Legends of the squat scene return home

Anarka and Poppy will be support for Slutch, ex-U.K. Subs bass player Brian Barnes, and TV Smith, singer for The Adverts and songwriter of their hit Gary Gilmore’s Eyes.”

Anarka and Poppy emerged from a squat scene in Preston.

They tackled controversial subject matter from the start, in what proved to be a pivotal time for the city’s underground scene, including animal rights.

They began in 1981 as a guitar/vocal duo (Jane and Neil) as Nihilistic Insurrection and later joined by Stoko on drums(who replaced Neil in ‘82).

They played their first gig only six days after forming with Disorder in Liverpool.

At that point they changed their name to Anarka and Poppy (Anarka meaning anarchy and Poppy meaning red in the black/red revolutionary flag).

In 1984, Anarka and Poppy where given the chance to record an EP, All The Madmen.

They recorded three tracks but in the end All The Madmen changed hands (or had financial difficulties) and the single was lost and never released.

They play on Friday, April 11 at The Continental.

Tickets: £8.

TV Smith and the Adverts also charted with Not Time To Be 21, with the band touring with The Damned and Iggy Pop.

The album that followed in 1978, Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts charted on its first week of release.

Go online here to see Malcolm Wyatt’s interview with Anarka and Poppy from October last year.