Doctors of Madness

1974: Formation, band members The Doctors of Madness were formed in 1974 in a cellar in Brixton, south London, by the band's composer and lead singer/guitarist, Richard Strange, known as ‘Kid’ Strange. To provide a platform for his musical ideas and compositions, which analysed urban culture neurosis and systems of control, Strange joined forces with Stoner (Colin Bentley: bass guitar, vocals), Peter DiLemma (Pete Hewes: drums, vocals), and Urban Blitz (Geoff Hickmer: electric violin, baritone violectra and lead guitar) to provide a link between the early 1970s progressive rock and glam rock of David Bowie and Roxy Music and the later 1970s punk rock of the Sex Pistols and the Clash. Strange cited the Velvet Underground and writer William S. Burroughs as major influences on the band's music. 1975: Manager Bryan Morrison Following months of cellar rehearsals, the band played their first gig in December 1974 at Hampstead Town Hall, North London. Having been encouraged by the reception they received, the band followed up in March 1975 with a series of gigs at the Cabbage Patch pub in Twickenham, south-west London, where they were spotted by a talent scout for music manager Bryan Morrison, who had managed Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett and Marc Bolan. Morrison came to see them and was impressed. Morrison and his then partner Justin de Villeneuve launched an intensive publicity campaign to promote the band, which included an appearance on the BBC's prime time UK television The Twiggy Show. They were the opening act at the three-day Great British Music Festival at Olympia in London on 31 December 1975. The band signed to Polydor Records for the UK and Europe. The Doctors of Madness were BBC Radio DJ John Peel's featured artists on 25 November 1976, and received British television exposure during 1975/76 on the Twiggy Show and the Janet Street-Porter Show. 1975-1978: Tours, theatrical style The Doctors of Madness toured extensively in Great Britain and continental Europe, gigging in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden. Their early stage shows, in which Strange appeared with dyed-blue hair and Stoner wore skeletal-style make-up, incorporated costumes, props, make-up, projected backdrop images, smoke, strobe lights, theatrical spot-lighting and taped sound effects. Stoner recalled that they had wanted to create "a really outrageous image to match the songs Richard was writing". Strange spoke of a cinematic style of song-writing, "where the images come in and out, not making much sense on a rational level, more on a sensory one ... very sleazy, underground and outrageous." Supporting acts during their heyday included the Sex Pistols (Middlesbrough 1976), the Jam (London Marquee on several occasions 1976), Joy Division (as "Warsaw" Manchester 1976) and Simple Minds (as "Johnny and the Self Abusers" Falkirk 1976). In 1977 Richard 'Kid' Strange was best man at the wedding of Dave Vanian of the Damned. The band's tour manager and sound engineer was Dave 'Hobbs' Hilsden, who Strange called 'Obbsy'. Hilsden was subsequently sound engineer, road manager and crew boss for Motörhead for 30 years until his death in 2015. 1975-1978: Albums Between 1975 and 1978, the Doctors of Madness recorded three albums for Polydor records: Late Night Movies, All Night Brainstorms [1976], produced by John Punter; Figments of Emancipation [1976], recorded at Abbey Road studios with producer John Leckie; and Sons of Survival [1978], recorded at Majestic Studios in Clapham, South London in late 1977. It was decided to give the band's third album a more 'punk' feel, and the tracks on Sons of Survival were mostly recorded as high-volume live performances in the studio. Dave Hilsden was credited as producer. "Bulletin" from Sons of Survival, backed by "Waiting" from Late Night Movies, All Night Brainstorms, was released as a single in late 1977. 1978: Urban Blitz, Dave Vanian, final gig Urban Blitz left the band early in 1978, immediately after the release of Sons of Survival, because of musical and personal differences. He was briefly replaced by singer Dave Vanian of punk rock band the Damned, who had temporarily split. The Doctors of Madness had been known informally as 'the Doctors' (or 'the Dox'). After the release of Sons of Survival Kid Strange renamed the band 'the Doctors', and Strange, Stoner and Peter DiLemma continued as a trio, minus violinist. The Doctors disbanded later in 1978 after disappointing sales of Sons of Survival and withdrawal of record company support. They played their final gig at The Music Machine in Camden, North London, on 26 October 1978, with TV Smith of the Adverts as a guest. ==Later developments==