This is the history of 2000 DS as told by the instigator G Disease. It is the complete, incredible story of a group of people determined that nothing will stop them.
They are not punk They are far more: They are punk-as-fuck hard-to-The-core motherfuckers Read and enjoy!
Feb. 88- Aug. ‘89
After 2 practices in a basement in a squatted st. in Hackney,Danny Guitar and Disease Elder and Younger decided that the live bands in Britain and London (where they were all living) were so boringly bad that they should try to gig immediately. Playing their first gig two days later on a Friday in February ‘88 the venue was THE outrageous squat called BOVAY PLACE (an ex British Telecom building) which was by far the biggest squat in London at the time. (n.b. Bovay Street and Place, Holloway N7 6PX in no longer exists – pic of BT building)
Bovay Place artwork by Ben Death
The gig was a success with help from another good band THE PHONEY AMERICAN ACCENTS.
The next day they played another Big Squat run by The Wasted Mutoid company, even though no help was given from the PA it still was a success for the band morale, because they realized that they had only practiced twice, played two gigs and were still equally as good as any of the other bands.
The filth unfortunately arrested a lot of people and trashed a lot of equipment, lucky it was a Waste Co. party; at least 2500 people were at the gig.
2000 DS Bus
After this gig they decided to go back to the Bovay Place squat and move in. Practicing a bit and playing every Friday at the squat in Holloway Rd. and any other squat at the time. They had got a good posse together who were all into the music and good live entertainment. The only thing about this posse (CROW POSSE) was that they were always out of their faces and never had any money. There wasn’t any REAL money from the gigs but the name or number 2000DS spread.
3 months after moving into Bovay Place it was evicted, but before leaving a lot of scrap metal was retrieved and a bus and equipment was got as a result. They moved into a freshly squatted British Rail building in Waterloo called the Fire Station because that’s what it was. Putting on gigs every weekend but mainly playing in squats around London and occasionally in Waterloo.
They decided they needed a bass player and were approached by The Phoney American Accents bass player Richard who joined a bit later. The summer was coming so they decided to leave the city pollution and headed for the manically manic unpeacefullness of festival site. They were now getting more gig wise and had a set of about fifteen songs. The bass player was working really well with the drummer and the result was some really good songs such as Official Error, Brian Drain, Scrap The Church, Bods and many others
They played in front of lot of people at the festivals and were noted as a hardcore band in a mainly hippy orientated music scene. The people would get off on anything, they were so shitfaced. but we actually woke them up for an hour which was a laugh. The last festival that year was Ribblehead in Yorkshire with the weather cats and dogs, windy and cold.The bus’s engine had seized and had to be left in Liverpool. It took three months to get the money for another. They arrived back in London for Christmas and squatted a garage on Caledonian Rd.
That winter was spent playing around London plus a 12 date tour of pubs and clubs around Britain which ended up with them being banned from most of them.
i lived in bovay st when you guys were there. im not ben death obvs but he is the one i remember best. he was the first person i ever met on e. i helped u guys rip out the radiators and the parque flooring. not sure if that was sold or just burnt. there was a remnant of the somerset stonhenge traveller family who had been brutalised by the gloucestershire police. this must have been around 87. met ben in 88 in the central cafe amsterdam, still in his top hat. i have to say most of the people at bovay street were selfish up themselfs arsholes. ben on the other hand was a sweet guy. btw if you want pix see if the daily mirror achcives have any. i let them in wghen i was on the door one night for £20 each :d peace and love and all that xx
Nice on Ben
I am going to put up a message board /forum so that folks can share their memories of Gary DS and the Wreck N Roll Cirkus. Hopefully we will have some re-releases coming out in the very bear future.
I would love to share my memories of Gary, and KATH (who gets little mention here but, without whom none of the things the band did would have succeeded, may both of them rest in peace. I also find it strange reading this history, that there is no mention of me stealing a motorbike which became the mad cow and that part the hand confiscated it for me for the benefit of the band, and we used to use it on stage, after I stole it during the I also find it strange reading this history, that there is no mention of me as ‘wranglin’ sam’ stealing a motorbike, which became the mad cow Bike we used to use on stage that blew flames out of the exhaust pipes. bike we used to use on stage that blue flames out of the exhaust pipes. and that pat the hand, confiscated it for me for the benefit of the band, and we used to use it on stage, after I stole it during the german porta westfalica festival. in fact there is no mention of me, at all despite the fact that I was with the band the whole time in Germany. It was them who dragged me from Amsterdam and I won’t say what I here. also, there is little mention of Ron bastard also known as Ron tree, who was the most reliable bassist during those years. Nor the fact that I did six months in prison in Germany attempting to raise funds to make an album in the studio in Berlin and the first song of the extended play single they made began with the my name as the first words of the song “Wranglin wranglin wranglin sam” which is Gary’s way of saying “thank you Sam, for doing the time after doing the crime, and keeping yer bloody mouth shut in the name of the album”
I spent most of my time looking after Gary And Paul’s dogs and Paul’s dogs, Nost and Piggy, did fire breathing on stage during concerts, and always had to stand then every time the bloody guitarist disappeared again. We went through guitarists like Italians go through spaghetti Bolognese and pizza. I am wrangling Sam. And this history is incomplete without me
Mark please get in touch with me about some 2000 DS news. It’s good news!
