Stockholm Monsters

History

The band formed in Manchester in 1980 with a line-up of Tony France (vocals, guitar), Karl France (bass guitar, keyboards), Ged Duffy, and Shan Hira (drums). They were later joined by Lita Hira (keyboards), John Rhodes and trumpeter (and later keyboard player) Lindsay Anderson. The band's debut release was the "Fairy Tales" 7-inch single on Factory Records in September 1981, produced by Martin Hannett. The single reached number 43 on the UK Independent Chart.

Two further singles followed before the release of their only studio album, Alma Mater, in 1984. Produced by Peter Hook of New Order, it was described by Allmusic as "a terribly satisfying record that was all but ignored at the time of its release but sounds absolutely prescient in hindsight". Several EPs and singles followed, including "How Corrupt is Rough Trade?", an attack on Factory's then distributor, which reached number 47 on the UK indie chart, and the Peter Hook-produced "Partyline", before the band split up in 1987.

In 2002 Noel Gallagher of Oasis revealed that "I started to get into music early on because all the older guys that lived round our way were in a band from Burnage called the Stockholm Monsters. They were the first band ever to come from Burnage and I think they had a hit with a song called Fairy Tales. From that you get into Joy Division, New Order and then it was the Smiths and then the Roses and then the Mondays - and then you start your own band."

Three CD collections by Stockholm Monsters were released in 2001 by LTM Records. In 2014 a double vinyl edition featuring their singles and the Alma Mater album was issued by US label Captured Tracks.

Shan Hira later worked as a sound engineer and producer and ran Suite 16 studio in Rochdale, formerly Cargo Studios.

Albums

Singles, EPs