There was also a room full of dead crows and we weren’t’ too happy about that either, anyway there was still some nice bits of furniture and scrap left on the building so it seemed the right time to get scrapping again, at least it would get us enough money to be able to get out of the country.
We had some spiral stairs, some nice furniture, some copper and plenty of lead. On one of our last missions we had to push a huge piece of lead off the roof because it was to big to carry down. We pushed the lead off and with every loud bang it went straight through the porch below. At that all the neighbors dogs went wild and so we thought Fuck this, it’s time to split. So without panicking we slowly moved out of the building and walked across the woods where the van was hidden.
Whilst walking towards the van we noticed a policeman just across from us also walking towards the van! So that was it – split up and run for it We all managed to make it back,some of us arriving 2 or 3 hours later. We still had to go back for the van. Anyway the police were on to us and were parked outside the site waiting for us to make a move. but we didn’t.
Afterwards we managed to sell most of the material, then we went to Kent, only 20 miles from the port and our escape route back out to Europe. We had to be back in Germany to run a stage for a big festival called PORTA 90.
Porta 90
With the line-up now looking good, with G. and P. Disease, Osso (lead guitar), Alex (rhythm guitar) and Bastard on bass, we headed toward the middle of Germany with the bus and two trucks. Also, newly recruited Crow Posse member Rodent, who was from Scotland, and after going via Amsterdam picked up a few more people including Wrangling Sam from Leeds.
We had a good team on now and were looking good with loads of material on board to freak-out the festival-goers. On arriving at the festival site (Porta Westfalica) we realized that apart from the main stage, we would have the only other stage so we set up about working on building our stage straightaway. We would use the chuck for the backstage and just build off the back of it using material that we had brought with us.
We had arrived on the Tuesday and the festy was due to start on Friday so we had two days to get it together. The stage came together pretty quickly and was ready on Thursday so we gave it a test run and people from a hotel 1/4 of a mile away complained, so we had to stop and wait till Friday to crank it right up.
On the Friday a lot of British travellers turned up so now we could put a big show together as we knew there was no need to practice.
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