In December 1979 after The Epileptics lost their drummer, Colin Latter and Derek Birkett found a replacement and continued gigging. They soon decided that with a new sound and a new set they should change their name. Colin had become interested in North American Indian culture and suggested Tribe Of Pink Indians, before settling on Flux Of Pink Indians in August 1980. Demos were recorded and the band played Stonehenge when the infamous ‘biker’s riot’ occurred (during which Colin got bottled). Spring 1981 saw the release of the legendary ‘Neu Smell’ EP on the Crass label which reached No. 2 in the indie charts and sold 40,000 copies.
Flux were now an integral part of the Anarcho-Punk scene and were receiving the attention of the secret service who camped outside their house, taped their phone calls and followed the band around.
1982 saw the release of the ground breaking ‘Strive’ album which sold 20,000 copies despite refusal of the band to promote it. No promotional copies were sent to the press or radio and no advertising was permitted.
FOPI decided a far more experimental path should be taken (the idea being that by making the music un-listenable people would concentrate on the lyrics) with ‘The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks’ which was banned by HMV and seized from one shop by the police. The subsequent release ‘Taking A Liberty’ sold only 5,000.
After releasing the more rhythm and dance orientated album ‘The Uncarved Block’ in 1986 on their own One Little Indian label the band expanded to a 15 piece, toured and decided to call it a day.
This is a limited pressing of 500 copies with a 4-page insert. It’s the original demos for the ‘Strive To Survive’ album plus other demos and recordings from 1980/81.
