Athletico Spizz 80 - Do A Runner

Do A Runner is the 1980 debut studio album by the English post-punk band Athletico Spizz 80, led by vocalist Kenneth "Spizz" Spiers. Released by A&M Records, the album marked a distinct sonic shift from the band's earlier, quirky punk-pop hits like "Where's Captain Kirk?" (released under the name Spizzenergi). Recorded over a single bank holiday weekend at London's Berry Street Studio, the record delivers a darker, more angular blend of sci-fi-inflected jazz-punk and new wave. It explores paranoid, dystopian themes ranging from technological anxiety to environmental ruin, all framed by Spizz's signature eccentric vocal delivery.

Though the album's experimental and brooding tone initially polarized contemporary music critics, it has since grown into a celebrated cult classic of the post-punk era. The original 11-track vinyl release features standout tracks like "European Heroes" and the sprawling, eight-minute closer "Airships." Visually defined by a striking sleeve co-designed with the Rocking Russian design group, the album remains a vital time capsule of the band's ever-evolving identity—a career marked by constant re-invention and frequent name changes.

Athletico Spizz 80 - No Room 7''

Released in June 1980 on Rough Trade Records (RT 005), "No Room" is a classic post-punk 7-inch single by Athletico Spizz 80, one of the many moniker variations used by English vocalist Spizz. The record features the driving, energetic track "No Room (Coalfield)" on the A-side and "Spock's Missing" on the B-side, showcasing the band's distinctive blend of fast-paced new wave rhythms and sci-fi-inflected punk attitude. Recorded at Gateway Studios in South London, the lineup included Spizz on vocals, Pete "Scott" Barrett on guitar, Mark Coalfield on piano, Jim Solar on bass, and C.P. Snare on drums. Original UK pressings were issued in a distinctive black-and-white picture sleeve and remain a popular, affordable collector's item for fans of early indie and post-punk history.

Athletico Spizz 80 - So Far So Good

Athletico Spizz 80 was the 1980 incarnation of the pioneering English punk and new wave band led by vocalist and songwriter Kenneth "Spizz" Spiers. Renowned for their eccentric gimmick of changing the band's name annually—alternating over the years between Spizzoil, Spizzenergi, and The Spizzles—the group adopted the "Athletico" moniker to satirise corporate branding ahead of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Melding the aggressive, raw energy of traditional punk rock with quirky, space-age synthesizers, they carved out a unique sci-fi niche within the UK post-punk landscape. Just as they transitioned into this era, their defining anthem "Where's Captain Kirk?" made history by becoming the first-ever number-one single on the newly created UK Indie Chart, cementing their cult legacy.

Under the Athletico Spizz 80 banner, the band enjoyed their most commercially successful and prolific year. They signed with A&M Records and released their official debut full-length studio album, Do a Runner, which climbed into the Top 30 of the UK Albums Chart. Driven by the core lineup of Spizz, guitarist Dave Scott, keyboardist Mark Coalfield, bassist Jim Solar, and drummer Hero Shima, the group became a formidable live act, famously becoming the first band to sell out London's legendary Marquee Club for five consecutive nights. Their frenetic performance style was further immortalised in the iconic 1981 new wave concert documentary Urgh! A Music War, right before the calendar turned and Spizz inevitably rebranded the band once again for the new year.