Fist/White Spirit/Raven
Newcastle
Now here's a thing. A short time after my NENWOBHM (North-East New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) article sees print three of the bands featured therein appear on the same bill, in a venue that none of them would have a hope in whatsits of filling previously. Quite a coincidence that.

If ever a combo played like they 'meant it' Raven are that band. The standing two-thirds, Mark and John Gallagher, throw themselves so totally into the performance I almost suspect immediately they strap on their axes their psyches are taken over by a colony of devils the better part of the way through an epileptic fit.

There's no edge, no finesse, no guile to what they do. Purely and simply, Raven are all passion.

John's Nooky Broon bottle shattering voice, Mark's hydraulic guitar mauling and their limitless energy are the meat here, making the songs virtually incidental. It's the fire that counts.

Behind me, a couple of White Spirits disagree and reckon that Raven are rather forced. Which, as it turns out, is a bit of the kettle calling the pot black job.

Spirit are a lot more calculated than Raven and a good deal less convincing. Their act is so obviously staged and pose-wise brings to mind Uriah Heep, who I wouldn't have thought would be the most fashionable HM hams to emulate in this day and age.

Vocalist Bruce Ruff can holler well enough but as a presence be doesn't quite make it. It's hard to imagine the short stocky, almost retiring Ruff stirring up a crowd like a Gillan or a Coverdale.

This doesn't stop Spirit from sounding Purply, of course, especially on 'Cheetah', which even to a Philistine like me is so obviously 'Fireball' part two. Otherwise, the numbers are too long and disjointed and SO BLOODY LOUD that everything is painfully distorted.

On the plus side they did go down very well and I was rather impressed with keyboard player Malcolm Pearson. He's easily the best thing about the band, reminding me of Don Airey as he holds everything together. He'll go far but I'll be surprised if it's with White Spirit.

Fist are less reliant on stock heaviness than either Spirit or Raven, don't move around as much, don't try too hard. It's only been a month since I've seen them and in that short space of time they've become tougher, harder, more metallic. Almost as if they've accepted their role as a heavy band even though they aren't really. Still no punching the air or rabble rousing from these lads, though. Their maturity shines through like a laser in a coalshed.

The songs are melodically and lyrically so well constructed that Keith Thatchfield and Dave Irwin have clearly sat down and worked them out rather than just jammed a set together. Consequently, there's more substance to Fist than virtually any other hard rock band at their stage of development I've seen.

They're going to be big. Although if Hiroshima Hill gets any bigger he'll need a reinforced drum stool.
(Ian Ravendale, Sounds, 05/07/80)

Neat
NEAT 06
1980

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Don't Need Your Money
2. Wiped Out

RAVEN: 'Don't Need Your Money' (Neat)
Everyone seems to be denying that they're heavy metallists nowadays. Raven claim to be bastions of 'athletic rock', but turn out to be rip-roaring Montrose clones with energy to spare. And you'll just lurv the acapella bit that goes 'don't want no rich fat daddy trying to change my life when I just want to relax'. Great guitar solos, a powerhouse trio. Should survive when the wheat's sorted from the chaff.
(Betty Page, Sounds, 09/08/80)

'It's nice to smash a bit of gear'
Is no instrument or item of PA equipment safe in the hands of Newcastle HM'ers Raven?
John Gallagher of Raven is an introspective sort of lad. Into Shelley, Keats, walks in the country and demolition.

"It's nice to smash a bit of gear," he proclaims matter-of-factly. "We've smashed a lot of gear," Gallagher continues, like a man detailing the number of women he's been through.

"I had this Flying V made, bit like a Rickenbacker. Beautiful. We played this great gig at Ashington, bikers up on the stage singing with us, the whole thing, I jumped into the audience and started freaking out, tossing me guitar around. Threw it up in the air and it comes down and there's no head on it! Hadn't even hit anything!

"I went wild. Started smashing everything up. The crowd went crazy ... People came into the dressing room afterwards just to see the remnants. The Flying V was in bits in the corner like firewood..."

Art Raven aren't. Convincing they most certainly are. As the latest signing on the Neat label the Newcastle based trio make most other heavies who claim to put the mayhem into metal seem like Ena Sharples discussing the price of milk stout with Albert Tatlock. But tell me, this stop me and smash one approach must be a trifle costly, eh? How'd you afford it?

"Well, umm, we can't," replies Gallagher in semi-surprise as though it hadn't occured to him that lighting the fire with fivers might be a less extravagant form of amusement. And then, as an after-thought, by way of self vindication...

"Y'can throw yer gear around without it breaking y'kna? That's what annoyed me when the head came off. I know how far I can push it. If I want to smash a guitar I can do it instantly. I can toss it around, be mad and know that it'll stand up to it. When a guitar does break I get really annoyed and start smashing things..."

With an average age of 21, Raven (John on bass and vocals, brother Mark on blitzkrieg guitar and skinsman Rob Hunter) are no thrashers-come latelys. The Gallaghers stuck at it through the lean years and probably because of that still consider themselves punters first and foremost. True enthusiasts of the light blue touch paper variety, posing in the bar isn't for them. Likely as not, before they go on Mark and John will be down on the floor themselves, banging a head or two.

And now, after five years of Raving, a single of their own to plug their phantom axes into.

