This Heat - Pre-Classic or Post-Dud?

They carved out a small but reverent audience who never challenged them where they needed to be challenged.

UK Ubu = UK Can = [LOL]. Even when Ubu were in their "Hullo, are you the audience? My art is to jab my thumb in your eye" phase, they towered above the Heat.

OK, comparisons to Can and Pere Ubu were prob. stretching things a bit, but I was trying to indicate the sort of group they were for the benefit of people who hadn't heard 'em before(judging by the no. of responses here, that seems to be most ILMers!), rather than place them at the top of the 'experimental' group pantheon. I mean, This Heat certainly had things in common with both groups - an attempt to marry songs with improv/experimental moves, an interest in African drumming, the mixture of guitars and synths, etc. I know that a lot of people find Hayward's sub-R. Wyatt singing something of an 'acquired taste' and yes, the politicing can be a bit obv., but I remain a big fan, perhaps because This Heat were a 'gateway' group for me - played on Peel during punk, but (like Wire) also suggesting other approaches/ideas, a way out of the punk orthodoxy.

Charles Bullen played some role in Ut's first LP Conviction, and Ut forever rool....

Did see UT live once, however (can't remember where now - long-term memory loss ahem - think it might've been the now defunct Fulham Greyhound.) They were HEAVY...

The first I heard of This Heat was when Peel was broadcasting some classic 70s sessions during the summer of 1986. He broadcast the first session of theirs and I was gobsmacked. "Not waving but drowning" was like nothing I'd heard before, eerie and scary. I don't even think I heard the other session tracks, that was enough. Eventually I found the first two albums on CD in the early 90s and thought the first had moments of greatness but was a little too much art-wank ("Music like escaping gas"? Get lost!), but absolutely adored the second album, dated political messages and everything. I was listening to a lot of Moonshake at the time and it all seemed to make sense in a way. The way something like "Makeshift swahili" mixes in studio and live sounds was amazing for the time. Yes it's dated, yes it has very little influence but I still dig them out to play them frequently.

'Deceit' is a total utter classic, apart from the lyrics which are just war cliches strung together, but they don't really spoil it. The alien mood that This Heat creates is like nothing else I've heard.

deceit in probably the one object i'd save from the Post Punk File if the house was burning down. (excepting metal box, of course, and possibly chairs missing or the early scritti singles.) there are ideas in songs on there that could (and have) supported entire bands careers. (i do agree with mark that ubu towers above t.h., but i get out by not considering p.u. post punk ho ho.) the earlier stuff has never really done it for me; "health and efficiency" is obv one of the 20 or 30 greatest singles ever made; "24 track loop" is prescient beyond its years, although thankfully it doesnt make a big deal out of it.

However my musical tastes have changed (OK, broadened) quite a bit since and I do keep hovering over a copy of Deceipt - in fact I would almost certainly have picked it up a couple of weeks ago if it wasn't so piggin' expensive.

Isn't it terrible having yr old threads revived? It's like being shown rotten old photos of yrself.

Still, I had to put on 'Health and Efficency' while online, so gd. I still prefer the 1st alb, tho' - 'Not Waving' never fails to get me all choked up (J. Savage gets it wrong in 'England's Dreaming', btw - the song only borrows a title from Stevie Smith, not the actual text of her poem.)

(oh, and jess, did you write about them on rebellious jukebox or something? i'm sure it was something you'd written that made me get deceit, but it clearly wasn't here).

It took a while for me to warm up to Deceit though. I liked it enough, but thought the first record was a bit better. But I read a review a while back that made me dig Deceit out from the bin.Which is strange for two reasons: 1) It was a review at AMG, 2) I don't usually like something because of a review. But that review was so well written it ignited my curiosity for a record I already owned! Maybe it was a little too out there for me when I first heard it. Now I think Deceit is as good if not better then first record. I don't care much about the lyrics, so it doesn't detract for the totally wild sounds on Deceit.

Only recently heard the Peel Sessions. A lot of material form the first album. The version of "Horizontal Hold" is just awesome.

The comparisons to Can and Pere Ubu are not so far fetched, in my opinion. They all share a somewhat "unorthodox" approach, and the loopy & dizzying rhythms.

Hey Mark S, you crazy Brit! Your awesome. Pere Ubu are one of my favorite bands. But my obsession of Can surpasses my love for any other bands combined. Nice to hear someone else likes 'em.

In short, I say Classic! Get them all. The self-titled first record, Deceit, The Peel Sessions, and whatever else you can find. They made music that really sounds like nothing else.

