The Story... So Far
The Snake Corps was formed in 1984, emerging from the breakup of Sad Lovers And Giants (SL&G) the year prior. Seeking a more intense musical direction, core members Tristan Garel-Funk and Nigel Pollard placed an advertisement in Melody Maker to recruit additional musicians.
After a series of auditions, they chose Marc Lewis and Liam McGuinness to fill the roles of vocals and bass, respectively. This original lineup began to carve out their unique sound, recording demos of songs that would later feature on the band’s albums, as well as a video for "Look East" at Kingston Poly, where Marc was a student.
Initially, the band enjoyed some success in building a local following and reconnecting with former SL&G fans. However, Nigel Pollard eventually departed, leading to Jon Greville, a member of the extreme hardcore trio Rudimentary Peni, joining the group. This lineup went on to record their debut album, "Flesh on Flesh," released on Midnight Music in 1984.
As the band toured Europe, they worked to solidify their fan base. Despite being supported by the revered DJ John Peel in the UK, they faced significant press and radio indifference. To expand their sound, the band opted to incorporate keyboards, which led to the return of SL&G founder David Wood. With Jim Blanchard from label-mates the S-Haters taking over bass duties, this configuration recorded the second album, "Smother Earth." Although they continued to perform, recognition in the UK remained elusive, with most of their record sales occurring overseas. Ian Gibson, who had recently left the MK2 version of SL&G, replaced Dave Woods on keyboards.
After freeing themselves from their contract with Midnight Music but committing to release one more album, this lineup recorded "The 3rd Cup" at the Midnight-owned Berry Street Studios at their own expense. Under the guidance of engineer Brad Grisdale, the resulting album is often regarded as the Snake Corps' finest work. Complications arose as Midnight Music entered receivership and was subsequently acquired by Cherry Red, resulting in the transfer of the band's entire music catalog, stock, and copyright.
The Snake Corps ultimately disbanded, and it appeared that the compilation album "Spice," released by Cherry Red, would mark their final chapter. Fortunately, the band retained possession of the master tapes for "The 3rd Cup" when Midnight Music collapsed, but it would take a couple of years for the album to be released on CD.
In 2010, Marc and Liam revived the band, later welcoming Jim back into the fold. In September of that year, they performed alongside Sad Lovers And Giants in Barcelona, achieving considerable success, which led to additional gigs in Berlin, Madrid, and Valencia. The band shared the stage with the Chameleons at the O2 Academy in Islington in 2012, delivering an impressive performance with the help of their acclaimed new session drummer, Dave Vigay. In November 2015, they played to a sold-out audience in Tarragona, Spain, debuting a new song, "A Far Cry," from their forthcoming EP, "The Ocean Calls," released in September 2016. Following this, they toured in Berlin and Madrid in October and November 2016, and continued to perform in Italy, Spain, and the UK in 2017, again alongside Chameleons Vox.
Their schedule included appearances at the Gotham Music Fest in Germany in April 2018, and additional shows in Barcelona and Turin later that year. In 2019, the band released "She'll Rise," followed by return performances in Valencia and Tarragona. The single "Ghost" was released in 2020, and they are scheduled to perform with The Mission in Germany in June 2022 and in Brighton and Madrid in September 2022.
