The Beatpack

The Beatpack were a bunch of scruffy mid-60s obsessed miscreants predominantly - but not exclusively - from the south-east of England, and the Hastings area in particular. They peddled a ferocious punk-tinged brand of raw, primal garage R'n'B around the UK and Europe between 1987 and 1991, recording an LP - Could You Walk On Water? - an EP and a 45 for Screaming Apple records, based in Cologne, Germany, along the way. All these recordings were produced by the legendary Billy Childish.

With this blog, we aim to collect photographs, flyers, recordings, videos and memories of The Beatpack and to make their vibe available to future generations.

To get things started, here are a few photos to whet your appetite.

First up, walking like an Egyptian down by Cleopatra's Needle.
This is maybe 1990 and the line-up was (back) Hugh Dellar (vocals), French Ollie (bass), Luke Herriott (drums), Simon Harvey (lead guitar) and, at the front, Joss Hutton (rhythmn guitar)





















This is the same line-up and was probably taken on the same day.
How the girls on the scene swooned!























Next up, a different bassist, Paul Phillips (aka Welsh Paul, previously of The Pooh Sticks) resplendent in white, next to Oz chick Yasmine Kopita (she of the BORN LOSER fanzine), Sir David of Garwood (aka Neville Thumbcatch) and Simon Harvey.Dig the Brian Jones on sitar Stones photo on the wall. This was maybe 1990.















Here, drummer Luke Herriott (on the right) in his red velvet jacket that he got from a charity shop somewhere and that he believed made him look more like Jay Boor, the drummer of the mighty Q'65 on the cover of their Godlike REVOLUTION LP, hanging out with fellow-south coaster Tim Jackson.
















The Beatpack played in Scotland a fair bit, and in Edinburgh in particular, thanks mainly to a strong bond and affinity with the psych / garage scene that was in full bloom up there in the 80s. In this photo, Joss Hutton, in the white Charlatans (60s variant, natch!) hangs with Lachlan McDonald (left), Barnaby Dellar (right - the younger brother of Beatpack singer, Hugh) and, on the jazz fags, Lenny Helsing, he of The Thanes, Green Telescope and Beeville Hive V legendary status.














Frontman / lead screamer Hugh in Los Salvajes T-shirt.




















Drummer Luke in a rather singular apricot number looning with Tim Jackson and a rather heavy-looking Dave Garwood.




















Welsh Paul, somewhat worse for wear, on the street in Catford, south London at 6am after a hard day's night.




















The Beatpack were a band of very surreal proportions.
Short drummer, lanky bloody great frontman, small guitarist!





















One of the classic five-piece line-ups with (from left to right) Joss Hutton, Hugh Dellar, Luke Herriott (hidden behind the drum kit), Simon Harvey and Paul Phillips.
















The benefits of a healthy Heineken intake clear for all to see.
1989-90 line-up (from left to right: Hugh, Luke, Joss, Simon, Ollie.