Punk Flashback

 Todays Punk Flashback The Shapes

In the planets that revolve around planet punk The Shapes are definitely far out there along with planet Pluto. Fellow travellers would include the TV Personalities, Swell Maps and later on The Sconeheads and a whole host of indies. An antidote to the gothic splendour of Siouxsie, the intensity of The Clash, the rebellion of the Pistols and the growl of a thousand other punk bands. Basically the Shapes made music that you could jump to and at the same time make you smile and they played it in the places like The Vortex and The Roxy and they played it with bands such as The Killjoys, The Saints and The Cure.

The Shapes were so undeniably English and the masters of parenthesis. In the white hot anger of '78 they gave us 'Wots for lunch mum ? (not beans again!) ' and ' (I saw) Batman (in The Launderette)'. Its not yer 1234 punk more but a sound more akin to ATV but with humour. Never ones to take themselves seriously one of their last recordings was 'Jennifer Connifer' but that doesn't excuse naming a song Leamington (after Leamington Spa). If they don't make you smile then something's missing. Check out their Compilation 'Songs For Sensible People' on Overground Records which also contains the funniest sleeve notes I have ever read. Incidentally the bassist became a champion skydiver and the singer became Sister Bendy off Eurotrash!