'Atom Heart Mother' - Nick the Frog's band

[Talltigger]

Forgive me if this is not the right category to stick this post in, I'll move it if need be.

I wanted to know if Nick the Frog is still about - I saw him being interviewed on the 30 years documentary, and it was lovely to see him looking well. Not many people may be aware that he had a fantastic band called 'Atom Heart Mother' which signed to Abstract and put out at least one CD - 'Skin 'em up, Chop 'em out, Rawhide' (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skinem-Chopem-Out-Rawh/dp/B000007X9B/ref=cm_cr-mr-title). It remains one of my favourite albums of anything related to NMA, and features Moose on Bass.

I would best describe it as an energetic mix of metal-glam-pop  - superbly crafted songs, fab lyrics, great humour and a wonderful live act. Through friends in my home town in Kettering, we managed to get AHM to support a local band called 'Draw' in a superb pub in that town called 'The Swan' which had been an alternative hang out for the eighties and nineties, and was fairly shady to boot. Both acts played to a packed pub of cheering punters, but in return, 'Draw' supported 'AHM' at Queen's Hall in Bradford a couple of weeks later and both bands also went down a storm to mass applause.

I'd love to know what happened to the band and to Nick. I'd also urge you to see if you purchase or download the CD as it's fantastic!

[Archie]

Yes Nick lives..!

I was sat next to him at the first premier of the film. He still lives in London and can be bumped into when the Army play there..

Great band.... Long time ago now!..

[Red]

I'm sure if my memory serves me right he also had a band in the 80's called Orange Car Test   

[Talltigger]

WOW!

Nick lives! If any of you bump into him, please could you mention this posting and ask him to get in touch - I'd love to see him again and catch up.

Thanks

[mooseharris]

I'm sure if my memory serves me right he also had a band in the 80's called Orange Car Test   

No, that wasn't him, it was Luke Sky, original vocalist and guitarist from Fashion, Nick Simms, currently with Cornershop, Jackie Carreira, latterly from Girlschool, and Mac from somewhere in Islington. They were managed by Nigel Morton and Jackie was working in the NMA office at the time.

Our Nicholas George is still around, although I only seem to see him at funerals these days. Tim Hardstaff, who was the guitarist, now does backline for New Model Army and several dance bands, drummer Nick Simms is still doing Cornershop, among other things, later addition and rhythm guitarist Barry Doughty works for Primal Scream and lives a few miles from me, and the guy who played bass on the album is sitting in my chair, typing on my mac.

Robert and I recorded some demos for the band whilst we were doing Thunder and Consolation which got some interest, then after I left New Model Army we did some more demos for Warner Chappell Publishing but the band weren't picked up. I produced a further set of demos which received indy label interest, but the original bassist Andy Stratford then let the band. I played on and produced the last set of demos which Abstract picked up, and these were the basis for the album. I left after a European tour to support the album after an offer of work from The Damned.

Using a couple of fill-in bassists, AHM did another single and tour, which unfortunately underperformed as much as the album, and then lapsed out of contract. They changed their name to something witty, which escapes me currently, before knocking it on the head around 1993.

Fun times...not a bad album, apart from the final mix and errors in the mastering, and certainly a good post-NMA project for me.

[Talltigger]

Moose, that's amazing - thanks for the backstory as well - I still love that AHM album, it's incredibly hard to get hold of. I'd love to see Nick again - is he on here, or is there a way to get a message to him?

[Bill B]

My band Slipstream supported AHM in Cambridge in 1993. That was a great night...

[des]

I remember seeing Atom Heart Mother supporting the NMA in June 1990 at Brixton Academy, I wasnt familiar with who they were but I remember them playing a good gig that evening. 

[Talltigger]

Sorry for the lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng delay in replying, life gets in the way sometimes...

I should also mention that in late 1993 or 94, I managed to help AHM get a swapped / paired set of gigs with a fantastic band of my hometown, Kettering, in Northants. The deal went like this: AHM supported 'Draw' (the Kettering band) in a fantastic pub of it's time 'The Swan' in Kettering, and then a couple of weeks later, 'Draw' supported AHM in the main hall of Queen's Hall at Bradford (I was involved with that venue at the time).

Both gigs were a roaring success - it still remains one of my favourite gigs of all time in 'The Swan' - it was one of those wonderful moments where the pub was packed, everyone was drunk, singing and dancing, and the sun shone. The Queen's Hall gig was also a roaring success, and it was lovely to see both bands have a great time. My nickname at the time was 'Bonehead' (don't ask!) and AHM kindly gave me a 'thank you' on their CD as part of a long list of thank you's. It still makes me smile today.