Shiny Two Shiny was a new wave/synth pop duo who emerged during the exciting live scene in Liverpool in the early 1980s, playing at venues such as Erics alongside bands who would go on to become household names. Gayna Rose Madder ("Flo") and Robin Surtees had recorded a Peel session with their previous band, A Formal Sigh and Madder was in fact the first person ever to be interviewed live on his Radio 1 show! Their debut mini-album, Halfway across the rainbow, recorded on a shoestring with mainly borrowed instruments, amazed everyone when named Melody Maker’s ‘Record of the week’, as well as getting a hugely favourable review in NME. The mini LP made it into the indie top ten; suddenly there was major label interest.
The duo toured Europe a few times, with a longish trip around Germany, Holland and Switzerland, and shorter ones around Northern Europe, supporting such luminaries as Patrick Fitzgerald and Durutti Column (Vini Reilly), and playing at prestigious venues in Brussels and Germany, where these tracks were recorded. They appeared on the Belgian TV music show Graffiti performing the 12" version of "Waiting for us" which is on the new album. (This year, "Waiting for us" made it into Record Collector’s ‘Rare Records’ listing, released August 2014). During that period, favourable reviews appeared across Europe (Germany, Italy, Denmark, France, Switzerland. Belgium).
Shiny Two Shiny (the name is derived from the Velvet Underground song, "Venus in furs"), have had a huge and lasting influence, especially considering the short time they existed.
Links to Peel[]
Peel kept interest in the duo after they left their previous band, A Formal Sigh, who did a session for his show in 1981. He played their records on his radio programmes in the early and mid 80's, but after the band split and Gayna persuade a solo career, he never revisited them or played any of Gaya's solo records. However, when Robin joined Benny Profane, Peel kept interest in the group's music and had them do three sessions for his radio programmes between 1988 and 1990.
Shows Played[]
- 28 February 1983 (BBC World Service): Through The Glass (mini-album - Halfway Across The Rainbow) Red Flame
- 11 April 1983 (BBC World Service): Through The Glass (mini-album - Halfway Across The Rainbow) Red Flame
- 28 November 1983: Waiting For Us (12") Red Flame
- Best Of Peel & Jensen 80s: 'Waiting For Us (7")' (Red Flame) (JP: 'Chart-bound sound! Wouldn't it be nice to think that it was?')
- 1984
- 29 February 1984 (BFBS): Waiting For Us (7") Red Flame
- 1985
- 24 March 1985 (BFBS): Grey (album - Halfway Across The Rainbow) Red Flame