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Political Asylum (band)

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387:. He also continued to sing, both in local protest-folk group Folk This! and with the South African-inspired Vukani Mawethu choir. Dewar also gravitated towards folk music and in 1998 formed The Assassenachs, a Celtic-inspired acoustic trio based in the Netherlands, who have toured internationally. Nectar 3 released the EP 358:
In 1991, Kanaan and Dewar revived the band with Rotterdam musicians Leo van Setten on bass and Kees de Greef on drums. They recorded the new song "I've Got A Name" and played a short European tour, for which Burns temporarily returned to play drums as De Greef was unable to travel. Marcel van Buren
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cassette. The new songs highlighted Brown's increasingly technical guitar playing along with faster tempos and more intricate, rock-influenced rhythms and arrangements. The band continued to gig constantly, but Thomson decided to leave in the spring of 1986 and was replaced on bass by Ewan Hunt, a
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songs and a 5-piece lineup which added Francis' Gracemount friend Pete Barnett on rhythm guitar. However, the use of a drum machine on the recording caused tensions within the band. All 3000 copies were sold within a year of its release. Despite this success and a couple of short UK tours,
230:, was recorded in Edinburgh in June and revealed an increasingly heavy metal-influenced guitar style, as well as setting a precedent for future releases by mixing studio and live recordings. By now the band were playing gigs further afield, including a trip to Belfast to support 105:
in 1982 and active until 1993. One of the most popular bands within that scene, they played hundreds of gigs across the U.K., Europe and America and were, according to author Ian Glasper, "an integral part of the fiercely independent underground that existed at the time."
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held in non-commercial venues, with the proceeds going to the kind of social, left-wing and radical causes espoused in the band's lyrics, as would continue to be the case throughout their existence. In the years to come, most of their releases would also be fund-raisers.
162:. Originally named Distraught, they tried out several potential drummers before settling on schoolmate Chris "Spike" Low, two years their junior, and changing their name to Political Asylum at his suggestion. Low's simple, tom-heavy drumming contributed to an emergent 280:-based band Pissed Boys. However, musical differences, which had been brewing for a while, led to Brown's departure after the tour, and he went on to form a hard rock/heavy metal band, also named Seeing Red. They released a single, "Angel", in 1991 and an album, 291:
Brown was replaced by Edinburgh guitarist Stevie Dewar, formerly of Sad Society, who brought a simpler and more direct style. The new lineup gigged extensively, including a second, much longer, European tour in the summer of 1988 where they shared bills with
367:, Germany, and began working with the rhythm section of local band Nancy And I. However, with Kanaan still based in Edinburgh, it became increasingly difficult to keep the band going and the last tour was in 1993, with the final gig in Göttingen. 275:
and was co-released by the German punk label We Bite. Following its release, the band played their first European tour in the summer of 1987, the German leg of which was named the 'Seeing Red Tour' by its organisers and co-headliners, the
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then replaced Van Setten on bass and the band recorded two Burns songs from 1989. These three new songs, along with a live acoustic radio session featuring Van Setten on acoustic guitar, were released the following year as
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networks. Kanaan soon decided to concentrate solely on vocals and a couple of bass players came and went before the arrival of classmate Norman Thomson in late 1983. After a visit to the London squat of anarcho-punk band
