Culture Shock, Hate That Smile, Corporate Grave – West Indian Club, Southampton, Hampshire, UK – 29th June 1988

From the STE Collective Facebook page:
S.T.E. 1! CULTURE SHOCK/HATE THAT SMILE/CORPORATE GRAVE – Wed 29 June 1988 – Southampton West Indian Club.

Kent Jolly who was an American woman living in the U.K. was booking a CULTURE SHOCK tour & contacted me (Rich) about a Southampton gig. A load of us had a meeting at the Joiners & put some money into a kitty. Paul Jay came up with the S.T.E. (Southampton, Totton & Eastleigh) Collective name simply based on the places where we lived. This might have been HATE THAT SMILE’s 1st gig – they were ex ATROX & old friends from Dorset (Wimborne, Dorchester & Wareham). This was definitely CORPORATE GRAVE’s first gig with Rik Godfrey on bass after Bren left. I made the flyer which was a bastardisation of a BRIGANDAGE poster with the pics from a CULTURE SHOCK fanzine interview I think. Beforehand we were really worried that no one would turn up but over 200 did. Bing at the WI warned us prior to the gig about people smoking drugs at the gig, which was ironic as afterwards when we went to pay him the member’s room was thick with smoke.


Paul Chambers: Yep, HTS 1st gig, I broke my A sting on the 1st note of the 1st song and replaced it in the dark with a D.

27th Jan 2024 – I reckon this picture must be from the first Hate That Smile gig because I actually don’t even remember Rich Waitland ever playing live with us so I think perhaps this would be our first show and that he bowed out soon after. Looks like we managed to get a good crowd of two people up and dancing, that being juggling Rut on the right.

*The Week That Was – 16th January 1984

Record of the week: Confessions of Sin – Loose (Live)

16th January 1984
Pissing down today – difficult to have a fag in school. Made an omelette in H.E. Then made about 15 pancakes cos there was nothing else to do. Chatted to Paul. Final episode of The Prisoner is on tonight – bloody silly it was.

17th January 1984
Elfie got football off the roof. Just had some fun singing along to Social Distortion. Not a lot happened tonight. Not a lot happened today really. Got some ice cream. My mum made an appointment to get my hair cut on Thursday. Did get a letter from Zoe.

18th January 1984
Misfits have got a new LP out £7.50 called Earth AD. Faith have got a new LP as well called Subject To Change. Don’t know whether to stay and watch Butcher or go back to Paul’s on Saturday. Andy reckons it’s being filmed. Nothing else much.

19th January 1984
Got caught being with smokers today. Walked down to Wimborne and got me haircut after school. Mum picked me up after talking to Gibby at parents’ evening – usual shit. Good art lesson today – didn’t do much.

20th January 1984
Another good art lesson today – painted T-shirt. Good H.E. lesson as well. Just rung Andy but he’s not in so I’ll ring tomorrow. Looking forward to gig tomorrow.

21st January 1984
Went down with Jez, Rupert and Kristian to Bournemouth. Found Andy. Did this and that. Went to Dave’s (Self Abuse) – help shift gear in. Me and Dave Parsons and Rut were dancing to Idiom Tribe. Then came Confessions Of Sin who were absolutely fucking amazing. Then came Self Abuse who were ace. Then Butcher (who no one danced to). Was going to go to the Mad Are Sane party but stayed at this kid’s but 3 to a room. Went to sleep at 5.

22nd January 1984
Got up at 9. Had breakfast in Fortes (?). I went up to Triangle. Had to wait one hour for a bus. Got back, met Hayley, Ajax etc. Told them about a good video so they got it and we went to Sharon’s (Fear No Evil) it was fuckin’ ace. Went up to Simon’s. Baldy was there. Smoked some pot and came back smelling bad.