Andy T - Weary Of The Flesh

ANDY T - WEARY OF THE FLESH

Continuing to give succour to bands and artists that no major label would touch with a large barge pole was, of course, Crass, whose next release on their label was Weary Of The Flesh by Andy T.

Anyone attending a Crass concert during this period would in all likelihood have come upon Andy T, seemingly popping up from out of the audience between bands and regaling everyone with a burst of short poems shouted out in a broad Northern accent. Whilst Annie Anxiety would always perform her poems to a backing track of taped sound, Andy T would perform totally unaccompanied by anything or anyone. By performing solo like this, Andy would immediately separate those who were at the gig for the music and a good pogo from those who were there for the whole Crass/Anarcho roadshow experience.

Andy T was the 'Jon The Postman' of Anarcho Punk. Jon The Postman being a legendary, near mythical figure from the 76/77 Manchester Punk scene who would scramble up on stage at early Punk gigs and shout his way through any song that might take his fancy. By all accounts he was totally bereft of talent but of course, being talented wasn't the point. Jon was getting up and 'doing it', and in doing so encapsulated the spirit of Punk perfectly.

The Weary Of The Flesh EP contained 14 Anarcho poems, 'recorded at the Crass bunker and remixed at Southern Studios', dealing with such subjects as ageism, sexism, war, squatting, drug abuse, and violence at gigs; with a specific focus upon vegetarianism and animal abuse.

From the start, it must have been apparent to all involved that a record such as this would have limited appeal, particularly when the words were not being backed by any sort of music but instead by a soundtrack of squealing pigs, discordant guitar and groaning voices. Hopefully, then, nobody was too disappointed when no-one seemed to want to purchase it, even at the bargain price of 'No more than 75p'?

Even though the sentiments expressed in the poems were honest and worthwhile, and the record as a whole was interesting as a piece of avant-garde art; the problem with it was that it failed to invite a second listen or when it did, it was simply to confirm that it was actually as bad as it first appeared on initial hearing.

Over time, Weary Of The Flesh would become known for its peculiar obtrusiveness but like Jon The Postman, it would be live on stage where Andy T's real strength and meaning would always lay; serving as in inspiration to all would-be poets who just wanted to get up and 'do it'.