{"id":46234,"date":"2019-02-12T11:34:28","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T11:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=46234"},"modified":"2019-02-12T11:34:29","modified_gmt":"2019-02-12T11:34:29","slug":"real-horrorshow-scars-guitarist-returns-with-cross-generational-sci-fi-glam-punk-outfit-voicex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/02\/real-horrorshow-scars-guitarist-returns-with-cross-generational-sci-fi-glam-punk-outfit-voicex\/","title":{"rendered":"REAL HORRORSHOW – Scars Guitarist Returns With ‘Cross-Generational Sci-Fi Glam-Punk’ Outfit VoiceX"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bursting out of the Edinburgh punk scene of the late ’70s, Scars<\/strong> were a potent mix of youthful aggression and serious songwriting chops.<\/h4>\n

Their debut single Horrorshow<\/strong><\/em> – a double A-side with the equally striking\u00a0Adult\/ery\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(sic) – was a typically ambitious take on\u00a0Anthony Burgess’\u00a0<\/strong>futuristic nightmare\u00a0A Clockwork Orange<\/strong><\/em>.<\/h4>\n

Dripping with Nadsat, unsettling spiky guitars and an adroit, off-kilter bass line, it was subsequently hailed by\u00a0Douglas MacIntyre\u00a0<\/strong>of Scottish indie label Creeping Bent <\/em><\/strong>as Scotland’s\u00a0Anarchy In The UK<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The band were signed by an affiliate of major label\u00a0Charisma Records<\/strong>\u00a0and recorded two sessions for\u00a0John Peel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But, like The Pistols, their initial career was brief as the band split after just one album\u00a0Author! Author!<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0released\u00a0in 1981.<\/p>\n

And for several years that was it, Scars seemingly destined to remain a footnote in the annals of Scottish alternative rock.<\/p>\n

Then in 2005\u00a0Lemon Jelly\u00a0<\/strong>sampled\u00a0Horrorshow\u00a0<\/em>on their\u00a0Shouty Track <\/em><\/strong>single from the album\u00a064-95<\/strong><\/em>, paving the way for the rediscovery of the group described by The Guardian as\u00a0The Last Great Lost Band<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Matt Catchpole\u00a0<\/strong>asked\u00a0Scars founder and lead guitarist Paul Mackie<\/strong>, aka\u00a0Paul Research,<\/strong> \u00a0<\/strong>about the band’s enduring influence and his new ‘supergroup’\u00a0VoiceX<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Scar Faces – Paul Research (far right) with Robert King (vocals), John Mackie (bass) and Calumn Mackay (drums)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Part of a scene centred around the Tap o’ Lauriston\u00a0<\/strong>pub in Edinburgh, Scars were formed in 1977, by Paul and brother John Mackie<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“I went into my brother John’s room, where he was practising guitar and asked him to switch to bass. The rest of the story is told on the Scars mini-documentary.”<\/p>\n

Paul is referring to\u00a0The Story Of The<\/strong><\/em> Scars\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/span>a short film directed by\u00a0Grant McPhee\u00a0<\/strong>in the run up to the band’s one-off reunion gig in 2010, but more of that later.<\/p>\n

Frontman\u00a0Robert King\u00a0<\/strong>and drummer Calumn Mackay\u00a0<\/strong>were subsequently recruited via an ad in Hot Licks <\/strong>music store in Cockburn Street.<\/p>\n

Paul says Scars were originally influenced by bands from the glam era, particularly David Bowie<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“Look at the cover versions we played:\u00a0Mick Ronson<\/strong>,\u00a0Alex Harvey<\/strong>,\u00a0Cockney Rebel<\/strong>. My first records were\u00a0Look Wot U Done<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>by\u00a0Slade\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Jeepster\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>by\u00a0T-Rex<\/strong>. Oh, and\u00a0Without You\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>by Nilsson.<\/p>\n

“But the biggest influence was and is David Bowie. That goes way beyond music though. Bowie’s like my life coach. He’s a religion to me.”<\/p>\n

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Author! Author! cover art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The real trigger for the explosion in Scottish alternative rock was the emergence of the punk scene across the border led by The Sex Pistols <\/strong>and The Clash<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

According to the documentary Big Gold Dream<\/strong><\/em>, it was The Clash’s show at the\u00a0Edinburgh Playhouse\u00a0<\/strong>on 7 May, 1977 that provided crucial impetus.<\/p>\n

“The Scars were already a band at that point. We started in February 1977, but that show put punk on the map and helped a lot of like-minded people find each other,” Paul explains.<\/p>\n

Besides Scars, bands like The Cubs<\/strong> and\u00a0Fire Engines\u00a0<\/strong>in Edinburgh and\u00a0Postcard\u00a0<\/strong>label luminaries from Glasgow like\u00a0Orange Juice<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Josef K<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>began to garner national attention.<\/p>\n

Scars double A-side debut came out on\u00a0Fast Product <\/strong>– an uber cool label which released early tracks by The Human League<\/strong>, The Gang of Four<\/strong> and Joy Division<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

While he disputes Joy Division’s exact relationship with Fast, Paul admits he was a major admirer.<\/p>\n

“People say they were on Fast, they weren’t really. But they were so amazing, Saw them play at\u00a0Heaven.\u00a0<\/strong>It was good, but to be truthful having a three-way conversation with\u00a0Paul Morley\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Kelly\u00a0<\/strong>[Johnson<\/strong>] from\u00a0Girlschool <\/strong>was what made it a truly memorable night.”<\/p>\n

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Scars with new drummer Steve McLaughlin and a change of image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Scars would come to regret the terms of their deal with Fast, which to this day means they have no control over perhaps their most famous song.<\/p>\n

“We signed a contract with Fast Product allowing them exclusive rights to those recordings ‘in perpetuity’ – that means forever,’ says Paul bitterly. “They just love sticking up two fingers to us.”<\/p>\n

By the time it came to recording the album, Scars had begun to blend brittle post-punk with a more danceable, commercial sound – aided by new drummer\u00a0Steve McLaughlin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The band’s image had also evolved, their dress sense reflecting that of the emerging\u00a0New Romantic\u00a0<\/strong>scene.<\/p>\n

So hip were they becoming that Issue 3 of fashion and culture bible\u00a0ID\u00a0<\/strong>magazine featured a gold flexidisc of Scars’\u00a0Your Attention Please<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>– which referenced the very real fears of nuclear conflict prevalent at the time.<\/p>\n