On August seventeenth at Manchester’s Revolt venue, there shall be a particular occasion to commemorate the lifetime of Manchester punk legend Edweena, the previous singer of Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds and Slaughter and the Canine, that includes…
SLAUGHTER BITE BACK with Rossi/Bates performing reside as a tribute to their former entrance man Eddie Garrity who handed away earlier this 12 months and Assist from Ed’s Nosebleeds
All income go to the charity Thoughts UK.
Tickets for the gig may be purchased from mauricemurray@sky.com
……………
An appreciation of Edweena from Richie Tomlinson
‘Individuals don’t faux despair; they faux being okay’.
That quote by Robin Williams sprang to thoughts after I heard of the demise of Edweena/Ed Banger again in January this 12 months. Anybody who’d learn her hilarious social media posts might by no means imagined there was a psychological well being battle occurring inside Edweena. They have been filled with humour and irreverent observations of the world round them. They by no means failed to lift amusing with this author and I’m certain many others too.
First coming to individuals’s consideration with the Manchester band Ed Banger And The Nosebleeds, Eddie was one of many fortunate ones who attended the primary Pistols gig on the Lesser Free Commerce Corridor in Manchester on June 4th, 1976. The Nosebleeds single Ain’t Been To No Music Faculty is a basic Punk document. Eddie was additionally the vocalist on the second Slaughter And The Canine album ‘Chunk Again’, a basic document that basically ought to have propelled the band to stardom. Eddie additionally had a stint within the band Diamond Canine with Mark from V2, that is the place the character of Edweena started to emerge, and progressively as Eddie turned snug along with his new persona, he started to establish as Edweena and in later years would make the choice to endure gender reassignment.
There had been a whole lot of tragedy in Eddie/Edweena’s life, his spouse Lynn died in 1998 and Edweena’s accomplice Ronnie died in 2022.
I used to be fortunate to work with Edweena on a few events, firstly across the early 2000’s when my mate Hocky and I promoted a Nosebleeds present on the Iron Door in Birkenhead, and extra not too long ago on the Revolt literary stage have been Edweena talked about present process her gender reassignment with Tara Rez from The Duel. That was additionally the 12 months she delivered an unbelievable efficiency as Slaughter carried out the Chunk Again album within the Empress Ballroom.
Despair is commonly referred to as the silent killer, it’s a simple factor to cover, and sadly individuals don’t all the time realise that these closest to them undergo from it, or simply how debilitating it may be. All of us should be conscious as it may possibly have an effect on us all at totally different instances.
On 17th, August there shall be a tribute live performance at Revolt Bar in Manchester in honour of Ed/Edweena’s reminiscence. The gig runs from 2pm-7pm. It’s being organised by long-time pal and fellow Wythenshawe native Maurice Moz Murray. The gig will function units from Slaughter Chunk Again interval that includes Mick Rossi and Howard Bates, and likewise Ed’s Nosebleeds who function unique Slaughter And The Canine drummer Brian Grantham. All proceeds will go to the psychological well being charity MIND.
A few of these concerned within the gig have kindly shared their recollections of Edweena with me.
Moz Murray Promoter.
I first met Eddie after I joined secondary faculty. Eddie was a number of years older and on the time was cock of the varsity so clearly as a cocky younger 12 12 months previous it was value discovering out who to not cross in highschool!
Most occasions I placed on are actually all about being one off first occasions corresponding to unique SATD fortieth reunion in 2015, Slaughter Chunk Again reunion 2021 and this 12 months SATD new line up as a 3 piece April 2025.
It got here as an important shock to listen to what had occurred to Eddie and none of us knew what state his Psychological well being was in at the moment. I wished to mark Eddies contribution to music over the many years and what higher method of doing so than a Charity fund raiser for MIND who take care of serving to individuals struggling with psychological well being.
