The Dance Party (1979-1980)

The Dance Party formed in 1979 by Yorkie (a.k.a. David Tracy Palmer, friend of the Teardrop Explodes and of the Bunnymen) and Mike Head. The two will then play in Egypt for Now – see the Street to Street vol. 2, below – before going their separate ways: Yorkie with Balcony and then Space; Head with the Pale Fountains and then Shack. Over the course of the two years the line-up was quite fluid, comprising first Rod Bennett on guitar, then replaced by Jeremy Kelly (of the Wild Swans, then Lotus Eaters). The band recorded a couple of songs, only one of which survives.

Where I've Been

Here are some memories of Yorkie about the days where the Teardrop and the Bunnymen would rehearse in his mother’s basement, and about the first musical experiences of the Dance Party.

“Having both bands rehearse in the Basement meant that I had a cellar full of equipment at my disposal and it was time to start a band of my own. I was introduced by Paul Simpson (of the Teardrop Explodes and later Wild Swans, ndr) to Michael Head, who had an equally burning desire to make music, but a similar inability to myself as to how to go about it. We flitted from instrument to instrument until we settled on Bass Guitar (for me) and Keyboards (for him). We recruited some musicians who could actually play, and out first band was underway! We were christened Ho Ho Bacteria! by Julian (Cope, ndr) after he saw it written in the middle of a huge black stain on a toilet wall in a venue he had played. We recorded our first demo under this name before changing it to the much more user friendly The Dance Party (named after a Pere Ubu song). A second demo was recorded […] and a debut gig was forced on us by Pete Wylie!
[…] Our line ups changed a bit at this period; a second line included Jem Kelley from The Wild Swans and the Lotus Eaters. A further line-up change also meant a band name change to Egypt for Now. We recorded a session to be used for the Street To Street Volume 2 album, but the band was short lived as I had recently played Mike the band Love, and it changed his life forever. Musical differences in direction split the band: Mike wanted to sound like Love and I wanted something far more experimental. (As an aside, EFN actually recorded a cover of Love's She Comes in Colours at the very same session).”

( see also: http://www.incendiarymag.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1176
http://www.yorkiestinyuniverse.co.uk/Pages/Dance%20Party%20Gallery.html
http://www.yorkiestinyuniverse.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=31 )

(Photo copyright Julie Marsh 1980, and Francesco Mellina 1980)