Just found out about the death of Gary and friend? and members of his family. after checking out 2000ds stuff on utube. tragic and shocking, and upsetting, condolences to family an all those close.
Kev-sax player from Phoneys
My 2000DS story-
It was 1991/92/93? I had just seen them at my house at C-Squat in NYC, & I had made my way to SAN Francisco. I got to see 2000DS play again at the Epicenter in The Mission. I was a dirty fucker back then, & was outside the venue smoking a joint w/ a good friend & a stranger. The cops stopped us & actually arrested us!! In SF!! We were taken to a substation. Handcuffed to the booking bench, they asked us if we had any drugs, needles or weapons. We all said no (my friend ate a sheet (100 hits) of LSD he had in his wallet (for sale) in the cop car en route as not to get busted with it). I thought about their question for a sec. Then I chimed in ” but we have lice and scabies”. The booking cop looked at me in awe. He left & went into the booking office. He came out a minute later wearing gloves. He grabbed our backpacks & threw em out the door. Unhandcuffed us & told us to get the fuck out & kicked me hard in the ass as I walked out the door. I got KICKED out of jail for being a dirty squatter. I was back at the venue just as 2000 DS started to play.
Post script- My pal who ate all the LSD called me a week later in Alabama. He knew no one there. He somehow ended up there after a very long 100 hit trip.
2000 DS Forever!!
Sean, I remember the c=squat show like it happened yesterday. this was my first show in NYC I was 15 or 16 at the time. I arrived in the city a couple of weeks before the show. Jake and Little Bob had rescued me from the shit bag junkies I traveled to NYC with and got me a space at glasshouse. two days later a group of people from c-squat came to glasshouse to recruit helpers to hoist a huge fucking I-beam up to repair the roof ahead of the show. I had come from Minneapolis and was accustomed to squatting as a temporary living space that was usually quickly shut down. I was in complete awe of how organized the NYC squat life was. Several dozen people showed up to help and we quickly got the beam hoisted up and the roof was ready to go. what a great time to exist!!! love you brother. p.s who was the guy that took the 100 hits?
We used to go to the Fire Station squat parties I really enjoyed them
I kept loads of flyers from the different venues around London
I still have them after all these years in a box
Love the new york story that was one of the best gigs we ever done in abc no rio.the c squat gig was awesome as well.nice one for telling your jackanory.
I would love to see these flyers!
Like the site
True that I didn’t play the main stage at Treworgey. I didn’t leave as such I was hiding in my tent tripping mi nuts off…
I played with DS many times after that on and off including the WNC mentioned and played the love parade Berlin and several gigs in Belgium and Holland…
I also toured Ireland with the band and was set to play the “Millennium Drone” in 1999 but sadly it fell through….
I knew some of 2000ds when I lived in finsbury sq London 1991. I was hoping someone knows where Nigel is now? He was a mechanic that wouldn’t drive cars but loved motorbikes. He and his gf did an act with angle grinders.
Nigel died in a house fire..before Gary! X
Nigel Fish died a long time back.
I have the flyer from the show they played in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They played at a punk house called “The Thayer Anarchist Collective.”
Fun times.
I would love to share my memories of Gary, and KATH (who gets little mention here but, without whom none of the things the band did would have succeeded, may both of them rest in peace. I also find it strange reading this history, that there is no mention of me stealing a motorbike which became the mad cow and that part the hand confiscated it for me for the benefit of the band, and we used to use it on stage, after I stole it during the I also find it strange reading this history, that there is no mention of me as ‘wranglin’ sam’ stealing a motorbike, which became the mad cow Bike we used to use on stage that blew flames out of the exhaust pipes. bike we used to use on stage that blue flames out of the exhaust pipes. and that pat the hand, confiscated it for me for the benefit of the band, and we used to use it on stage, after I stole it during the german porta westfalica festival. in fact there is no mention of me, at all despite the fact that I was with the band the whole time in Germany. It was them who dragged me from Amsterdam and I won’t say what I here. also, there is little mention of Ron bastard also known as Ron tree, who was the most reliable bassist during those years. Nor the fact that I did six months in prison in Germany attempting to raise funds to make an album in the studio in Berlin and the first song of the extended play single they made began with the my name as the first words of the song “Wranglin wranglin wranglin sam” which is Gary’s way of saying “thank you Sam, for doing the time after doing the crime, and keeping yer bloody mouth shut in the name of the album”
I spent most of my time looking after Gary And Paul’s dogs, Nost and Piggy, did fire breathing on stage during concerts, and always had to stand in on guitar ( i play shite), every time the bloody guitarist disappeared again. We went through guitarists like Italians go through spaghetti Bolognese and pizza. I am wrangling Sam. And this history is incomplete without me
ask Paul if he remembers Wranglin Sam, Finbar Saunders, and the word Poohoo?
I am