METROPAK
Metropak - Edinburgh 1979/80
I was a member of Metropak when I was at Edinburgh College Of Art in 1978.
Metropak were a band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1978 and inspired by the New Wave/Punk/Post-punk movement at that time when bands started their own independent labels and made their own records.
Metropak were part of the thriving post-punk music scene in Edinburgh at that time along with The Fire Engines, TV Art, Josef K, Scars, The Rezillos, The Visitors, The Freeze, Boots For Dancing, The Colour Group, The Ettes, The Cubs, Green Rayo, The Prats, 35 mm Dreams, The Dirty Reds, Strange Daze, The Delmontes and many other bands. Please get in touch to add to this roll call. Metropak practiced for a while in the notorious Blair Street rehearsal rooms.
Metropak played a number of venues in and around Edinburgh, including one at the Odeon with The Clash. Their first concert was at the Netherbow Theatre in Edinburgh on 27th January 1979. That year, the first two singles were recorded. The third single was recorded in 1980. The second and third singles were recorded at Tony Pilley's Barclay Towers recording studio in Edinburgh. John Peel played the records at Radio 1. Crucial here is Tom Paine (1952-2018), for it was he that liked and supported the band enough to fund the three singles. He took on the role of 'manager' and in the autumn of 1980, Metropak went to New York and performed at The Mudd Club, Tier 3 and The UK Club thanks, I think, to the contacts he had established there.
Stephen left the band in 1979 after the second single was recorded and Helen left in 1980 after the third single and the gigs in New York. The three remaining members moved to London in 1981. Stephen remained in Edinburgh and continued with muisc through various projects. The Metropak songs 'You're A Rebel' and 'Here's Looking At You' were included on an American compilation album of bands from Scotland of the same era. (Messthetics 105, released February 2008).
'The Singles Collection' released in 2010, is a compilation album of all seven songs from the three singles.
Live Performance Archive of Metropak:
27th January 1979. The Netherbow Theatre, Royal Mile, Edinburgh with It's Over It's Over It's Over and Jaqui And All The Ones.
2nd March 1979. Edinburgh College Of Art.
16th March 1979. Transport Halls (LRT), Annandale Street, Edinburgh. Rock Against Racism concert. The Deleted, Insect Bites and RAF also played.
May 1979. Hill Street, Edinburgh with The Angelic Upstarts.
2nd May 1979. Meadows Festival, Edinburgh.
20th August 1979. Grangemouth, with The Freeze.
3rd September 1979. Tiffany's Edinburgh with The Rezillos.
9th October 1979. Aquarius, Grindley Street, Edinburgh with The Freeze and Megahertz.
17th November 1979. Kings Buildings, Edinburgh, with T.V. Art .
20th November 1979. Glenrothes Arms. Glenrothes. Fife.
22nd November 1979. Edinburgh College Of Art.
24th November 1979. Grindlay Street, Edinburgh.
6th December 1979. George Square Theatre, Edinburgh, with The Colour Group and Strange Daze. 14th December 1979. YMCA, Edinburgh.
1980 - John Peel roadshow, Edinburgh.
19th January, 1980 - The Odeon, Edinburgh with The Clash.
1980 - Stirling University.
1980 - Glasgow Art School, with Orange Juice 1980.
1980 - Birmingham. RAR 1980.
1980 - Perth
1980. -New York, U.S.A. Tier Three, The Mud Club, The UK Club.
Metropak were a band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1978 and inspired by the New Wave/Punk/Post-punk movement at that time when bands started their own independent labels and made their own records.
Metropak were part of the thriving post-punk music scene in Edinburgh at that time along with The Fire Engines, TV Art, Josef K, Scars, The Rezillos, The Visitors, The Freeze, Boots For Dancing, The Colour Group, The Ettes, The Cubs, Green Rayo, The Prats, 35 mm Dreams, The Dirty Reds, Strange Daze, The Delmontes and many other bands. Please get in touch to add to this roll call. Metropak practiced for a while in the notorious Blair Street rehearsal rooms.
Metropak played a number of venues in and around Edinburgh, including one at the Odeon with The Clash. Their first concert was at the Netherbow Theatre in Edinburgh on 27th January 1979. That year, the first two singles were recorded. The third single was recorded in 1980. The second and third singles were recorded at Tony Pilley's Barclay Towers recording studio in Edinburgh. John Peel played the records at Radio 1. Crucial here is Tom Paine (1952-2018), for it was he that liked and supported the band enough to fund the three singles. He took on the role of 'manager' and in the autumn of 1980, Metropak went to New York and performed at The Mudd Club, Tier 3 and The UK Club thanks, I think, to the contacts he had established there.
Stephen left the band in 1979 after the second single was recorded and Helen left in 1980 after the third single and the gigs in New York. The three remaining members moved to London in 1981. Stephen remained in Edinburgh and continued with muisc through various projects. The Metropak songs 'You're A Rebel' and 'Here's Looking At You' were included on an American compilation album of bands from Scotland of the same era. (Messthetics 105, released February 2008).
'The Singles Collection' released in 2010, is a compilation album of all seven songs from the three singles.
Live Performance Archive of Metropak:
27th January 1979. The Netherbow Theatre, Royal Mile, Edinburgh with It's Over It's Over It's Over and Jaqui And All The Ones.
2nd March 1979. Edinburgh College Of Art.
16th March 1979. Transport Halls (LRT), Annandale Street, Edinburgh. Rock Against Racism concert. The Deleted, Insect Bites and RAF also played.
May 1979. Hill Street, Edinburgh with The Angelic Upstarts.
2nd May 1979. Meadows Festival, Edinburgh.
20th August 1979. Grangemouth, with The Freeze.
3rd September 1979. Tiffany's Edinburgh with The Rezillos.
9th October 1979. Aquarius, Grindley Street, Edinburgh with The Freeze and Megahertz.
17th November 1979. Kings Buildings, Edinburgh, with T.V. Art .
20th November 1979. Glenrothes Arms. Glenrothes. Fife.
22nd November 1979. Edinburgh College Of Art.
24th November 1979. Grindlay Street, Edinburgh.
6th December 1979. George Square Theatre, Edinburgh, with The Colour Group and Strange Daze. 14th December 1979. YMCA, Edinburgh.
1980 - John Peel roadshow, Edinburgh.
19th January, 1980 - The Odeon, Edinburgh with The Clash.
1980 - Stirling University.
1980 - Glasgow Art School, with Orange Juice 1980.
1980 - Birmingham. RAR 1980.
1980 - Perth
1980. -New York, U.S.A. Tier Three, The Mud Club, The UK Club.
Ckick below to follow Metropak on Spotify
Metropak in Blair Street, Edinburgh 1979
Metropak. 2019 by Stephen Harrison
Stephen : In Metropak 1979
Metropak - A Metropak gig 1979
Metropak inside the Blair Street rehearsal rooms, Edinburgh 1979