The Desperate Bicycles were an English punk band from London formed in 1977. They released a series of independent recordings through their own label Refill Records in the late 1970s, encouraging and inspiring many other bands to do likewise. The Desperate Bicycles pioneered the do-it-yourself ethic of punk, adopting a proselytising role exemplified by their ardent exhortation: "it was easy, it was cheap – go and do it!". The group have been described as "DIY's most fervent evangelists". The band initially consisted of Nicky Stephens (keyboards), Roger Stephens (bass), Danny Wigley (vocals), Mel Oxer, (drums) and Paul LeClerc (guitar). The band's name derives from a passage in J. B. Priestley’s 1930 novel Angel Pavement: In October 1978 vocalist Danny Wigley expressed the motivation driving the Desperate Bicycles' independent stance: "The biggest hurdle is just believing you’ve still got some control over your life, that you can go out and do it". With the profit from their second single the group pressed a further 2,500 copies of each of their singles, and also purchased some more equipment.

The Desperate Bicycles performed sporadically in 1978, including a Rock Against Racism benefit with Sham 69. The Remorse Code album was released in February 1980, reaching number 10 on the UK Indie Chart. The Desperate Bicycles disbanded in 1981.

In 1981 Danny Wigley and Jeff Titley, with Dennis Burns and Cameron Allan formed a new band Lusty Ghosts, releasing a cassette on the Refill label.

Music and legacy

The music of the Desperate Bicycles has been described as: "Spindly, fuzzy, guttural guitars through puny amplifiers, reedy, wheezy organs, out of tune electric pianos, cardboard box drums and monotonous declamatory yet somehow utterly reasonable sounding vocals". Another reviewer described them as "a shambling wreck of a psychedelic post-punk band". The writer Simon Reynolds states that the group's music "was almost puritan in its unadorned simplicity, its guitar sound frugal to the point of emaciation".

<blockquote>For the Desperate Bicycles, it was as though sloppiness and scrawniness became signs of membership in the true punk elect. The very deficiency of traditional rock virtues (tightness, feel) stood as tokens of the group's authenticity and purity of intent. In the years since their dissolution, the bandmembers have remained true to their principles, declining offers for interviews and having their music re-issued.

Discography

  • Smokescreen 7-inch single (Refill Records RR-1; August 1977) - "Smokescreen" / "Handlebars".
  • The Medium was Tedium 7-inch single (Refill Records RR-2; February 1978) - "The Medium was Tedium" / "Don't Back the Front".
  • New Cross, New Cross 7-inch EP (Refill Records RR-3; May 1978) - "(I Make the) Product" / "Paradise Lost" / "Advice on Arrest" / "Holidays" / "The Housewife Song" / "Cars".
  • Occupied Territory 7-inch single (Refill Records RR-4; July 1978) - "Occupied Territory" / "Skill".
  • John Peel session (July 1978) – "Smokescreen" / "Skill" / "Sarcasm" / "Teacher's Prayer".
  • Remorse Code LP (Refill Records RR-6; February 1980) – "I Am Nine" / "Walking the Talking Channel" / "A Can of Lemonade" / "Pretty Little Analyse" / "Acting" / "It’s Somebody’s Birthday Today" / "Sarcasm" / "Trendy Feelings" / "Natural History" / "Blasting Radio".
  • Grief is Very Private EP (Refill Records RR-7; 1980) – "Grief is Very Private" / Obstructive" / "Conundrum".

References

  • Cover art and mp3s
  • Essay on the Desperate Bicycles and Scritti Politti