Omega Tribe

Japanese City Pop Group

Melodic anarcho-punk band. Originally formed in New Barnet, London, England, UK in summer 1981 as Deadly Game. They changed their name to Omega Tribe before they started gigging, playing their first show at the Monkfrith Boy's Club that year, with the following lineup: Hugh Vivian (ex-Comatose): guitar and vocals Daryl Hardcastle (ex-Woosh!): bass Pete Shepherd: drums For their second show, they played in a support slot for The Meteors at the 100 Club in London. Their first demo was recorded in March 1982. It found its way to the member of Crass, who selected the song "Nature Wonder" for the Bullshit Detector Two compilation. They recruited Pete Fender (son of Poison Girls frontwoman Vi Subversa) on guitar later that year, having met him through Daryl's fanzine "The Realities of Society". With this lineup they promptly recorded their first EP, "Angry Songs", which was produced by Penny Rimbaud and Fender for Crass Records. When it was released in April 1983 the single did well on the Indie Chart. This success was eclipsed by the follow-up LP "No Love Lost", released on Corpus Christi and recorded for a mere £300 at a 24-track studio called Heart and Soul. Lineup and direction changes dogged the band over the next year or so: Fender quit in early 1984, Sonny Flint joined on drums while Shepherd switched to percussion, and a woman called Jane joined on sax and flute. A new single titled "It's A Hard Life" came out in 1984 and proved to be their final release. The single was another Indie Chart hit, and sold well. A third single, "Hip, Hip, Hooray", never materialized because Hugh left the band. Omega Tribe fell apart soon after in 1985. The band reformed briefly to play Vi Subversa's 60th birthday bash at London's Astoria 2 in June 1995, and also played at the first Holidays in the Sun 1995.