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In Dust - Nosebleed - 07-Oct-08 04:04 PM
In the hope of encouraging disagreement, Ill say now that in my humble, In Dust were the best Irish band of the 90s. First saw them in 91 at the Art College in Belfast, and they stood out first of all visually as they were synth based - I swear that singer Alex was playing a star-shaped bass, though that could just be a fantasy on my behalf. They were good too, maybe notable for being interesting and different on first encounter, but they went on to deliver. The line up was Alex Finnegan (vocals), Steve Nolan (programming/ keyboards/ vocals) and Ryk Irvine (guitar).

In early 92, I guess, their sophomore 12" EP Bewildermental was released on their managers label Wallcreeper Records. It was an interesting and unfashionable mix of electronic post-punk/dark pop (All three were proud Depeche Mode fans), sometimes dramatic and nearly pompous, sometimes quirky, with Ryks inspired death-metal-style solos and tremelo-arm abuse. There was one standout song, Focus, with its dischordant electronic hook and the exhortation Concentrate your senses on what you desire!

By the time the EP was released though, their songs were getting heavier, more riff-based with harder rhythms, even wilder guitar solos and techno/acid style noise. Live they went for it with pure attack and a lot of people didnt know what to make of them. They were so exciting, the most over-the-top and the most inventive local band around and they were out there, putting records out and creating a cartoon hell onstage all over the place. One of my fondest memories of that era was when they asked the band I was in at the time, The Golden Mile, to support them in Letterkenny (15 May 1993 in case you were wondering). It was our first really good gig and In Dust just tore the roof off the place, a couple of hundred kids moshing and stage diving in the back of a pub, as opposed to the usual gigs by local bands attended by the core of scenesters and indifferent audiences of indie kids.

Their album Nosebleed must have come out in 93, after they toured Britain with their friends Therapy? when the latter were one of the most popular live bands in the country. The production on the album was disappointing, but it was still a good album which didnt sound like anyone else (Frank admission - Ive not listened to those records for ages and my albums are currently packed in boxes. Now Im wishing I had them to hand!). The only bands at that time that were melding rock with sampling, programming and electronics successfully, if youd have asked me, were The Young Gods (whom In Dust opened for in Belfast and Dublin in 94), New Zealands Skeptics and Moonshake.

They were part of a cool, creative crowd and they made a eye-fucking video for their never-released Hyperdeemic Nerdle (I know - what a stupid title!) which mostly focused on Steve strapped to a chair, struggling and bleeding. Somebody! Put it on you tube! Its worth noting that Wallcreeper was, albeit briefly, the only independent label in Northern Ireland at the time, save for Good Vibrations, which had long since attained National Treasure, heritage status. The other releases on the label were a 12" EP by Repulse, a terribly dull sub-sub Godflesh outfit and the Desperately Seeking Satan CD EP by local bon viveurs LMS who were just a little bit influenced by The Jesus Lizard and would antagonise audiences with rock-star posing and shirt/trouser removal at any given opportunity. They were fun and all about having a good time. There was a poster campaign for the EP in an attempt to bait the good Christian folk of Ulster, although I forget if there was a moral panic on a par with local legends Bleeding Rectums Daniel ODonnell Must Die! posters.

In Dust quietly left the building around 95 maybe, sick of soundchecking and maybe having taken it as far as they could go. The various strains of weird techno and left-field dance music was the new noise for them and I think Steve put out a few 12"s when he moved to London after they finished. Hopefully someone can furnish me with a bit more information?

[Thanks to Martin @ Swedish Nurse].