The Precaution, form Ellesmere Port, formed
in 1980 and included Ian Wilson (vocals, later Action Transfers, now
running Whitby Studios),
Steve Coughton (aka Steve Coughlan, guitars, later Lilac Trumpets), Neil Senior (bass, later Lilac Trumpets), Dave Cooil (drums).
They started doing cover-versions of Joe Jackson and Tom Petty numbers, then
started writing their own material (a shift which the band thought of signaling
by a change of name, one possibility being Toga Party). They recorded demos at
Cargo studio in Manchester and at Amazon in Liverpool and released a
three-track tape in 1982 (including Modesty Blaise, Safe Inside, Leeks on Mount
Fiji), and gigged all over the country (supported Afraid of Mice at the
Wharehouse). Inevitable Records was interested in signing them and they were to
be featured on a Skeleton compilation, but nothing came of both.
The Precaution
“established a slight reputation within the small confines of Ellesmere Port.
Coach trips have been organized to watch them at the Moonlight Club in London,
their logo appears in graffiti all over the town centre and record shops
display publicity photos” (Merseysound #1, January 1982)
By 1983 things started to
change. According to their manager A.N. Jones:
‘They
were one of the most promising act I ever worked with but due to general
disorganisation within the group it never went further. I managed to secure
them support dates with Siouxsie and the Banshees (Devon, 83), Blue Rondo
(Manchester, 83), Claire Hamill (London, 83) and Icicle Works (several dates).
‘All these dates apart from one
with the Icicle Works were blown out due to Dave Cooil deciding he wanted to
leave just one week before the Siouxsie date. The biggest tragedy was that he
never gave us a reason as to why he was leaving and it was just too short
notice to get a replacement! It was eventually found in Tony Elson from the
System, but this only lasted for one gig – Ellesmere Port.
For this date the group also had the group also had a keyboard player called
Ian [Lewis (keyboards, later Lilac Trumpets, Alternative Radio)]. That date was pretty shambolic
and it could be seen that this lineup would not last and slowly the band
crumbled.
‘A long period of inactivity
followed until late ’83, when Ian Wilson went on to join the Action Transfers
as second vocalist to Dave Whibberley and Neil and Steve went on to form the
Lilac Trumpets’
No audio
material seems to have survived.
The band released two EPs, She Blows My Mind in 1991
(including also In Your Hands, With You In Mind (Demo Version), Taxman (Live))
and You’re So Beautiful in 1992 (which included also Getting Younger, Jumping
In The Fire (Live), I Really Don't Want
You). The Tambourines recorded also an album which never saw the light of day. One song
taken from it resurfaced on the Liverpool Unearthed Compilation: Five Miles
Wide. The band toured extensively, either supporting groups like The Bunneymen,
The River City People, The Real People, etc., or headlining, both in Britain
and Europe but in late 1993, due to lack of management, The Tambourines folded.
