Demob

Demob is a punk band from Gloucester, United Kingdom, active from 1978 to the present. The group forms in late 1978 and plays an early role in the Gloucester punk scene, with rehearsals at the Viking youth club and its first gig at Tracy’s night club in the city.

Formation and early line-up

The band begins with guitarist Terry Elcock and drummer Johnny Melfah, then adds Mike Howes on vocals, Tony Wakefield on bass and Chris Rush on guitar. Andy Kanonik, a friend of Howes and an ex-army skinhead, later joins on vocals. Elcock has previously played guitar in a church band.

First attention and local notoriety

Demob’s first major exposure comes in summer 1979, when the band gains permission to take part in the Gloucester annual carnival parade. The event attracts a large punk following, leads to clashes with bikers and results in the parade being suspended. The incident reaches the national press and brings the band to the attention of the local label Round Ear Records.

Recordings and releases

In 1980, Howes leaves the band and Kanonik is imprisoned for three months, leaving Demob without a singer. Around the same time, Mark "Miff" Smith replaces Chris Rush on guitar and then takes over vocals, while Paul "Fatty" Price replaces Wakefield on bass. Smith becomes an important organiser of gigs as well as a performer. The band’s first release, "Anti-Police", appears on Round Ear Records and receives support from John Peel and Garry Bushell. It spends more than two months in the UK Indie Chart and reaches number 34. A second single, "No Room For You", follows.

Live activity and associations

After the success of "Anti-Police", Demob supports acts including U2, UK Subs, The Angelic Upstarts, Discharge and The Beat. Their performances often draw police attention and are associated with violence around their shows, while their audience includes a group known as the Demob Riot Squad.

Politics and later activity

The band’s mixed-race line-up also draws hostility from Nazi skinheads at some gigs, and Demob plays several concerts in aid of the Anti-Nazi League. Musical differences later lead to a split in 1983, although the group is listed as active through to the present. The current members are Marcus Harley, Andy Kanonik and Mark "Miff" Smith.