Active from 1973 | Members Russell Young | |
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The Table were a punk rock band from Cardiff, Wales, best known for their 1977 single "Do The Standing Still (Classics Illustrated)".
They consisted of Russell Young (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass), Tony Barnes (guitars, bass), Len Lewis (drums) and Mickey O'Connor (guitars). Young and Barnes had been performing together since 1971 in the band John Stabber, and formed Do You Want This Table (later shortened to The Table) in 1972. However, they did not own any instruments, refused to tour, and stated that they were not a "real" band and had no future in the music industry. Despite this, they were signed to Virgin Records and released "Do The Standing Still (Classics Illustrated)", first recorded as a demo in 1975. The record became an NME 'Single Of The Week', rapidly became a cult favourite, and subsequently appeared on several punk compilation albums.
Record label pressure saw them reluctantly become a well received live act. However, their uncompromising stance led to disagreements with Virgin, and they left, signing to Chiswick Records in 1978 and releasing a second single, "Sex Cells". The band ceased to exist after several line-up changes and a policy of playing increasingly uncommercial and distasteful material. Young's later band, Flying Colours, released a single, "Abstract Art", on No Records in 1981.