Serious Drinking



Serious Drinking were a humorous punk rock band from Norwich, England, whose lyrical themes often covered football and drinking.

The band formed in February 1981, taking their name from a Sounds headline to an interview with the Cockney Rejects, with most members having met at the University of East Anglia. Band members were Martin Ling (vocals), Eugene Rodgers (vocals), Andy Hearnshaw (guitar, formerly of the Farmer's Boys), Jem Moore (bass), Pete Saunders (keyboards) also known from Dexys Midnight Runners and Lance Dunlop (drums). Their debut EP, 'Love On The Terraces' (produced by Madness's Mark Bedford) reached number 9 on the UK Indie Chart in 1982, with follow-up 'Hangover' reaching number 4 the following year. Debut album 'The Revolution Starts at Closing Time' also reached number 4, and was followed up in 1984 by a second album, 'They May Be Drinkers Robin, But They're Still Human Beings'. After another single, "Country Girl Became Drugs and Sex Punk", Moore and Dunlop left the band. The new line-up continued with sporadic gigs.

A compilation of their finest moments, 'Stranger Than Tannadice - The Hits, Misses and Own Goals' was released in 1990 on the Worker's Playtime label, to coincide with the 1990 World Cup, with a couple of singles also emerging in the 1990s.

(Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel
The band were firm favourites of Peel and recorded four sessions for his BBC Radio One show. "Love On The Terraces" also reached number 38 in the 1982 Festive Fifty. WORK ONGOING

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1982 Festive Fifty: Love On The Terraces #38

Sessions
Four sessions. 'Baby I'm Dying A Death' from #3 released on b-side of Hangover (7”, 1983, Upright Records UP 5)



1. Recorded 1982-04-26. First broadcast 06 May 1982. Repeated 27 May 1982, 15 July 1982, 23 December 1982
 * Spirit Of '66 / Love On The Terraces / Hangover / He's An Angry Bastard But I Like Him / Walk Alone

2. Recorded 1982-09-13. First broadcast 27 September 1982. Repeated
 * R.G.B / Countdown To Bilko / 12 X U/Bobby Moore Was Innocent / Drugs / Yours Or Mine

3. Recorded 1983-01-10. First broadcast 13 January 1983. Repeated
 * Don't Shoot Me Down / Revolution Starts At Closing Time / Wonderful World Beautiful People / Baby I'm Dying A Death

4. Recorded 1983-09-26. First broadcast 03 October 1983. Repeated 27 December 1983.
 * Closer Closer / Go For The Burn / Weird Son Of Angry Bastard / Our Time

Other Shows Played

 * 1982
 * 22 September 1982: (JP: 'We're going to start with Serious Drinking, reflecting on my fine friend Kid "call me David" Jensen.') He's An Angry Bastard (But I Like Him) (b-side Love On The Terraces EP) Upright
 * 22 September 1982: Love On The Terraces (single) Upright
 * 23 September 1982: Love On The Terraces (single) Upright
 * 13 October 1982: Love On The Terraces (single) Upright
 * 20 December 1982: Love On The Terraces (single) Upright FF#38


 * 1983
 * 23 January 1983 (BFBS): He Is An Angry Bastard (But I Like Him) (7" EP - Love On The Terraces) Upright
 * 22 March 1983: Don't Shoot Me Down (7" - Hangover) Upright
 * 27 March 1983 (BFBS): Don`t Shoot Me Down (7" - Hangover) Upright UP 5 (John wonders how the a side can be pressed off centre while the bside is OK)
 * 10 April 1983 (BFBS): Hangover (7") Upright
 * 17 April 1983 (BFBS): Hangover (7") Upright
 * 20 August 1983 (BFBS): Don't Shoot Me Down (7" - Hangover) Upright (John says they are the English Die Toten Hosen. He said the converse about the German band...).
 * 13 September 1983:
 * 17 September 1983 (BFBS): TV Song (LP - The Revolution Starts At Closing Time) Upright
 * 24 September 1983 (BFBS): Really Good Bloke (album - The Revolution Starts At Closing Time) Upright
 * 01 October 1983 (BFBS): Hangover (album - The Revolution Starts At Closing Time) Upright


 * 1984
 * 02 January 1984: He's An Angry Bastard (But I Like Hime) (7" - Love On The Terraces) Upright
 * 27 February 1984: The Revolution Starts At Closing Time (album - The Revolution Starts At Closing Time) Upright


 * 1988
 * 13 April 1988: 12XU / Bobby Moore Was Innocent (LP - The Revolution Starts At Closing Time) Upright (Peel reveals to listeners and to Andy Kershaw's embarrassment in the studio that Kershaw sang a few bars of Serious Drinking's 'Bobby Moore Was Innocent' when they performed live in Berlin.)


 * 1990s
 * 11 July 1990: Love On The Terraces (LP - Stranger Than Tannadice) Workers Playtime
 * 09 August 1990: Hangover (LP-Stranger Than Tannadice) Workers Playtime
 * 30 July 1994: Blitzkreig Bop (CD - No Fish Is Too Weird For Her Aquarium) Stim


 * 2000s
 * 23 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): Walk Alone (Peel Session)