Great band. I wished more bands were so daring and strange. I like those qualities. This is just a fan's perspective.

(toby, yeah i wrote something way way back in like the first month of the jukebox a year ago, a really hyper-personal thing...it was my version of church of me! [that is not a diss.])

One word of warning before you visit the site 'though - they're currently having a sale....

this is such a wonderful record, still.

(You're just trying to get me to say "fuckin' hippies" again, aren't you Gaz?)

It's still very bold music, BTW.

I don't know. Their records are pretty much out of print. The only CD pressings I have seen for sale are imports that cost $35 bucks and I won't pony up to find out.

Deceit, Made Available, Repeat and the 7cm Health & Efficiency are all available from http://www.rermegacorp.com .

As regards the first one, according to http://www.theserecords.com , "a re-mastered and re-packaged CD version is being prepared for release"; however they also told me that this was "'almost' ready to go into production,
and hopefully could be available soon" over a year ago; so I wouldn't hold your breath.

I love those show links because Trefor Goronwy joins them on bass, and I always wish This Heat had employed a real bassist on most of their recordings. Such a great band, and Hayward is such a powerhouse on drums, pairing him with a good bassist makes them all that much better. haha love the stare of death gives the camera around 5:45

xp well that's big news too, excellent

Can't think of any other pop drummers whose credit on a record is so reliably a sign of goodness rly

it's something else i'm excited about. wish i could say. i'm happy lifetones is seeing a reissue even though it means i'll no longer be the only person i know who has a copy.

On the 13th February 1976 the seminal experimental rock band This Heat played their first gig. After a Peel session, two albums, an EP and a cassette tape collaboration they disbanded in 1982 leaving an undeniable legacy that has only continued to grow in stature and relevance.

While December 2001 saw the three band members begin tentative rehearsals, any hope of the band reforming ended with the death of Gareth Williams in the same month.

THIS IS NOT THIS HEAT, a two day residency at Cafe OTO, will mark exactly 40 years to the weekend of that first gig in 1976. This Heat founder members Charles Bullen and Charles Hayward will come together for the first time since 1982 to publicly perform new interpretations of their influential music in collaboration with an impressive ensemble of music luminaries of the past 50 years.

More information on this rare two day residency will be released in due course.

https://cafeoto.co.uk/events/this-heat/

You got the same email I did then?

Yes indeed. Booked tickets for both nights. Really looking forward to it!

why go to that when u can go to this https://cafeoto.co.uk/events/momus/

Just come across this, Japanese band Downy covering Paper Hats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp8tgrI5U_E

anybody go? reports?

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/14/this-is-not-this-heat-review-cafe-oto

any video?

i went last night. it was incredible; way, way beyond my wildest expectations and truly one of my all time favourite gigs. i had a lump in my throat in places and am still totally buzzing 24 hours later. they played pretty much the whole of the two albums and then finished on a hyper intense version of "health and efficiency". charles hayward was grinning from ear to ear while bullen remained cool as a cucumber and inscrutable throughout. guest musicians included david cunningham, chris cutler, thurston moore and alexis taylor; at some points there were 11 musicians playing. the whole gig was filmed so hopefully that will appear at some point and there are rumours of more performances. by all accounts they started rehearsing a year ago and it showed. it was flawless (in the best possible way).

this doesn't begin to do justice to how great it was, but here's two thirds of "24 track loop" recorded on my phone - https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZWJWR0lVdGpCSnJMYnRVag

amazing, thanks.

oh, and about half way through charles and charles who didn't speak at any other point had a conversation about gareth williams which was extremely touching and very amusing. then they launched into "paper hats".

oh my god

Barbican June 17th:
http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=19383

also confirmed for Stuart Lee's ATP, which I am sorely tempted by

https://vine.co/v/inpweqVVWeI

:D

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1496/24369393733_b0d04771db_c.jpg

i tried to bring them to glasgow but to make it work the ticket price would have to be ridiculously high or else i'd have to have the confidence that around 1000 glaswegians would want to see them.

anybody go? reports?

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/14/this-is-not-this-heat-review-cafe-oto🔗

went on the friday and it was really excellent. I don't think double bassist john edwards played on Saturday which is a shame as it added considerable weight and atmosphere to quieter sections.

sparse solo sets from hayward and bullen were both great and set the scene for the main play of denser forces v well.

wish i had a recording of it all in fact.

Holy shit, yes.

