The Silence
- The Zodiac (with audience shots)
- The Zodiac
- Hope And Anchor
- Lanch Main Hall, with Eyeless In Gaza, 1981
I shot quite a bit of The Silence but my memory is blank as to what they sounded like. Still they look the part, black leather jackets, gituars.
Hi Mark. I can’t believe I have stumbled across these! I just googled “The Silence The Zodiac” & almost fell off my chair!
Fantastic pictures & memories. Thanks for posting them online. I think the pics from “The Zodiac (with audience shots)” must be earlier than 1981. It is the earliest gig in terms of the pics here & possibly our first in a pub, judging by guitars, hair cuts & clothes. I would put it early 1980.
The other Zodiac set seems later, with the Hope & Anchor next & the Lanch last of all.
The Silence seem to have been largely forgotten, so it’s great to see these pics make the light of day after all these years.
Thanks again,
Rob (the bass player).
hi
great to hear from you, I’ll update the info to follow your notes
Mark
Hi again Mark.
After sending a link to my brother (Freddie, vocals, guitar in the band) we think the “zodiac with audience” is very likely the first Silence gig.
We were supposed to be supporting the Neon Hearts, but they didn’t turn up, so with some coaxing from John Willcx (John Cocaine, the Cov punk dj) we headlined.
That’s why there is no PA in the pics, I think we put one mic through a guitar cab.
We went down well & when we came off, a guy at the bar told me we sounded like The Fall (who I had never heard of at the time).
The Silence were around from 79 to 81/82 I think then Freddie & I went on to play in Laughing House.
Do you have any more pics of The Silence? It would be great to see them.
Cheers, Rob.
hi
do you have dates for any of those gigs?
+ I’ve uploaded all The Silence shots I have.
Mark
Will have a think & get back to you about the dates.
Been looking at the rest of the bands pics. Some brilliant stuff & great to see some faces from the past.
I’m so glad I found this site & that you took all these photo’s & kept them all this time!
Hi again Mark. Found a scan of an old copy of Alternative Sounds. The first gig at the Zodiac was in March 1980.
Will keep looking for more date info.
Hi Mark,
My brother Rob told about your website but it has taken me a while to really sit down & shift through it.
I was the rhythm guitarist/lead singer in the Silence.
There are images on here that I never thought existed, never mind see again.
It really has amazed me.
Its fantastic on a personal level to see these moments in time that would have been lost for ever if you hadn’t taken the time to create this site.
But this is also an historical document of a crucial time in Coventry’s history.
Have you ever exhibited your work? these should be seen by as wide an audience as possible.
Any way brilliant work Mark & if you have any more photographs when you have the time please add them to this collection, its bought back so many memories & people I had forgotten.
Best Regards
Freddie
hi
thanks for that response & checking out the site!
I’d like to do more with the material, not least an exhibition of proper photographic prints.
Mark