Formed in 1982, Lords Of The New Church comprised punk pioneers Stiv Bators (The Dead Boys), Brian James (The Damned), Dave Tregunna (Sham 69) and Nick Turner (The Barracudas). Miles Copeland (brother of Stewart Copeland of The Police) took on their management.
They made their live debut in Paris in 1981 and their self-titled debut vinyl outing (1983) helped to increase criticisms about their apparent blasphemy, hardly dispelled when the album appeared with lines like “Greed and murder is forgiven when in the name of the Church”.
The debut album introduced an authentic rock band with dark shades, flirting with apocalyptic and religious imagery. Stiv Bators was the Iggy to guitarist Brian James’ Ron Asheton, and, with more in common with Hanoi Rocks than, say, Sex Gang Children, the Lords lashed Goth imagery to their piratical pop rock.
The single Dance With Me – from Is Nothing Sacred? (1983) – gained several plays on MTV with a video directed by Derek Jarman. Unfortunately, its success was scuppered after mistaken allegations about paedophilia saw it taken off the air.
Their final studio album, Method To Our Madness (1984), revealed the band treading water with stifled heavy rock routines. They did not split officially until 1989, but before that Tregunna had departed for Cherry Bombz, while Alistair Ward contributed some second guitar.
Stiv Bators
Vocals Brian James
Guitar Dave Tregunna
Bass, vocals Nick Turner
Drums, vocals
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