Group Members:
Similar Artists:
Girls at Our Best!,
Gang of Four,
Liliput,
The Au Pairs,
Bush Tetras,
The Slits,
Maximum Joy,
Animals & Men,
Essential Logic,
Whitehouse,
Ludus
Influenced By:
Followers:
New Young Pony Club,
The Sick Bees,
Coathangers ,
Love of Diagrams,
The New Bloods,
Sky Larkin ,
Chicks on Speed,
Sleater-Kinney,
Ponytail,
The Long Blondes,
Love Is All
Formal Connection With:
- Formed: 1979, Leeds, England
- Genres: Rock
- Representative Albums: "Singles & Sessions 1979-81", "Monaco '74
Biography
Initially inspired by the success of local heroes the Mekons and Gang of Four, Leeds, England's Delta 5 later emerged as one of the key figures of the feminist new wave. Formed in 1979 by vocalist/guitarist Julz Sale, fretless bassist Ros Allen, and bassist Bethan Peters, the group was begun on a lark, but following the additions of guitarist Alan Briggs and drummer Kelvin Knight, Delta 5 issued their debut single, "Mind Your Own Business," and found themselves thrust to the forefront of the Leeds post-punk community.Frequently linked to Gang of Four -- in addition to a similarly abrasive funk sound, Delta 5 was also at the vanguard of the Rock Against Racism movement, and Knight even once sat in for Gang drummer Hugo Burnham -- the group's role as political leaders increased in the wake of a notorious street attack on its members by right-wing thugs, culminating in the rise of the Rock Against Communism groundswell. Their unique two-bass rhythm section set them clearly apart from their peers, and with the success of their second single, "You," they mounted a successful U.S. tour.
Upon leaving Rough Trade to sign with the Charisma subsidiary Pre, in 1981 Delta 5 issued their debut LP, See the Whirl. Despite the inclusion of some of their early single sides, much of the record fell prey to over-production, and was a critical and commercial failure. The group split shortly after its release. Much of the group's output remained hard to come by until the Singles & Sessions compilation was released by Kill Rock Stars in 2006. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
