On Stage & Slightly Out of Tune: Gigs, Posters & Glorious Chaos
Sweaty gigs, torn posters, blurry photos, and the kind of newspaper reviews that prove no one really knew what was going on — but we made the headlines anyway. This is Esprit de Corpse in full stomp: raw, loud, and leaving no village hall unscathed.
- Origins: The original line-up
- Memorabilia: Posters, stubs & setlists
- Galleries: Live chaos caught on camera
- Reviews: What the local press said
Photo Credits: Many of the images below are courtesy of Mark Tampion-Lacey at The Observational Vaults of the Machine — massive thanks to him for digging deep and generously sharing from his archive.
Additional photos have been scanned from personal collections. In many cases, the original photographer is unknown — if that’s you, give me a shout (links in the footer) and I’ll gladly add a credit.
The Original Line-up
Snapped in Luke’s back garden during an early ‘80s band practice — the original Esprit de Corpse line-up, plus a few hangers-on who probably just came for the Jammie Dodgers. No gigs yet, but the post-puberty angst was peaking, and someone had a camera. Classic garden punk vibes: patchy lawns, questionable haircuts, and the sense that something noisy was about to happen.
Photographs above courtesy of Luke.
If you spot yourself in a pic and want yourself cropped or blurred, just let me know — this is all shared with love and respect for the noise we made. Message me via Facebook or Instagram — links are in the footer.
Gig Memorabilia
Posters, Stubs & Scribbled Setlists
Tap the duo-tone teasers to see the original artwork
Gig Galleries
Esprit de Corpse at Urgh, It’s 1984
The Golden Eagle, Haywards Heath – 20th January 1984
A raucous night at The Golden Eagle — sweat, static and spilt beer. Support carnage from Stone Cold and the gloriously unhinged Blue Vein.
Photographs above courtesy of Mark Tampion-Lacey at The Observational Vaults of the Machine
Esprit de Corpse at Why Not 1984?
Oakmeeds Hall, Burgess Hill – 10th March 1984
Oakmeeds Hall, right at the peak of our so-called fame. Blue Vein headlined, with Stone Cold and Tokio Joe rounding out the bill.
Photographs above courtesy of Mark Tampion-Lacey at The Observational Vaults of the Machine
Esprit de Corpse
The Golden Eagle, Haywards Heath – 12th May 1984
Back at The Golden Eagle, sharing the bill once more with Blue Vein and Sense. Familiar noise, familiar chaos.
Photographs above courtesy of Mark Tampion-Lacey at The Observational Vaults of the Machine
Esprit de Corpse
Golden Eagle, Haywards Heath – 31st January 1985
The Golden Eagle residency begins. Black October supporting, though their gloom nearly out-shadowed our chaos.
Photographs above courtesy of Mark Tampion-Lacey at The Observational Vaults of the Machine. Images below are from my personal collection; original photographer unknown.
Esprit de Corpse
Golden Eagle, Haywards Heath – 27th March 1985
Back at The Golden Eagle. Black October supported again, like a recurring dream with a bassline.
Photographs above courtesy of Mark Tampion-Lacey at The Observational Vaults of the Machine. Images below are from my personal collection; original photographer unknown.
Esprit de Corpse
Golden Eagle, Haywards Heath – April 1985
I can’t say exactly when this was, but given the fashion freefall we were clearly mid-plummet — April ’85 feels about right.
Esprit de Corpse at Third World – Food For Thought?
Oakmeeds Hall, Burgess Hill – 18th May 1985
Our swan song at Oakmeeds Hall — Blue Vein on top, Stone Cold and Black October in support. One last glorious racket.
Photographs above courtesy of Mark Tampion-Lacey at The Observational Vaults of the Machine. Images below are from my personal collection; original photographer unknown.
Gig Reviews
College Rock
Originally published by a Brighton Tech student who may or may not have survived the mosh pit.
Due to the gig being announced with all the urgency of a fire drill, many Brighton Tech students missed out on seeing Esprit de Corpse and Moon Zero II tear the common room a new one. Their loss. While some shuffled off for sausage rolls, around 50 stayed behind and got their ears blown off by a double dose of raw noise and sweat.
