4Q, Total Mind Fuck, Damm Yankee @ The Plough, St Asaph

This stint of gigs saw a pattern of chaos set into 4Q’s performances, they were becoming more confident with their instruments & cocky with it.

DAMM YANKEE headed by Dean Obscene who eventually teamed up with Neil as co-guitarist in PSST 4 years later, played their debut gig which was enjoyed by all.
TOTAL MIND FUCK didn’t live up to the expectation that their name promised. Members of this band went on to form SPOILT VICTORIA & then MR.GRIMSDALE who were played on BBC Radio One.

4Q were drunk, so we knew what sort of a night to expect from the beginning. It was very much like a Denbigh High School reunion for Neil as he faced many of his old classmates for the first time since leaving school. This put Cumi at ease & gave him the encouragement to abuse the crowd without too much fear of a physical backlash, after all, like many of the places 4Q played in, this was bandit country.
The scene was set, the 1st song was blasted into & the crowd went wild, this encouraged Paul to run round his kit while still playing it & then jump on it. By the 2nd song the venue was beginning to get trashed, tables started going over; but all in good humour. The banter that went on between the band & audience was hilarious.
Wayne had borrowed TMF’s amp & laughed when we all saw thick black smoke bellowing out from it, he switched it off & plugged his bass into the PA
By the end of the set the stage was full of punters screaming & shouting, tables & chairs were strewn everywhere, somebody’s shoes were flying through the air & about 20 of the crowd helped the band pack up in record time to escape without paying for the room hire.

 DAMM YANKEE'S debut performance opened with screams of "I've bust a f*cking string." But nothing was going to marr Dean & Haydn's evening. With a borrowed bassist from thrash band ULTRA VIOLENCE, DY played a superb set consisting of the most trashy guitar techniques since 4Q's 1st gig. Definitely a band to see, they're so f*cking disorganised it's hilarious!
TOTAL MIND F*CK were not what I expected, I had visions of a mad thrash but OK, they were good musicians but they lacked any imaginative flair.
Ah! We come to 4Q - well seasoned & well crazy. They opened into Nein Werk & the crowd went wild, throwing each other everywhere. After 6 songs of anarchy & chaos, smoke started bellowing from the bass amp, Wayne wasn't taken aback; he plugged his bass into the PA & left the amp to smoulder quietly. Drummer Paul Puke got carried away & gave the crowd a rendition of the Sub's 'Warhead' (acapello version). Six songs later ending with the new & wonderful 'Twisted Tabloids', 4Q were called back & got No:1 fan, Yosser to sing 'Anarchy In The UK' which resulted in broken chairs & a smashed table. Two more encores & the fans helped get all the gear out into the van within 3 minutes therefore enabling the band to run off without paying for the room hire.
No wonder 4Q are banned from 90% of North Wales venues!!!
Avi Dub

4Q LINE-UP

*Haydn of DAMM YANKEE plays extra drums
**Yosser sings vocals