biting tongues: still on hawaiian time

Biting Tongues were formed in 1978 to improvise a soundtrack to the screening of a 16mm experimental film of the same name at Tony Wilson's original Factory Club in Manchester. A core membership was soon established that was to last until 1984: Howard Walmsley - sax; Ken Hollings - texts; Eddie Sherwood - drums; Colin Seddon - bass; and Graham Massey - guitar and noise. Their performances, an unpredictable "post-punk avant-funk" mix of spoken word, percussion, random tapes, films and free-form soloing, were mostly confined at this time to clubs in Manchester and London. The release of their first three albums Don't Heal (1981), Live It (1981) and Libreville (1984) widened their audience, and Biting Tongues found themselves performing more in theatres, arts venues and galleries. Still On Hawaiian Time captures two Biting Tongues performances from this later period. The Library Theatre in the center of Manchester was a large seated venue with an even larger stage, meaning that the group members could spread out more and incorporate additional percussion, tapes and electronic devices. It also shows Biting Tongues cutting up and rearranging themes from different recordings - the performance also anticipates their work on Feverhouse: their full-length experimental feature film released in 1984 by Factory Records's video offshoot IKON The improved facilities available in a theatre venue, including greater space, better acoustics and more time for a sound check, meant that Biting Tongues could concentrate on the performance, producing some of their most aggressive and demanding work. During the early 1980s, Biting Tongues excelled as a live band, always seeking to challenge both themselves and their audiences. These two recordings are fascinating documents that convey some of the immediacy and commitment of their performances - something that can still be felt in these old tapes some thirty years after they were first recorded. Personnel: "Library Theatre, Manchester 16.6.1983": Colin Seddon - bass guitar, drums, percussion; Eddie Sherwood - drums; Ken Hollings - voice, clarinet, percussion, tapes; Graham Massey - guitar, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, drums, Astroban, iguarglaphon, voice, percussion; Howard Walmsley- tenor and soprano sax, glockenspiel, percussion, voice; Barry Seddon - pick-axe handle. "Riverside Studios, London 5.6.1982": Colin Seddon - bass guitar; Eddie Sherwood - drums; Ken Hollings - vocals, Hohner Pianet, percussion; Graham Massey - guitar, clarinet, reed cornet, trumpet, iguarglaphon, Morello loop, diary, percussion; Howard Walmsley - tenor sax, voice, percussion, Hohner Pianet. Edition of 150.