Both bands delivered what one shaken fresher called “New Shouters” – loud, fast, and not afraid to throw a few shapes while they did it. Fans of The Clash, The Damned, and The Skids would’ve felt right at home — especially if they didn’t mind a PA system that looked like it had been built by a science class and smelled faintly of stale cider.
Esprit de Corpse hit the tiny stage like they were headlining the Marquee: Gary on lead guitar, Dave on bass, Steve screaming into the void, with fresh recruits Mark on drums and Andrew on second guitar.
Despite the lunchtime slot and a lighting rig consisting of a flickering striplight, their stage presence was undeniable—probably because they’d been bashing out these tunes longer than some of the crowd had been shaving.
After the set, frontman Steve told reporters (well, one lad with a notepad), “We came over as a nice bunch of lads and we’re hoping to cut a demo soon.” Yes, Steve. Nice lads. Just don’t check the lyrics to Oral Sects.
Caught Live
Originally printed in a local tabloid, presumably wedged between an ad for double glazing and a column about potholes.
The faithful were out in force for Esprit de Corpse as they brought glorious chaos to a packed Golden Eagle on January 31st, 1985. A total sell-out. Not in the commercial sense, obviously — this was punk, not Spandau Ballet.
The crowd bayed for encores like a pack of feral dogs, and the band — being obliging sorts—delivered more noise, more sweat, and at least one snapped string.
Formed in 1981 after a loud argument about who got to play lead, the band features Steve (vocals, menace), Dave (bass, stubble), Gary (guitar, occasional growls), and Mark (drums, heartbeat of the beast). They mostly write their own material—because no one else would write it for them.
Setlist highlights included crowd favourites Desensitized and P.N.E.U., alongside Words Will Come (allegedly about Mark’s girlfriend, though she denies all knowledge) and Always Loose, a tribute to an ex-member with commitment issues and a perpetually falling waistband.
Flush with the energy of a gig well played — and a few lukewarm lagers — the Corpse lads are now hunting for more dates. There’s also talk of “cutting a demo tape,” which could mean anything from booking a studio to huddling around a ghetto blaster in a shed.
Group Wants to Travel
Published just before their swan song gig, with added dreams of world domination.
Mid Sussex punk outfit Esprit de Corpse are ready to take their racket on the road — or at least as far as Burgess Hill. With a loyal following, a powerful setlist, and a phone number scrawled on many a toilet wall, the band’s ready to blow the roof off more than just the Golden Eagle.
Made up of Steve (vocals), Gary (guitar), Dave (bass), and Mark (drums), the band’s been rattling Haywards Heath’s windows for years now. But like all great punk dreams, they want more. Venues, that is. Preferably ones they can afford without having to sell off pedalboards or sibling organs.
“We’d love to play all over Mid Sussex,” they said, looking wistfully toward East Grinstead. “Shame most venues cost more than our amp setup.”
Their next gig? A blowout charity concert at Oakmeeds School on May 18th, raising funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. It’s called Third World – Food for Thought, and features Blue Vein, Stone Cold, and Black October in what might just be the punkiest PTA meeting ever held.
The Last Stand: Esprit de Corpse Bows Out in Chaos
May 1985. Oakmeeds School, Burgess Hill. A charity gig dressed up as a college fundraiser but, in truth, a last stand for Esprit de Corpse. The bill read like a roll call of Sussex mischief… Stone Cold, Blue Vein, Black October, and us. Four bands, one stage, a few hundred kids, and a whole lot of racket.
The local rag gave it the usual beige write-up: “£107 raised, 400 tickets sold.” Cheers for the maths lesson, lads. What they didn’t bother to mention was the sweat, the anticipation, and the glorious mess of young punks and metalheads turning a school hall into a warzone of noise.
There’s a photo (above) from that night. Bands and fans lined up, all grins and attitude before the chaos kicked off. Gary made it in, Mark’s in there, Boney too. Me? Missing. Vanished. Out for a beer? Hiding in the bogs? Or maybe quietly erased by history. No one knows. No one ever will.
What we do know is this: it was the final curtain for Esprit de Corpse. Our last ever gig. No encores, no comebacks, just one last night of snarling defiance before fading into myth.
And if we need an epitaph, we’ll steal it shamelessly and make it our own…
Esprit de Corpse — you got what you wanted
Esprit de Corpse belongs to us
It was our entrance, our own creation
Our grand finale, our goodbye!
Dave The Punk 