John Baine (born 21 October 1957), better known by his stage name Attila the Stockbroker, is a punk poet, and a folk punk musician and songwriter. He performs solo and as the leader of the band Barnstormer. He describes himself as a "sharp tongued, high energy social surrealist poet and songwriter." He has performed over 3,300 concerts, published eight books of poems and an autobiography (which itself has 38 poems in it) and released over forty recordings (albums and singles).
Links To Peel[]
After the death of Peel, fellow football fanatic Attila The Stockbroker (a Brighton supporter) paid tribute to the DJ on his website, describing how his poetry found an outlet on Peel's show:
"1982. A mate of mine, Red Saunders, had just released my first EP 'Rough Raw and Ranting' on his Radical Wallpaper label. He was keen. I was sceptical. "Poetry on a record? Who's going to buy that?" One night a couple of weeks later I was fishing off Southwick Arm, as so many times before and since, listening to the John Peel Show. Suddenly he said "And now here's Attila the Stockbroker"... I nearly dropped my rod in the sea. Peelie played that EP to death. Not long afterwards, he gave me my first session. Travelled up to London, had a few beers with the great man, an absolutely lovely bloke. Talked about our football allegiances of course. After it was broadcast I got a deal with Cherry Red Records and a few months later he invited me to do another session. It was broadcast the week after we knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup at Anfield[1]... He started his programme with the sound of seagulls being machine gunned... then played my stuff and congratulated us, tongue firmly in cheek. The following year, 1984, of course, we did it again - 2-0 at the Goldstone. More machine gunned seagulls! That summer I was wandering across a field at Glastonbury. It was absolutely pissing down. I saw him making a beeline for me. "You bastards" he said "You did it again!" Those memories will live as long as I do. A lovely, genuine bloke who lived for music... Thousands of us owe him so much. RIP John."[2]
On Peel's show of 26 February 1994, Attila The Stockbroker reviewed a football match between Walsall v Northampton, which Northampton won 3-1.
Sessions[]
ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER John Peel 14th March 1983
Two sessions. No known commercial release.
1. Recorded: 1982-06-09. Broadcast: 30 June 1982. Repeated: 11 August 1982
- Cocktails/Nigel Want To Go To C&A's / They Must Be Russians/Russians In The Dhss/Russians In Macdonalds / Death In Bromley/A Bang And A Wimpy/The Night I Slept With Seething Wells / 5th Column/Russians At Henley Regatta
2. Recorded: 1983-03-14. Broadcast: 29 March 1983. Repeated: 18 April 1983
- England Are Back/Holiday In Albania / Burn It Down/Eros Products / A Very Silly East European Propaganda Station/Where You Goin' With That Flounder In Your Hand? / Sawdust And Empire
Other Shows Played[]
- 04 October 1982: Contributory Negligence (7" - Cocktails EP) Cherry Red
- 1987
- 24 March 1987: Libyan Students From Hell (LP - Libyan Students From Hell) Plastic Head
- 12 May 1987: I'm So Miserable... (LP - Libyan Students From Hell) Plastic Head
- 1991
- 16 June 1991: The Iron Men Of Rap (album - Donkey's Years) Musidisc
- 22 June 1991: This Is Free Europe (album - Donkey's Years) Musidisc
- 30 June 1991: Mountaineering In Belgium (album - Donkey's Years) Musidisc
- Others
- Rebel Yell: Contributory Negligence (7" - Cocktails EP) Cherry Red
- 03 January 1990: (After Peel plays 'The Old Brighton Blue' by the Seagulls, Attila The Stockbroker phones the DJ to remind him of a couple of occasions that Brighton FC have beaten Liverpool - "as if I needed reminding of that!")