in 1988 with a solo Peel Session, but no releases were forthcoming. King went on to play with Jackdaw With Crowbar and later A Witness, while Mike Bryson, who was responsible for the sleeve artwork is now a cartoonist/illustrator. Phil Hartley tragically died on 11 October 2006 along with Tris King who passed way on 21 December 2008.

Links To Peel
Championed by John Peel, the band recorded 5 sessions for his radio show between 1985 and 1987, and gained regular airplay. The uncompromising mix of angular guitar-led tunes and Hartley's energetic vocals (his stated aim was to sing like Doris Day!) meant that Peel's listeners either loved Bogshed or found them unpalatable. After two LP's and a string of singles, Bogshed called it a day, the last single ("Stop Revolving") never making it out of the warehouse. Hartley later in 1988 did a solo Peel Session, but no releases were forthcoming.

Sessions
Bogshed Two sessions recorded in 1986 are available on Tried And Tested Public Speaker (1986, 12", Shelfish Records)

1. Recorded: 1985-10-27. Broadcast: 04 November 1985. Repeated: 19 November 1985, 04 December 1985 2. Recorded: 1986-02-25. Broadcast: 05 March 1986. Repeated: 25 March 1986, 21 April 1986 3. Recorded: 1986-07-15. Broadcast: 28 July 1986. Repeated: 08 September 1986, 18 December 1986 (Andy Kershaw) 4. Recorded: 1987-04-14. Broadcast: 04 May 1987. Repeated: 19 May 1987, 06 July 1987 5. Recorded: 1987-10-18. Broadcast: 26 October 1987. Repeated: 10 November 1987, 23 December 1987
 * Packed Lunch To School / Oily Stack / Hell Bent On Death / Can't Be Beat
 * The Fastest Legs / Adventures Of Dog / Summer In My Lunchtime / Morning Sir/Little Car
 * Tried and Tested Public Speaker / Champion Love Shoes / Little Grafter / Gather In The Mushrooms
 * The Gourmet Is A Baby / Raise The Girl / I Said No To Lemon Mash / Loaf
 * Six To One And Likely / Into Me / From The Stubble To The Rubble / Duck Fight/US Bands/Wally Wallah (medley)

Phil Hartley

No session available

1. Recorded: 1988-11-13. Broadcast: 21 November 1988. Repeated: 17 January 1989
 * Lord Smutty Lips / Inspector Of Crime / Prepare To Change Sandals / Purchase Nicely

Other Shows Played



 * 1985
 * Peel 019 (BFBS): 'Hand Me Down Father (12"-Let Them Eat Bog Shed)' (Vinyl Drip)
 * 28 October 1985 (BBC World Service): Slave Girls (12" - Let Them Eat Bog Shed) Vinyl Drip
 * 29 October 1985: Spencer Travis (12" - Let Them Eat Bog Shed) Vinyl Drip
 * 23 November 1985 (BFBS): Fat Lad Exam Failure (12"-Let Them Eat Bog Shed)' (Vinyl Drip)
 * 02 December 1985: Spencer Travis (12" - Let Them Eat Bog Shed) Vinyl Drip
 * 10 December 1985 / The Peel Tapes Vol.3: Fat Lad Exam Failure
 * 28 December 1985 (BFBS): 'Panties Please (12"-Let Them Eat Bog Shed)' (Vinyl Drip)
 * Peel 020 (BFBS): 'Spencer Travis (12"-Let Them Eat Bog Shed)' (Vinyl Drip)
 * Peel 025 (BFBS): 'Panties Please (12"-Let Them Eat Bog Shed)' (Vinyl Drip) (JP: 'My tip for the top in 1986: I mean, top in my terms, obviously. I don't suppose they're going to get into the charts and you'll very likely never see them on Top Of The Pops, but a wonderful band for all that. I hope that 1986 will be the year, not only for Bog-Shed but for also people like Half Man Half Biscuit, and a whole range of what I think as being the "shambling" bands: Pigbros, the Passmore Sisters who you heard earlier on, and A Witness...and I think they're gong to be big big big in 1986. Make a note of that, I'm sure it'll be hopelessly wrong: as a prophet I never really made it.')


 * 1986
 * Peel 036 (BFBS): 'Run To The Temple (Compilation cassette-C86)' (New Musical Express) (JP: 'Having spent a few moments in conversation with the singer of Bog-Shed last weekend, I would imagine that The Temple is probably a public house.')
 * 14 June 1986 (BFBS): 'Run To The Temple (Compilation cassette-C86)' (New Musical Express)
 * 16 June 1986: Morning Sir (7") Shelfish
 * 21 June 1986 (BFBS): Morning Sir (7") Shelfish
 * 24 June 1986: Morning Sir (7") Shelfish
 * 10 July 1986 (BFBS) / Peel 037 (BFBS): 'Summer In My Lunchtime (LP-Step On It)' (Shelfish) (JP: 'How could anyone not love them?')
 * 17 July 1986 (BFBS) / Peel 037 (BFBS): 'Jobless Youngsters (LP-Step On It)' (Shelfish)
 * 24 July 1986 (BFBS) / Peel 038 (BFBS): 'Tried To Hide But Forced To Howl (LP-Step On It)' (Shelfish)
 * 02 August 1986 (BFBS): Tommy Steele Record (LP-Step On It)' (Shelfish)
 * 19 August 1986: Trying To Hide But Forced To Howl (album - Step On It) Shelfish
 * 07 October 1986: Runner On A Blunder (v/a LP - Imminent 4) Food
 * 14 October 1986: Runner On A Blunder (v/a LP - Imminent 4) Food
 * 24 November 1986: Runner On A Blunder (v/a LP - Imminent 4) Food


 * 1987
 * 03 February 1987: Tried And Tested Public Speaker (LP - Tried And Tested Public Speaker) Shelfish Records
 * 10 February 1987: Morning Sir! (12" - Tried And Tested Public Speaker) Shelfish
 * 28 February 1987 (BBC World Service): Little Grafter (12" - Tried And Tested Public Speaker) Shelfish
 * 06 March 1987 (BFBS) / Peel 053 (BFBS): 'Little Grafter (12"-Tried And Tested Public Speaker)' (Shelfish)
 * 15 October 1987 (BBC World Service): Sing A Little Tune (LP Brutal) Shelfish
 * Peeling Back The Years: Tried And Tested Public Speaker (single) Shelfish
 * 20 November 1987 (BFBS) / Peel 074 (BFBS): 'Excellent Girl! (7")' (Shelfish)
 * 01 December 1987: Excellent Girl (7") Shelfish


 * 1988
 * 05 January 1988: Excellent Girl! (7") Shelfish
 * 20 January 1988: Excellent Girl! (7") Shelfish (JP: 'Why are these people not mega beings, that's all I want to know.')


 * 1989
 * 01 June 1989: Tried To Hide But Forced To Howl (album - Step-On-It) Shelfish


 * 1990
 * 13 June 1990: Morning Sir (12" - Tried And Tested Public Speaker) Shellfish
 * 16 August 1990: 'Tried To Hide But Forced To Howl (LP-Step On It)' (Shellfish)


 * 1996
 * 24 June 1996: Hell Bent On Death (John Peel's Classic Sessions)


 * 1998
 * 11 June 1998: Tommy Steele Record (LP - Step On It) Selfish


 * 1999
 * 22 July 1999: 'Run To The Temple (LP-Step On It)' (Shellfish) (JP: 'I remember an epic gig with them and the Very Things in Nottingham.')


 * 2004
 * 22 September 2004: 'Little Grafter (12"-Tried And Tested Public Speaker)' (Shelfish)