The Bugs - Infecting your mind!

The Bugs.

In 1986, Essex did witness the spread & start of a major bug infestation!!

Colchester spawned 5 bugs and soon everyone in their path would be infected!!

Lloyd Tripp (Bass) had just finished with the highly successful band The Vibes and was itching (see what I did there) to form another garage band. He was approached by young brothers Richard and Martin Smith from Colchester who had just seen their first trash band The Half-Lings come to an abrupt end (The Half-Lings only played 8 shows but were really kicking up some dust and supported bands Like The Sting-Rays, The X-Men, Len Bright Combo and Bad Karma Beckons in that short space of time) .So they plucked up the courage to ask Lloyd to see if he wanted to practice a few tunes and see what sorta racket they could make.
The Bugs were spawned and ready to go!

The 1986 Line-Up was.

Lloyd Tripp - Upright Bass
Martin Smith - Vocals
Richard Smith - Lead Guitar
Malcolm X - 2nd Guitar
Anton Rapley - Drums

BIG THANKS to Richard Smith and Miki Berenyi for loadsa gig info and photos.

1986.

1 - Wed - 23/07/86 - Fulham Greyhound, London + Blubberry Hellbellies.
2 - Fri - 25/07/86 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + Killer Goat
3 - Fri - 29/08/86 - Bull & Gate, London + Blubberry Hellbellies
4 - Fri - 26/09/86 - Sir George Robey, London + The Sting-Rays + Lazy Daze.
5 - Sun - 28/09/86 - Barrel Organ, Digbeth, B'Ham + The Sting-Rays + Phantom Zone.
6 - Sat - 04/10/86 - Bumbles, Acton + The Cannibals.

Bumbles - Acton 04/10/86

The Bugs - Bumbles + (Mike Spenser's back)

7 - Thurs - 09/10/86 - Bumbles, Acton + The Rover Girls
8 - Fri - 10/10/86 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + Milk Monitors.
9 - Fri - 17/10/86 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + Margin Of Sanity
10 - Fri - 28/11/86 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + The Locomotives + Saddle Whores.

Courtesy Bob Collins

11 - Sat - 29/11/86 - Golden Lady, Stoke Newington + The X-Men

12 - Fri - 05/12/86 - Mardi Gras, Nottingham + Living In Texas + Jellyfish Kiss.
13 - Sun - 07/12/86 - The Mermaid, Birmingham + Living In Texas
14 - Sat - 13/12/86 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + Living In Texas.
15 - Sat - 27/12/86 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + Surfin' Lungs.


1987  

1 - Thurs - 01/01/87 - Sir George Robey, London + The X-Men + Tongue.

Sir George Robey 1980's (demolished 2015)

2 - Fri - 02/01/87 - The Crypt, Deptford + Living In Texas.
3 - Thurs - 22/01/87 - Sir George Robey, London + The X-Men + The Mighty Caesars .

The Bed Bugs = The Bugs

4 - Tues - 03/02/87 - Bull & Gate, London + Altered States + No Corridors.
5 - Mon - 16/02/87 - Doorn Roosje, Nijmegan, Holland + The Sting-Rays.
6 - Tues - 17/02/87 - Simplon, Groningen, Holland + The Sting-Rays
7 - Wed - 18/02/87 - Melkweg, Amsterdam, Holland + The Sting-Rays 
8 - Fri - 27/02/87 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + The Locomotives + Dimensions Five.

The Bugs - 3 track EP (Green Vinyl) was released on Mike Spenser's 'Hit' Record label. Cover songs were 'Leavin' Here', 'See If I Care' and an original Bugs song 'Leave Us Alone'

EP Back Cover - 1987

9 - Fri - 06/03/87 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + Ug & The Cavemen + The X-Men.

10 - Sat - 07/03/87 - Porterhouse, Retford + The Sting-Rays + Public Address.
11 - Mon - 09/03/87 - Kent University, Canterbury + Living In Texas. 
12 - Thurs - 12/03/87 - Zap Club, Brighton + Margin Of Sanity.
13 - Tues - 17/03/87 - 100 Club, Oxford St, London + The Sting-Rays + Court Jesters + Meat Injection.
14 - Thurs - 26/03/87 - Niteline Club, Bath + The Locomotives 
15 - Fri - 03/04/87 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + The Frantix. 

The Bugs - Debut LP 'Darkside' was released on Big Beat Records. 12 of the best garage tunes you'll hear in a very long time.

Artwork by 'Go Teen' AKA Bal Croce

Melody Maker Review - Sep 1987

16 - Thurs - 30/04/87 - The Trash Can, Clarendon (Upstairs ballroom) + The Purple Things + The X-Men + The Cannibals + Surfadelics.

30/04/87 - Trash Can - Photo © Jez Nixon

The Bugs - 30/04/87 - Photo © Jez Nixon

17 - Fri - 08/05/87 - Attack Club, Enschede, Holland 
18 - Sat - 09/05/87 - Korstr, Hannover, Germany + Sunny Domestoz
19 - Sun - 10/05/87 - Let's Rock, Hamburg 
20 - Mon - 11/05/87 - Atlantis Club, Zeven, Germany.
21 - Tues - 12/05/87 - Club Krug, Munster, Germany
22 - Wed - 13/05/87 - Kling Klang Club, Wilhemshaven, Germany
23 - Thurs - 14/05/87 - Hard Rock Club, Manheim, Germany
24 - Fri - 15/05/87 - Farblos, Schonberg, Germany
25 - Sat - 16/05/87 - Blaue Fliese, Kempten + Arch Criminals
26 - Sun - 17/05/87 - Cafe Libela, Kirchweildach, Germany
27 - Tue - 19/05/87 - Chelsea Club, Vienna, Austria
28 - Thurs - 16/07/87 - Sir George Robey, London + Ug & The Cavemen.

