The Fire Dept (1987–2004) were a British punk rock group. The main core of the band over the years comprised Neil Palmer on guitar and vocals, Neale Richardson on bass and Robin Taylor on drums. Johnny Johnson of Thee Headcoats (and also of The Cannibals) played bass on stage from 1995 to 1997, and on the Fire Dept's Elpee for Another Time (1996).
Contents
History
The Fire Dept were a punk rock group started in 1987 in Cambridge, England, that played in the same garage rock or garage punk genre (also known at that time as 60s punk) as many other bands in the British Isles during the late 1980s and early 90s, most notably Thee Headcoats and The Thanes.
In 1988, the Fire Dept moved to Brighton and mainly performed locally and in London, where they played most often at the Wild Western Rooms, in the back room of the St John's Tavern, Archway, which was the monthly home of Thee Headcoats throughout the 1990s. It was there that they supported many 1960s Beat groups rediscovered and encouraged to reform by the promoter, Slim Chance.
Billy Childish released the Fire Dept's second single, "Last One There" b/w "She Saw Me" on his Hangman's Daughter label in 1995. Later that year, Childish produced the Fire Dept's first LP, L'Oeuf d'Or, all the material on which was recorded by Liam Watson during various sessions at Toe Rag Studios, in its original location in Shoreditch, from 1991 to 1995. This first album was cited as an ancestor of The White Stripes' "Elephant" album by respected analogue recording neo-pioneer and Black Keys producer, Mark Neill [1], who helped set up Toe Rag Studios in Hackney, after its move from Shoreditch.
Their second long-player, a punk rock concept album, Elpee for Another Time, was released through Yep! Records of Hove in 1996. This LP was accompanied by an explanatory booklet including a foreword by writer, subcultural pamphleteer, underground art historian, and activist, Stewart Home, and an essay by underground novelist, Simon Strong. Liam Watson included the Fire Dept's version of "Mental Block" (originally written by Sean Thomas and performed by the early-1980s Bristol mod band, The Reaction) as one of his favourite tracks on The Sympathetic Sounds Of Toe-Rag Studios, London, issued in 2002 by Sympathy for the Record Industry. A retrospective album of previously unreleased material, The History of Fen Punk, Vol. III, was issued by Cormorant Recordings of Brighton in 2003.
In 2004, the Fire Dept played for the last time with the Buff Medways at the Dirty Water Club in Tufnell Park, London. Neil Palmer formed The Vermin Poets with Billy Childish and Julie Hamper in early 2007.
Fire Department have played a few gigs in the last few years although not the amount of previous years, a rumoured re-release, on high quality vinyl, from some one in Portland Oregon is underway and due for release in 2014.
It appears that the band have not split or ceased but will be played at The Shacklewell Arms in Dalston on Friday 5 December 2014 supporting Jonny Moped, Ye Nuns, Jowe Head & Leigh Heggarty. Billy Childish may also have been there.
Fire department played a session with Marc Riley on 19 February 2015 which was great, also Marc played a track by Billy Childish called "A Flame from the Fen" http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/23ef9155-df05-4e3a-8109-acb603f3146d
This was a tribute to "The Fire Department" from "Wild Billy Childish"