Spear Of Destiny
Barely six months after the demise of Theatre of Hate, Kirk
Brandon was braving it on stage in Manchester with a new band, a
new name and a new repertoire. To say his audience were slightly
perplexed by Spear of Destiny's brassier tribal Goth-Dub would
be putting it mildly . . .
Their much-anticipated debut album, Grapes Of Wrath,
disappointed critics and James and Bell left the band in short
order. They were replaced by Neil Pyzer (keyboards) and Dolphin
Taylor (drums), and joined by ex-Theatre Of Hate saxophonist
John 'Boy' Lennard.
The line-up shuffling continued with Lennard shortly replaced
by Mickey Donnelly and second guitarist Alan St Claire joining
the group.
Their 1984 album, One Eyed Jacks, was critically
acclaimed, signalling Spear Of Destiny had reached its creative
peak. A mix of rock anthems and soulful ballads the LP achieved
healthy sales, although the singles from the album - Prisoner
Of Love and Liberator - did not fare as well.
Touring consistently throughout 1984 and 1985, the group
earned a reputation as one of the finest live outfits around,
and on World Service (1985) they managed to capture
this intensity, resulting in the album reaching number 11 on the
charts.
Unfortunately, clashes with their label (CBS) ended
acrimoniously and the group disbanded. Brandon re-formed
the band in 1986 with a completely new line-up.
The new personnel created their first Top 20 hit single, Never
Take Me Alive, in 1987. Sell-out shows followed, along with
a successful album (Outland).
They repeated the success in 1988 with their single So In
Love, from the album The Price.
Brandon, who was suffering from a rare blood disorder, then
split the band once more.
After a failed crack at a career in the US, law suits with
Culture Club's Boy George and eventual bankruptcy, Brandon
formed the band again in the 1990s, and since that time has
toured on and off as either Spear Of Destiny or Theatre Of Hate
- sometimes interchangeably - with fluid line-ups.
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