The Armoury Show

A short lived and much under-estimated band that I saw and met a few times - notably at a Leeds Futurama Festival held in a cattle shed (Queens Hall) that was headlined one day by the Bay City Rollers. The floor was concrete and sucked all warmth out of your body through any amount of insulation. They later toured the student circuit before going to the great gig in the sky. Webb was an ex-Skid and the ever intelligent Jobson is now successfully fronting various Sky (UK Satellite Analogue/Digital operator) programmes - probably still wondering why a 'Woman In Winter' didn't get to number on even with a book accompanying its release.

They sound like those talented big guitar bands of the 80s e.g. U2 and Simple Minds - not the best recommendation. But they draw heavily on Jobson's delivery style like the Skids. Listening to 'Scared To Dance' today as with 'The Armoury Show' the depth really comes out after a few listens and unlike many of their contemporaries the sound and message is timeless. Their catalogue is excellent - not available on CD unfortunately - but worth adjusting your tracking for.

Translated from the huge Rockpalast Archive Website.

The fact that the music of the group has a certain proximity to the music of the group of Big Country may have to do with the fact that Richard Jobson, the singer of THE ARMOURY SHOW, in former times with Stuart Adamson, which singer von Big Country in a group played named The Skids together. If one saw THE ARMOURY SHOW with a heimspiel in Scottish Edinburgh, then one understands her as a typically Scottish phenomenon: the English is harder, but the contact to the public is more calmly, not so hectic and nevertheless direct. After a concert the musicians sit still in the entrance hall with their fans together. The large schlagzeug and the " large " sound indicate - similarly as with Big Country - the group. The singer Richard Jobson looks sometimes like a boxer and reminds of Muhammed Ali. The creative voltage results from its texts and the music of the guitarist John McGeoch, which had crucially coined/shaped the sound of Siouxsie and the Banshees. McGeoch was for a while also and belonged to member of the group magazine to the top class of the guitarists of the new generation after 1976. The function of the bassists Russell Webb is important as a singer. With its clear high voice it sings all second voices also. Target of the group is it, positive energy rueberzubringen, by embodying these. For which it goes thereby, Richard Jobson in its announcement tells to " Avalanche ": instead of in the same Trott, in which one normally lives, to constantly remain, he would be dear boxer, even if one kriegt occasionally thereby one on the nose.

Armoury Show Interview

Discography