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in 1993 and Burns switched instruments again after the band split in 1995, establishing himself as a bass guitarist, although he also returned to drumming for a while, co-founding the heavy metal trio Zapruder with
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By early 1983 the band had an album's worth of material and began looking for a budget studio in which to record it. Finding nothing nearby, they settled on Black Gold Studios, 25 miles away in
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material with Dewar on guitar. However, running out of steam, the band decided to split up following an American tour that summer, during which they gigged with Dead Silence, NOFX,
407:. Beginning in 2004, the Finnish label Passing Bells (via Boss Tuneage) re-released almost all of their studio material across four CDs, adding live recordings from 1987 and 1989. 238:, where they were spotted by Tim Bennett of the Bristol-based Children Of The Revolution label. This led to their first vinyl release, the 7-inch EP 1148: 122:(vocals & bass) and Stephen "Cheesy" Brown (guitar). The two began writing songs together despite the fact that Kanaan was an 1153: 1138: 267:
mini-LP for the Edinburgh label Big Noise Records. It featured two new songs, along with re-recordings of three tracks from
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In 1997, the San Francisco label Broken Rekids released a 21-track CD compilation of Political Asylum's work called
1143: 887: 1123: 363:, a 10-inch mini-LP on the American graphic artist John Yates' Allied Recordings label. Dewar then moved to 1128: 1089: 263:, Fife, who had a more virtuosic and melodic style. This lineup played all over the UK and recorded the 146:, while Brown sported long hair and patched denim and preferred hard rock and heavy metal bands such as 215:
views of the others. He went on to play for The Apostles, while Kanaan, Brown and Thomson relocated to
450:(1987) studio 12-inch mini-LP, Big Noise/We Bite Records; expanded CD on Passing Bells Records (2012) 208: 183: 250:
Reverting to a 4-piece, the band recruited drummer Keith Burns, a university friend of Brown's from
321: 231: 474:(1992) studio/live 10-inch mini-LP, Allied Recordings; expanded CD on Passing Bells Records (2012) 219:
to go to university. This was also the home of their next drummer, Tam Francis, a member of the
462:(1990) live/studio 12-inch LP, Loony Tunes Records; expanded CD on Passing Bells Records (2012) 127: 347:
Kanaan then began to concentrate on his nascent radical distribution and publishing house,
115: 8: 1101: 569: 380: 204: 171: 355:, Netherlands and Burns switched to guitar to form the alternative rock trio Nectar 3. 247:
personality clashes led to the departure of Francis and Barnett in the autumn of 1985.
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The band's longest serving bass player, Ewan Hunt - who emigrated to
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groups. A live recording made on this tour formed the basis of the
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LP, which included two new songs plus studio re-workings of the
320:. All of the money raised on the latter went to help local anti- 411: 375:
Kanaan continued to promote the ideals of the band through his
333: 131: 182:, north of Glasgow, owned by Ian McCredie of 1970s pop group 913: 438:(1985) studio 7-inch EP, Children Of The Revolution Records 297: 254:, Fife and recorded the five studio tracks featured on the 456:(1987) live 7-inch split EP with Pissed Boys, FYB Records 166:
sound as they worked up a live set and began organising
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in 1994 and eventually founding another imprint there,
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around the Stirling area. These were mostly multi-band
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Keith Burns – drums, acoustic guitar (1985-1989, 1991)
194:, it eventually sold over 6000 copies, mainly through 520:
Pete Barnett – rhythm guitar (1984-1985), bass (1986)