29 - Thurs - 20/08/87 - Sir George Robey, London + The Shockwaves.

30 - Fri - 21/08/87 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + Fungus Box.

Somewhere around this time after the Euro tour Lloyd Tripp, Malcolm X & Anton Rapley left the band.

The New Bugs Line Up .

Martin Smith - Vocals.
Richard Smith - Lead Guitar.
Miki Berenyi - Bass Guitar.
Geoffrey C. Clarke - Drums
Dave Arbon - 2nd Guitar.

Photo © Miki Berenyi
L-R , Dave, Geoffrey, Richard, Martin & Miki

31 - Fri - 02/10/87 - The Golden Lady, London + The Auctioneers.

The Golden Lady in 1988

32 - Thurs - 22/10/87 - Sir George Robey, London + Surfin' Lungs + The Rover Girls.

33 - Fri - 30/10/87 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + Thee Ardvarks.
34 - Fri/Sat - 30/31/10/87 - The Crypt, Deptford (2am Halloween show directly after the Clarendon gig) + Freaks Of Science.

 The Crypt - Photo © Stephen Lissenden

Around this time the band recorded 4 tracks at 'The Works' studio in Colchester (These were finally released in 2018 by Trash Wax) as part of their 'Garbage Grails' series (Below)

35 - Sat - 14/11/87 - Sir George Robey, London + Ug & The Cavemen

Photo's © Ian Slinger

36 - Tues - 17/11/87 - The Crystal Ship, Harringay, London.

Flyer courtesy Ian Slinger

37 - Thurs - 26/11/87 - Rose Club, Cologne, Germany + The Cheap Gringos.
38 - Tues - 01/12/87 - Odeon, Munster, Germany.
39 - Thurs - 03/12/87 - Hard Rock Club, Manheim, Germany.
40 - Sat - 05/12/87 - Juz Club, Dillingen, Germany + Les Hommes Volants.
41 - Sun - 06/12/87 - Juz Club, Crailsheim, Germany + Deliverance 
42 - Tues - 08/12/87 - Atlantic, Freiburg, Germany.
43 - Wed - 09/12/87 - Farblos, Schonburg, Germany

The Bugs - On Tour
Richard, Martin, Dave, Miki and Geoffrey

44 - Thurs -10/12/87 - Juz Club, Villingen, Germany
45 - Fri - 11/12/87 - Circus Club, Gabbensdorf, Germany.
46 - Sat - 12/12/87 - Chelsea Club, Vienna, Austria.

Chelsea Club, Vienna - Richard Smith & Geoffrey C. Clarke

47 - Thurs - 31/12/87 - Sir George Robey, London + Ug & The Cavemen + Surfadelics



1988. 

1 - Fri - 15/01/88 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + 30 Lashes + Birdhouse.

2 - Fri - 22/01/88 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + The Surfadelics.

courtesy Bob Collins

3 - Thurs - 04/02/88 - Sir George Robey, London + Shoot + The Clique

Flyer courtesy Ian Slinger

4 - Fri - 26/02/88 - KOB Club, Berlin, Germany

5 - Sat - 27/02/88 - Blockschock, Berlin, Germany + Sunny Domestoz + Pharma Trail + Slyder & The Tulips.
6 - Sun - 28/02/88 - Teestube, Rendsburg, Germany
7 - Sun - 20/03/88 - Canterbury Arms, Brixton, London + Purple People Eaters + God.
8 - Sun - 03/04/88 - Canterbury Arms, Brixton, London + Triads
9 - Thurs - 07/04/88 - Carnarvon Castle, Camden Town + The X-Men.

The Carnarvon Castle (now demolished after Camden market fire 2008

10 - Fri - 15/04/88 - Clarendon, Broadway, Hammersmith + The Green Hornets

11 - Fri - 29/04/88 - The Crypt, Deptford .
12 - Fri - 19/05/88 - Sir George Robey, London + The Dilemmas.
13 - Fri - 27/05/88 - The Canterbury Arms, Brixton + TV Smith.
14 - Fri - 08/07/88 - Colchester Arts Centre, Essex + Stars On Sunday + The Heds.

Dave Arbon left (date unknown) & Miki Berenyi played her final show on 08/07/88 and they were replaced by Mark Kilshaw on Bass and Pete Long on 2nd Guitar.

Missing Gig Info in late 88 and any other dates please let me know via blog comments or my email......cheers .

15 - Thurs - 06/10/88 - The Chelsea Club, Vienna, Austria.

16 - Sat - 12/11/88 - The White Horse, Hampstead + The Steppes.
17 - Tues - 20/12/88 - The Cricketers, London + Senseless Things + Archie + Donovan's Brain + Bishop & The Congregation .



1993. 

1 - 01/11/93 - 'Halloween Aftermath' - St Johns Tavern, Archway + Mad Mongels + The Percolators + In Between The Sheets.