'Don't Need Your Money' is the fourth HM single on Neat. ('Allegedly Britain's premier independent heavy metal label' says one of the company's stickers, cocking a snoot at a recent news story in these very pages). And from all the preliminary signs Neat 6 could be the biggest thing to come out of Wallsend since Sting's wallet. More manic mainstream HM than Fist, less derivative than White Spirit, more over the top than the Tygers, 'Money' is so full of burning, committed passion and humour that you'd have to be a dull boy indeed not to get at least a smile out of it.

The unaccompanied middle eight 'Don't want no big fat daddy trying to change my life when I just want to relax' is worth the price of admission alone, the hilarious skreeched 'Wahhh', putting every glass object within a 100 yards in mortal danger. If John could get any higher he could talk to bats for a living.

"We're going as far over the top as possible," explains Mark Gallagher, the Raven with more than a touch of the Johnny Ramones to him. "I'm an extremist, right? I like heavy metal because it's an extreme kind of music. We disagree with heavy metal bands who stand around with their satin pants on and just go (makes limp downward guitar mauling motion) 'Urgh urgh', like that, y'kna?"

"There's a few new bands who just copy the older bands straight off," rejoins John, finishing off his brother's train of argument. "They just stand still and do nothing. They should be going to work..."

"Def Leppard..." follows Mark, but before the point is developed John is ahead of him. "Compare them to Iron Maiden. Def Leppard seem like they've got their steps written on the floor. Maiden are one of the maddest bands around but they work. Even if they do do Steely Dan and Eagles numbers in their sound checks."

Wahhh!
(Ian Ravendale, Sounds, 23/08/80)

Neat
NEAT 11
1981

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Hard Ride
2. Crazy World

Neat
NEAT 1001
1981
+ Insert & poster

Neat
NEAT 1001
1981
Picture disc

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Hard Ride
2. Hell Patrol
3. Don't Need Your Money
4. Over The Top
5. 39 - 40
6. For The Future
7. Rock Until You Drop
8. Nobody's Hero
9. Hellraiser
10. Action
11. Lambs To The Slaughter
12. Tyrant Of The Airways

Neat
NEAT 15
1982

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Crash Bang Wallop
2. Rock Hard

Neat
NEAT 1004/7
1982
Italian promo

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Crash Bang Wallop
2. Run Them Down

Neat
NEAT 15-12
1982
Splattered purple vinyl

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Crash Bang Wallop
2. Rock Hard
3. Run Them Down
4. Fire Power

Neat
NEAT 1004
1982

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Faster Than The Speed Of Light
2. Bring The Hammer Down
3. Fire Power
4. Read All About it
5. To The Limit/To The Top
6. Battle Zone
7. Live At The Inferno
8. Star War
9. UXB
10. 20/21
11. Hold Back The Fire
12. Chainsaw

+ Insert

RAVEN: 'Break the chain' (Neat)
HM single of the week. All the familiar tricks are there but Raven have arranged them by leaning on the music rather than the myth, and there's a magnificent guitar crackling away throughout on the verge of feedback. The sound is loud but clear and the lyrics make a brave effort to avoid most of the cliches.
(Hugh Fielder, Sounds, 02/07/83)

Neat
NEAT 28
1983

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Break The Chain
2. The Ballad Of Marshall Stack

Neat/Roadrunner
RR 125525
1983
Dutch

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Break The Chain
2. Born To Be Wild
3. Inquisitor

Neat
NEAT 29
1983

Neat
NEATP 29
1983
Picture disc

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)
Udo Dirkschneider (V)

1. Born To Be Wild
2. Inquisitor

Neat
NEAT 1011
1983
+ Inner sleeve & insert

Megaforce
MR 1-269
1983
U.S.A.

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob "Wacko" Hunter (D)

1. Take Control
2. Mind Over Metal
3. Sledgehammer Rock
4. All For One
5. Run Silent Run Deep
6. Hung Drawn And Quartered
7. Break The Chain
8. Take It Away
9. Seek And Destroy
10. Athletic Rock

Raven, the British rock trio, have their fourth album issued by Atlantic this week called 'Life's A Bitch'.
(Sounds, 18/04/87)

Castle
CMRCD 390
2002

1. Don't Need Your Money
2. Wiped Out
3. Hard Ride
4. Crazy World
5. Hell Patrol
6. Rock Until You Drop
7. Medley: Hellraiser/Action
8. Tyrant Of The Airways
9. Crash Bang Wallop
10. Fire Power
11. Rock Hard
12. Faster Than The Speed Of Light
13. Live At The Inferno
14. UXB
15. Born To Be Wild
16. Inquisitor
17. Take Control
18. All For One
19. Break The Chain
20. Seek And Destroy

Castle
CMRCD 492
2002

John Gallagher (V,B)
Mark Gallagher (G)
Rob Hunter (D)

1. Hard Ride
2. Hell Patrol
3. Don't Need Your Money
4. Over The Top
5. 39-40
6. For The Future
7. Rock Until You Drop
8. Nobody's Hero
9. Hellraiser/Action
10. Lambs To The Slaughter
11. Tyrant Of The Airways
12. Wiped Out
13. Crazy World
14. Inquisitor
15. Lambs To The Slaughter (Radio 1 session)
16. Hold Back The Fire (Radio 1 session)
17. Hard Ride (Radio 1 session)
18. Chainsaw (Radio 1 session)
19. Let It Rip

Official Raven Website