They left without any money and had to siphon their way across France and then after not being allowed into Italy through one border they managed to get in through another and after using the non paying A roads and siphoning more diesel they arrived in Milano with a day to spare before the next gig.
The gig in Milan was in a squat that had been trashed by the police a few months before and by the amount of debris, it looked as if a really big battle had gone off. By this time Richard and Gus were missing A.Dam and there was talk of going back, after persuading them to stay for one more gig they went to Firenze and after the gig they (Richard and Gus) left, leaving the band in chaos. Only a singer and a drummer left and the loyal family support, but all totally broke so they decided to go back to Milan and stay at the squat
where they had played a few days before.
April ‘90 2000 Don’t Stop Enter the Trashers.
The squat had 3 practice rooms which were constantly in use and the first night of staying back at the squat, the Disease lads noticed that there was 2 guitarists using a drum machine and had no singer. After listening to them play they were approached and a practice was organized. The lead guitarist OSSO and the rhythm guitarist ALEX were Thrash Metalers, but when the drums and vocals came in it was real Thrashy Hardcore. The opportunity was too good to miss for all four musicians and after some discussion they all agreed to practice solid for 3 to 4 weeks then hit the road. Using some old DS songs and as many new ones as they could get together they played their first gig at an old squatted farm(Cascina) with the new bass player ZAPPA who they met the day before. With the line-up complete they set off to Holland where they met up with President Fetch, (Danish).
After playing a few gigs with them,they set off to play a free festival in East Berlin, but because of lack of passports they had to smuggle the Italians and the drummer through the East Border(which was still there in May 90). OS were down to play last with Dr and And the Crippens which meant they were late back to the border and instead of paying a large fine to the East Customs they settled for some OS merchandise. The DS played quite a few more gigs in East and West Berlin with President Fetch.
After saying goodbye to ZAPPA who had decided to go back to Milan they set off to England for the festivals. The band played some London dates and
although without a bass player they were a great success with the people. So then it was festival time, and they set off for Glastonbury where a 100 thousand people would be gathering,the band would not play the festy as a booked band, only as s travellers band in the squatted field where the police couldn’t go. It was the free part of the festival where money wasn’t needed to go in unlike the rest of the festy which cost 15 pounds a day to go in. The atmosphere was much better in the free fields which was full of people who live in their buses and trucks all year round rather than being weekend hippys The DS had just played a gig in Cardiff at the Crowbar so they had organized for the Cardiff Crow posse to take their stage to the festival.
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