The band will play USA in 2018 https://t.co/R00r4mMAIa

— ThisIsNotThisHeat (@NotThisHeat) December 3, 2017

Oh man, will travel for this...

yep

STOKED

!

https://www.thechapelsf.com/event/1865011-this-is-not-this-heat-san-francisco/

Um, yes please. Needless to say I already have my ticket.

There's also an LA date and what appears to be a final show ever in NYC, having played their last UK show the other night.

Who is in the full line up?

just saw TINTH in LA last month, but we're going again - do not miss this!

conflict with Mekons tour :(

Well last night was something. Never thought I'd get a chance to see any incarnation so seeing this was both very welcome and really wonderful.

Have they had any 'influence'?

Looks like it.

Listening to first This Heat album on Youtube. I guess I should buy em from Bandcamp (not streaming on Spotify)

all time classic IMO

ReR Megacorp still has their £5 CD sale going on (you need to buy a minimum of 4) - free shipping to Europe and the Americas! The pound-to-dollar exchange rate is currently at its most favorable (toward the dollar) as it's been in at least 15 years, so that's just 6 dollars a CD.

https://www.rermegacorp.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=RM&Screen=SPECIALOFFERS

The sale includes: "This Heat," "Health and Efficiency," "Repeat," "Live 80/81," "Made Available," "All's Well" by Camberwell Now, two Charles Hayward albums, and "The Recommended Sampler" (2xCD) with the This Heat track "Pool" (a variation of "24 Track Loop"/"Repeat") that isn't on the This Heat boxed set.

they've been strict about mostly not doing encores, the set is basically every song from both albums & then ending with 'Health and Efficiency', with an extended extra-intense focus on the one-chord coda. then everyone at the SF show stomped for five minutes straight -- the whole time I was wondering what they'd even play if they came out, they'd played everything, and when they came out... they launch right back into an addition 15 minutes of the one-chord coda and I can't even tell you

/additional

so I went home and played the 12"

I am so mad I missed this. I had a ticket, then I had .... a problem.

super jealous you got the additional 15 minutes.

i tried so hard to bring this show to glasgow, where i feel we'd also have got those additional 15 minutes, but the finances of it sadly defeated me.

still happy i got to see it one time though.

so is it true that they are playing some of Gareth Williams' actual old vocal/instrumental tracks onstage? I saw something on a Dimeadozen torrent listing that really confused me

ooooh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io5p0HzC89k

ReR Megacorp still has their £5 CD sale going on (you need to buy a minimum of 4) - free shipping to Europe and the Americas! The pound-to-dollar exchange rate is currently at its most favorable (toward the dollar) as it's been in at least 15 years, so that's just 6 dollars a CD.

Awesome, thanks for this info.

Just noticed that the SF show is up on D!me

^^ yes, that's what confused me, it lists Williams in the lineup

I saw two of the brooklyn shows and there was maybe 1 song where Bullen did some live sampling/processing where I'd say there's a tiny chance something was pre-recorded (though I doubt it), otherwise not. I'd imagine it's just a mistake.

thanks! I regret missing these shows but I just couldn't make it work

fyi

“..the entire extent of prerecorded stuff we've used is the "Testcard" sound from the beginning/end of the first album, a little loop at the end of "Paper Hats", and a bit of the "Graphic/Varispeed" drone during an instrument changeover section. Everything else is played live by the people on stage.”

New Charles Hayward collaboration here and it's pretty great:

https://godunknownrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hayward-versus-harmergeddon

every time i give This Heat (the album, and band) a good listen, i'm so impressed.

is the song "Horizontal Hold", particularly the first minute or two, the foundation of "post-hardcore", whether you hear that in some fugazi, drive like jehu, whatever?

Only recently heard the Peel Sessions. A lot of material form the first album. The version of "Horizontal Hold" is just awesome.

The comparisons to Can and Pere Ubu are not so far fetched, in my opinion. They all share a somewhat "unorthodox" approach, and the loopy & dizzying rhythms.

Hey Mark S, you crazy Brit! Your awesome. Pere Ubu are one of my favorite bands. But my obsession of Can surpasses my love for any other bands combined. Nice to hear someone else likes 'em.

In short, I say Classic! Get them all. The self-titled first record, Deceit, The Peel Sessions, and whatever else you can find. They made music that really sounds like nothing else.

Great band. I wished more bands were so daring and strange. I like those qualities. This is just a fan's perspective.

― Juan (Juan), Saturday, November 23, 2002 7:46 PM (eighteen years ago)

hell yeah