1919 (band)

History (1980-84)

The band was formed in late 1980 by Guitarist Mark Tighe and Vocalist Ian Tilleard. After starting life as Heaven Seventeen, and with early lineups including a pre-Zodiac Mindwarp Mark Manning, the band eventually settled as 1919 (after a book belonging to Tighe) with Nick Hiles on Bass and Mick Reed on Drums. Their intention was, according to Reed, "to create a heavy melodic intense dance band with no frills and no intentions".

In 1982, 1919 released a 7" white label promo of Repulsion//Tear Down These Walls, and were subsequently invited to record their first session with John Peel in May that year. 1982 would see the single re-released on Red Rhino Records, as well as the single Caged//After The Fall and the LP Machine.

In 1983, Bassist Hiles was replaced by Steve Madden, and the band recorded their second and final Peel session on May 4. Madden featured on the final recordings of this era, a 7" and 12" version of Cry Wolf//Storm and Cry Wolf//Dream//Storm respectively, which were released on Abstract Records along with the 12" Earth Song EP, released in 1984 after the band's dissolution.

During this period, 1919 had also included Kev Aston (Saxophone) and Sputnik (Synthesizer) at various times as part of their ensemble.

Another Cinema (1984-85)

With Reed's departure from 1919 to form The Hive, the band decided to take a new direction and changed their name to Another Cinema, with the lineup now Tighe, Tilleard, Madden, and Stefan Khacheturian - who was introduced through a collaboration with former bassist Hiles in ICE - on drums. The band were once again taken under the wing of Red Rhino founder Tony Kostrzewa, this time releasing their singles I Had a Bad Dream Last Night (1984), Hallucination Spires (1984), and Midnight Blue Oceans under the Altered States banner. The band called it a day in 1986.

Dark Temple (2004-05)

Interest in 1919 was stirred up after Abstract's 2001 Cherry Red Records release of The Complete Collection on CD. However, with relations with Tilleard broken down and Madden's retirement from music, Tighe decided to pursue a 1919 comeback with a new lineup culminating in the Dark Temple Mini-Album. The lineup consisted of Tighe, with new members Richard Green, Ian Hardcastle, and Dave Green, and was released on Tighe's own We Must Mutate label.

Despite good reviews from Mick Mercer and others, the industrial sound of the album proved divisive amongst fans. The album sold out of its limited run, but Tighe pulled the plug after the new lineup failed to live up to his vision of a 1919 return - even destroying the master tapes. The band would never perform live with this lineup.

Comeback (2014-present)

Thanks largely to the emergence of streaming sites, the early work of the band continued to generate interest among fans. In 2014, Tighe started working on new material with bass player and vocalist Rio Goldhammer. Their self-released download of Revenge ,and accompanying video, came as a surprise to most fans but was received well. Mick Mercer again rated the track highly, and the band signed almost immediately with Deadfall Management.

The band performed their first show, headlining Leipzig's Gothic Pogo Festival on Friday, May 22, and began to announce further dates across Europe. On August 30, 2015, it was announced that Reed had returned to the band as their permanent drummer and that, with the addition of Karl Donner on bass, 1919 would once again be a 4-piece, with Goldhammer remaining on vocals.

Albums

Singles and EPs

Compilations