444:(1986) studio/live cassette album, Lethal Dose Tapes 499:– vocals (1982-1989, 1991-1993), bass (1982-1983) 396:bassist Roland Wagstaff. They released an album, 114:The band was formed in early 1982 by 15-year-old 1115: 965:Nu Metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk 835: 833: 831: 432:(1984) studio/live cassette album, self-released 594: 592: 1038:"Smurfpunx: Punk after 40?: About the dead..." 828: 803: 801: 696:"Seeing Red Rocks: Band: In The Beginning..." 532:Leo van Setten – bass, acoustic guitar (1991) 192:Self-released and home-duplicated on cassette 589: 564: 562: 560: 558: 529:Stevie Dewar – guitar (1987-1989, 1991-1993) 502:Stephen "Cheesy" Brown – guitar (1982-1987) 468:(1990) live 7-inch EP, Off The Disk Records 308:, and a lengthy UK tour in early 1989 with 927: 798: 211:anarcho stance, which conflicted with the 787: 785: 555: 207:, Low was kicked out of the band for his 570:"Discogs: Political Asylum discography" 526:Ewan Hunt – bass (1986-1989; died 2015) 242:, which featured new versions of three 1116: 782: 508:John "Flacko" O'Flaherty – bass (1983) 505:Chris "Spike" Low – drums (1982-1984) 480:(1997) CD compilation, Broken Rekids 13: 1149:Musical groups established in 1982 935:"Discogs: Keith Burns Discography" 14: 1165: 1083: 1060:"Facebook: Remembering Ewan Hunt" 717:"Discogs: Seeing Red discography" 514:Norman Thomson – bass (1983-1986) 795:sleevenotes. Broken Rekids, 1997 1052: 1030: 1009: 990:"Discogs: Zapruder discography" 982: 954: 906: 879: 858: 809:"Discogs: Nectar 3 discography" 517:Tam Francis – drums (1984-1985) 511:Ronnie Aitkenhead – bass (1983) 344:club in Berkeley, California. 226:Their second cassette release, 757: 736: 709: 688: 663: 650:"Seventies Sevens: Black Gold" 642: 617: 538:Marcel van Buren – bass (1991) 417: 86: 1: 1154:Musical groups from Edinburgh 548: 259:school friend of Burns' from 1139:British hardcore punk groups 535:Kees de Greef – drums (1991) 490: 379:imprint, moving his base to 370: 7: 544:Sönke Peters – drums (1993) 541:Ulrich Briese – bass (1993) 10: 1170: 284:, in 1993 (re-released as 109: 16:Scottish anarcho-punk band 1134:Scottish punk rock groups 1092:at Goodwill Records Store 744:"Seeing Red Rocks: Music" 80: 76: 66: 44: 30: 23: 841:The Day The Country Died 765:The Day The Country Died 671:The Day The Country Died 625:The Day The Country Died 600:The Day The Country Died 340:. The tour ended at the 126:punk rocker who admired 1144:Melodic hardcore groups 351:, while Dewar moved to 1124:Anarchism in Scotland 1098:at Boss Tuneage Store 1017:"Boss Tuneage: Music" 430:Valium For The Masses 286:Keep The Fire Burning 228:Valium For The Masses 223:suburb's punk scene. 894:on 28 September 2007 866:"PM Press: About PM" 472:How The West Was Won 398:Obsessive/Compulsive 361:How The West Was Won 116:Stirling High School 72:1982–1989, 1991-1993 1129:Anarcho-punk groups 885:"About Folk This!" 460:Window On The World 381:Oakland, California 326:Window On The World 914:"Assassenachs.com" 184:Middle of the Road 342:924 Gilman Street 282:T.V. Degeneration 92: 91: 1161: 1108:Political Asylum 1102:Political Asylum 1096:Political Asylum 1090:Political Asylum 1077: 1076: 1074: 1072: 1056: 1050: 1049: 1047: 1045: 1040:28 December 2009 1034: 1028: 1027: 1025: 1023: 1013: 1007: 1006: 1004: 1002: 986: 980: 958: 952: 951: 949: 947: 931: 925: 924: 922: 920: 910: 904: 903: 901: 899: 890:. 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Retrieved 1063: 1054: 1042:. Retrieved 1032: 1020:. Retrieved 1011: 999:. Retrieved 993: 984: 964: 961:McIver, Joel 956: 944:. Retrieved 938: 929: 917:. Retrieved 908: 896:. Retrieved 892:the original 888:"Folk This!" 881: 869:. Retrieved 860: 840: 818:. Retrieved 812: 792: 764: 759: 747:. Retrieved 738: 726:. Retrieved 720: 711: 690: 670: 665: 653:. Retrieved 644: 624: 619: 599: 579:. 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Index

Stirling
Scotland
Anarcho-punk
hardcore punk
melodic hardcore
punk rock
See below
anarcho-punk
Stirling
Stirling High School
Ramsey Kanaan
anarchist
The Mob
Zounds
Dead Kennedys
Black Flag
Hüsker Dü
Saxon
Ozzy Osbourne
Status Quo
Dire Straits
post-punk
DIY gigs
benefit gigs
Blanefield
Middle of the Road
Self-released and home-duplicated on cassette
fanzines
tape trading
The Apostles

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