Certainly one of my favorite recollections of Eddie was in 1995 I used to be working the Unfold Eagle Pub in Northenden Manchester. On Wednesday nights we used to placed on cabaret acts that have been booked by way of an agent. The agent mentioned he had this superb singer who was a Frank Sinatra tribute referred to as Al Milan. I hadn’t seen or heard from Eddie for about 15 years in reality it was when he was vocalist for SATD again in 1980. Anyhow Al Milan turns up all suited and booted full with trilby. I used to be gob smacked on the transformation from early punk to rat pack which actually now in later life sums up for me simply how versatile Eddie was.
Mick Rossi: Guitarist Slaughter And The Canine.
I knew of Eddie from the native Manchester/Wythenshawe scene, however I didn’t know him properly.
I first bonded with Ed once we have been writing and recording Chunk Again collectively. Ed was a person on a mission, energetic and marvel, and as humorous as hell.
I used to be in shock after I heard of Eddie’s premature passing. How might this be? He was method too younger. It upset me. He nonetheless had a lot to offer to the world of Rock n Roll.
My favorite reminiscence of Ed is watching him stroll on stage on the Manchester Chunk Again reunion gig, he had a smile as huge as Manchester itself. He was again on stage; he was cherished and he knew it.
RIP ED. Love Mick.
Howard ‘Zip’ Bates: Bass participant Slaughter And The Canine.
I feel the primary time I met Ed was early 1976 simply earlier than we did the pistols gig on the free commerce corridor, have been he truly ending up being a roadie for us and bought bottled throughout a fracas that broke out, Ed banger and the nosebleeds have been born. He was initially in a rival band referred to as Wild Ram, precursor to the Nosebleeds, they have been from the identical space of South Manchester as SATD got here from and I solely knew him on a nodding acquaintance actually after I may stumble upon him at a membership or a gig.
It wasn’t till 79 when the unique singer from Slaughter did a runner and we have been left with out frontman within the midst of getting to document an album for our new label DJM. Mick Rossi our guitarist knew Ed higher and requested him if he could be glad to affix us as entrance man as we knew he was good in that respect as a performer with a good voice, wrote first rate songs and he had a excessive power stage presence.
Ed had a really dry distinctive sense of humour some may say, and he was a prolific songwriter which helped enormously once we did the album as we have been a few tracks mild and ended up writing them whereas we have been recording the album. “Sing it such as you imply it” our producer Buffin (Dale Griffin drummer of the Mott the Hoople) mentioned to Ed throughout one of many periods with Ed’s response being “however I don’t”.
The band broke up shortly afterwards and it wasn’t till a number of years later round about 1992 that he contacted me once more. I used to be now dwelling in London, and he was attempting to set himself up once more within the music enterprise with a brand new persona, Eddie Baskerville. He and his spouse ended up dwelling in our flat for 3 or 4 months whereas he was getting himself organised down south and discovering a spot to reside. Finally they moved out and he went on his method.
It wasn’t till round 2015 when Slaughter did a reunion gig in Manchester that we touched base once more. He was a lot the identical humour smart however was now within the early means of transitioning to Edweena. Ed had so many strings to his/her bow so to talk and had completed all types within the time that had handed between us from glam cabaret, gigging as Ed Banger and the nosebleeds and quite a few different alter egos. As I mentioned his humour was all the time dry, irreverent however he/she had fairly a mild method actually. However when onstage all of the brash and baudy facet got here to the fore.
Ed was enjoyable to be round principally, however in fact he may very well be troublesome to work with additionally. He’d comply with do one factor, then do the one other with none warning. He was very pushed, couldn’t stand nonetheless in a single place creatively for any size of time and was a prolific track author with an important ear for a superb hook line. As I’ve mentioned earlier than Ed/Edweena was artistic, vibrant, complicated and a whole ache all on the identical time.
Such a disgrace he struggled in silence. I hope that the tribute present will increase not solely money to assist help MIND but additionally increase consciousness of the psychological well being points that so many wrestle with right this moment.
Tickets for the gig may be purchased from mauricemurray@sky.com
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