80s cult legends TWENTY FLIGHT ROCKERS have announced their return with a London show and an archive live release.
Initially one of the most talked about bands on the London circuit, the band was formed by former Generation X drummer Mark Laff and frontman Gary Twinn of Aussie glam stars Supernaut, with guitarist Ian McKean and bassist Jeff D Vine.
With a sold-out residency at the Marquee, debut single 'Tower Block Rock' on ABC Records became a staple of BBC Radio One and indie discos, and with high-profile supports for the likes of The Cult, Lords Of The New Church and Flesh For Lulu and a Reading Festival appearance, the band quickly signed with Warners before switching to Epic. Guided by industry big hitters Bill Drummond and Bernie Rhodes, they should've been huge, but on the cusp of major success, they disappeared.
Long based in LA, Twinn has continued working with the bands SpeedTwinn (with Bob 'Derwood' Andrews), all-stars International Swingers (with Clem Burke, Glen Matlock and James Stevenson) and current outfit The Long Shadows, but with Laff's recent return to gigging, a plan was hatched to get the old gang back together.
"We played a few TFR songs at the International Swingers gig in London," says Twinn. "There was quite a lot of TFR fans there and the other three all came to the gig. So I think that is kind of what started sparking the conversation going.
"But then Mark came up with his X Generation X thing... And you know, in drumming, that's a workout. He had to really get his act together for that. And so we started talking about TFR being reanimated and everyone was on board."
Remarkably with the original line-up intact, the rejuvenated band's first salvo is the first official release of the live album Live '85, recorded at The Bull in East Sheen, southwest London in July of that year. Originally slated to be the band's debut for Warners, it features eleven tracks of classic TFR action.
Released through MR Records, it's available to pre-order here.
The band then return to the stage with a show at London's legendary 100 Club on 30th October. Tickets go on sale here on Monday 27th July at 10.00 am.
In finishing, Twinn says, "As Bernie Rhodes used to say to me, you've only got six bullets in your gun, right? So when you're surrounded by bands, don't shoot them all at once. You know, pick your target. So that's what we're going to do. Squeeze the trigger, see what happens...."
Pics by Louise Phillips