Discography

• From the people responsible for ROAR magazine comes 'Giraffe in Flames', a 14 track sampler that retails for £1.99. Like all compilations, you have to keep moving the stylus to avoid disaster areas, but there are one or two moments lurking among the drab poetry and rickety racket. 'Rabbit Pie' by Party Day is a slightly off-centre stab at U2's blood and thunder, very stirring, whilst the light, relaxed vocals and crafted interplay on 'Abigails Party' reveal Victims of Romance to be worthy of further investigation.

  As a very small and cheap drop in the ocean with limited aims and a heart in near enough the right place, 'Giraffe in Flames' can't be faulted.

  BART BARTIE - NME, 17 March 84

• For less than £2, discover 'Giraffe in Flames' and catch a fresh whiff of local culture. A forty minute compilation of ten Yorkshire bands, the album is the first release from the Leeds based Aaz Records.

  'Rabbit Pie' provides the promising start. No strangers to the local circuit, Party Day have gigged consistently for almost a year. Here, the sound of splintered guitar over beguiling vocals, should be enough to provide the Barnsley trio with the recognition they deserve.

  NEM - LEEDS OTHER PAPER, 27 January 1984.

"The trouble with Barnsley," announces Party Day's self-appointed spokesman, Martin Steele, "is that there's too many bands. People start up a band one week and by the next, it's broken up again. They've got no staying power. They're all content to jump on the latest bandwagon, they don't try to create something new themselves."

Party Day are trying to do something different. Originally inspired by punk, they've been going for 3 years now. Martin, Carl Firth and Mick Baker are all founding members. I interviewed them on the occasion of the release of their second single, 'The Spider' on their own Party Day Records label. It follows up the successful 'Row the Boat Ashore' which made in-roads on the indie charts last year. The new single has a more moody, introspective feel, with poetic and enigmatic lyrics. "We've got hundreds of songs which we all write together - we're very democratic. People can come and see us over and over again and never get bored, because we can change the set every night. Whenever we play, we manage to fill a 27 seater bus with fans." Are those your friends or people who've got interested through the music? "Oh, some of them are our enemies. As long as they pay their money, we don't care."

They have a few horror stories to relate. They did a gig once at the '1 in 12 Club' in Bradford: "It was an all-day affair. We were told we'd be on at 5 o'clock. Then the management asked if we'd mind lending our gear to the other bands. So everyone else went on with our instruments and we didn't play until 11 at night. To top it all, we didn't even get paid."

The conversation drifts to the subject of local Leeds bands. As it happens, a member of The Three Johns - is in the other room so we fetch him in. The two bands reminisce and it turns out that The Three Johns were also playing at the ill-fated '1 in 12 club'. "When did you get onstage? We didn't play until 11 and everyone had gone home. There was only one bloke dancing . . . "That was me!" says John delightedly. "I remember you. I thought you were great." All too soon it's closing time and Party Day slope off to the bus station. No dates are settled yet, but gigs will be arranged to promote the new single. They are well worth looking out for.

Discography

"Getting up is just like hell"

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