The Armoury Show - Waiting For The Floods

Richard Jobson, Russell Webb, John McGeogh and John Doyle formed the Armoury Show together in 1981, taking their name from a famous 1913 modern art exhibition in New York. Unfortunately, they only had a brief existence, but they left us with a gem of a record in the guise of 'Waiting for the Floods', their 1985 one and only album. ‘Waiting for the Floods’ has been reissued as a double CD, with the original album and bonus tracks on one CD and a second CD full of remixes, 12" versions and other bonus tracks. The Armoury Show remained largely unheard in their heyday in the mid-1980s, despite featuring several eminent new wave musicians. At the start of that decade, the Dunfermline-born punk band the Skids were coming to natural end, and, after guitarist Stuart Adamson left to form Big Country, singer Richard Jobson and bassist Russell Webb also eventually went in a new direction. Around this time the Manchester-based group Magazine, which had included drummer John Doyle and guitarist John McGeoch, were also dissolving. McGeoch had also had a stint playing with Siouxsie and the Banshees, until he was dismissed for excessive drinking. There was a real array of talent here and it has that distinctive 80's sound to it. It is packed with various other influences from around that era but has also a brave unique sound slightly ahead of that time. There are echoes ironically of Adamson's Big Country, but the Armoury Show, while mixing together various other 80’s influences, also had their own sound. The singles on here, "Castles...", plus "We Can Be Brave Again" and "Glory Of Love" could all easily have been arm-waving, lighter-in-hand anthems enough to turn Jim Kerr a sickly shade of green, but only a handful of people bought them. Life isn't fair, is it? I don't know, of course, but I would imagine Richard Jobson is immensely proud of this record. Four people came together and created something magical; it's just a shame that so few of us shared that magic.

The Armoury Show

The Armoury Show remained largely unheard in their heyday in the mid-1980s, despite featuring several eminent new wave musicians. At the start of that decade, the Dunfermline-born punk band the Skids were coming to natural end, and, after guitarist Stuart Adamson left to form Big Country, singer Richard Jobson and bassist Russell Webb also eventually went in a new direction. Around this time the Manchester-based group Magazine, which had included drummer John Doyle and guitarist John McGeoch, were also dissolving. The latter had also had a stint playing with Siouxsie and the Banshees, and even replaced Adamson briefly in the Skids for a ‘Peel Session’ shortly before they split up in 1981. Richard Jobson, Russell Webb, John McGeogh and John Doyle formed the Armoury Show together later in 1981, taking their name from a famous 1913 modern art exhibition in New York. Unfortunately they only had a brief existence, but they left us with one outstanding album and a brace of 12” singles. There was a real array of talent here and it has that distinctive 80's sound to it. It is packed with various other influences from around that era, but has also a brave unique sound slightly ahead of that time. There are echoes ironically of Adamson's Big Country, but the Armoury Show, while mixing together various other 80’s influences, also had their own sound. If you have just discovered the Armoury Show through the re-release of Waiting For The Floods, you will not be disappointed with these 12” singles as they are the sound of new wave of the 80s with its many characteristics all rolled into one. Marvellous!

New York City

When Richard Jobson returned from China in 1986 he reunited with Russell Webb (bass), Dave Lockwood (guitar) and Ray Weston (drums) to record tracks for the second Armoury Show album called Monkey Cry. The singles "Love in Anger" and "New York City" followed in 1987.