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From London England



Article from Punk Lives magazine
(Thanks to Scott for finding it)

My first encounter with Animal Farm was through their guitarist,
Alan 'Peanuts' Pell. He'd travelled to three places just to get to talk to me
about doing something on the band. He's what you call a nice hustler. Well,
to cut a long story short, it worked and I listened to Animal Farm's tape and,
like them, could hear that they've certainly got something. Not Punk, more punk rock,
with the emphasis on rock.

I met Peanuts, the rock and roll star of the group and the
two other members of the band - Zarbie, bass and vocals and the eloquent one, and Jik
drums, the artist and money earner, - in Peanut's East India Dock flat in the heart of
London's dockland. Not the brash and garishly made up punks you might expect or de rigeur
all black of yer average rock star but a leaning to the street level chick of torn jeans
and Doc Martens. The three of them, who'd all played in various bands before, got together
when they were asked to play at a party earlier this year. A wild affair where much booze
and other substances were imbided. The whole thing was such a success that they decided
they definitely had something going for them. Although at the party they played various
Clash, Pistols, Dead Kennedy's, Buzzcocks songs, they could all write and started working
on their own material. Bitter/sweet songs that not only get you up dancing but also make
you think. "I'm Prince William's Dad", "Social Degeneration", "lies" all have something
that can hit your conscience but aren't just trashed out at 100 MPH. After the songs came
some dates supporting bands like the UK Subs, Action Pact, the Damned. They've also got a
few more supports coming up but their main concern now is to be able to get into a studio
to record a single, probably titled 'Lies'.

But that's where it stops and the big plugstarts. Not enough money or enough contacts to
make that big move. They know they could get something out but Animal Farm are professionally
minded asd want to do it properly. They've got loads of other songs -
" Star Wars, War Next Door, Public School Failure, John And Julie, Middle Class Punk,
Robin Day Is Dead, Model Soldier" - and tons of good ideas for the band. So if there's a manager,
agent or even better, a record company out there looking for a group of good musicians with a
lot of talent, then phone 01-*** **** and you'll have a trio of smiling faces jumping up and
down teh East End of London out of joy.

Unlike some bands some bands who are just frustrated at the position they are in.
Animal Farm are confirmed optimists and know that some time they are going to make It.
It might be tomorrow, next month or next year and one thing they say they won't do and
that's forget the people taht helped them right at the beginning, so they'd like to thank
them right now. There's Nicko, ace roadie and van lender, Sue and Kevin, their No.1 fans,
Garry Bushell, who promises he'll review them, Christine for just being nice to Ray and
Mike Goodger for taking the pictures with this article. Oh, and of course, all their mum's
for having them. But in the end it's all down to them and as Jik says: " We are three
people, all with varying ideas, but whenwe get together it's like one neat triangle and
when it works... ZING... it's amazing". Too true mate and maybe George Orwell's
Animal Farm will make it in 1984!

ALF MARTIN (Punk Lives magazine)



Line up:

P NUT: Guitar/Vocals
ZARB: Bass / Vocals
JIK: Drums

DEMO tape 1983

Tracks:
John And Julie
Model Soldier
Social Degeneration
Lies
I'm Prince William's Dad

Model Soldier 7"
Rot Records 1984
ASS 7

Side A: Model Soldier

Side B: John And Julie

V/A 2.99 LP
Rot Records 1984
ASS 10




Track:
Model Soldier

V/A Have a Rotten Christmas LP
ROT RECORDS 1984
ASS 18

Track:
Who's The Enemy

V/A Religious As Hell LP
ROT RECORDS 1986
HELL 036

Track:
So Sad

V/A The End Of An Era LP
Rot Records 1988
ASS 100

Tracks:
So Sad
John And Julie