"Championed by both John Peel and Mark and Lard it seemed for a while, especially around the time of their radio hit Radar Intruder, that Ashley Cooke, Andy Fung, Dave Hirst and Mary Wycherley who made up the mighty Derrero came so damn close to breaking on through to a more widespread popularity. Over three albums and three e.ps Derrero grew to be glorious with their gorgeous melodies, wonderful production and seductive harmonies, culminating in the superb swansong Comb The Breaks before drifting apart. They are a band I have never tired of." [1]
The members of Derrero all met at Falmouth Art college in 1993: after studies, they evolved in Brighton before settling in Newport, Wales. There they released their debut single Tiny Shoes on Size 8 Records in 1997, also releasing their debut LP later that year, following this up with Small Pocket Machine and Radar Intruder. In addition to these releases, the band supported Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Super Furry Animals and Sebadoh.
Links to Peel
JP named Radar Intruder one of his favourite records of 1998, stating that had he made his own Festive Fifty for that year it would have reached a higher position than the 42 it actually achieved. He chose it as one of four for that year's Peelenium, and later averred that it was their best tune purely on the basis that it was the only one he could sing. In addition, the band's LP Comb The Creaks made it into both the May 2002 (Peel's Record Box) and July 2002 (Peel's Record Box).
Festive Fifty Entries
- 1998 Festive Fifty: 'Radar Intruder' #42
Live
- 25 October 2000: Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff as part of Radio One Live.
- Floaters
- Sound At The Rate It Fades
- Vine In Mind
- Aerial Angle
- Radar Intruder
- Unstraightforwardtune
- Out To Lunch
Peelenium
- Peelenium 1998: 'Radar Intruder'
Sessions
- Three sessions, none either commercially released or repeated. (The common misconception of there being four arose from the BBC's Keeping It Peel site [2], which listed the live set as a session.)
1. Recorded: 1999-01-05. First broadcast: 02 March 1999. No repeats.
- Floaters / Out To Lunch / Mono Man / Casket
2. Recorded: 1999-11-17. First broadcast: 25 January 2000. No repeats.
- Pets/Cappice / Fixation With Long Journeys / Lasoe / State Messages
3. Recorded: 2001-02-21. First broadcast: 18 April 2001. No repeats.
- Sound At The Rate It Fades / Dusk Brings Depth / Lean On Me Comfort / Old Grey Skies
Other Shows Played
- 1997
- 30 September 1997: Find Something New (EP: Small Pocket Machine) Big Noise Recordings
- 09 October 1997: Stoned Rider (CD - Small Pocket Machine EP) Big Noise
- 05 November 1998: Radar Intruder (7”) Big Noise
- 08 November 1998 (BFBS): 'Radar Intruder (CDS)' (Big Noise)
- 10 November 1998: Radar Intruder (EP) Big Noise
- 19 November 1998: Radar Intruder (EP) Big Noise
- 23 November 1998 (BFBS): 'Radar Intruder (7")' (Big Noise Recordings)
- 10 December 1998: Radar Intruder (single) Big Noise
- 22 December 1998: 'Radar Intruder (Maxi CD)' (Big Noise) 1998 Festive Fifty #42 (JP: 'I think I'd have been faintly ashamed of you actually if that hadn't been in the Festive Fifty: it would have been a lot higher in mine.')
- 1999
- 11 November 1999: 'Unstraightforwardtune (7")' (Big Noise Recordings)
- 11 November 1999 (Radio Eins): 'Unstraightforwardtune (7")' (Big Noise Recordings)
- 2000
- 18 January 2000: 'Radar Intruder (Radar Intruder)' (Big Noise) Peelenium 1998
- 30 March 2000: Radar Intruder (CD - Fixation With Long Journeys) Big Noise
- 13 April 2000: 'Mudskipper (CD-Fixation With Long Journeys)' (Big Noise Recordings) scheduled for the show but dropped
- 27 April 2000: Mono Man (LP – Fixation With Long Journeys) Big Noise
- 27 April 2000 (Radio Eins): Mudskipper (LP - Fixation With Long Journeys) Big Noise
- 03 May 2000 (Radio Eins): Mono Man (LP – Fixation With Long Journeys) Big Noise
- 06 June 2000: Mudskipper (LP - Fixation With Long Journeys) Big Noise
- 21 June 2000: 'Out To Lunch (CD-Fixation With Long Journeys)' (Big Noise Recordings)
- 2001
- 26 April 2001: 'Aerial Angle' (Single) Boobytrap
- 31 May 2001 (Radio Eins): 'Aerial Angle' (Single) Boobytrap
- 2002
- 09 April 2002: Lean On Me Comfort (LP – Comb The Breaks) Sylem
- 17 April 2002: Damn, I’m Gonna Tear It Up (LP – Comb The Breaks) Sylem
- 02 May 2002: Sound At The Rate It Fades (Comb The Brakes) Silent
- 08 May 2002: 'Zero Return' (LP 'Comb The Breaks') Sylem
- 16 May 2002 (Radio Eins): 'Sound At The Rate It Fades (CD-Comb The Breaks)' (Sylem)
- 28 May 2002: Lean On Me Comfort (LP – Comb The Breaks) Sylem
- 11 June 2002: 'Zero Return (Lp - Comb The Breaks)' (Sylem)
- 20 June 2002 (Radio Eins): Lean On Me Comfort (album - Comb The Breaks) Sylem
- 27 June 2002: Sandbar (LP - Comb The Breaks) Sylem
- 02 July 2002: 'Telescopic Sights (LP - Comb The Breaks)' (Sylem)
- 2004
- 23 September 2004: Radar Intruder (EP - Radar Intruder) Big Noise (JP: 'This was one of my favourites records of 1998.')
