The Mekons

The Mekons were an English post-punk band from Leeds that issued two singles on small-press Fast Product in 1978, followed by the 1979 Virgin album The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen. After a pause in output, a reconstituted lineup issued a run of albums on Sin Record Company and Quarterstick during the late 1980s and ’90s.

Members: Jon Langford (lead vocals, guitar, bass, piano, synthesizer), Tom Greenhalgh (vocals, guitar, piano, synthesizer), Kevin Lycett (bass, drums, percussion, synthesizer), Jon Lange (drums), Susie Honeyman (violin), Sally Timms (vocals, 1985-present), Roz Allen (bass), Andy Corrigan (vocals), Mark White (vocals), Marry Jenner (bass), Rico Bell (accordion, vocals), Lu Edmonds (guitar), Stephen Goulding (drums)

Background

The Mekons formed in 1977 when six University of Leeds fine-art students — vocalists Andy Corrigan and Mark White, bassist Ros Allen, drummer Jon Langford, and guitarists Tom Greenhalgh and Kevin Lycett — organized a band.

Greenhalgh and Lycett had attended Sevenoaks School in Kent with White. Future Gang of Four founders Jon King and Andy Gill belonged to the same school circle. Langford came from Newport, Wales, and studied painting at Leeds. Allen entered the Fine Art course in October 1976, where she joined the student circle around Langford and Greenhalgh. The group took the name from the Mekon, the Venusian antagonist in the British comic strip Dan Dare.

In December 1976, Greenhalgh and other future Mekons attended the Anarchy tour at Leeds Polytechnic. They used Gang of Four’s equipment between rehearsals at the university film society. The Mekons assembled a first set within days for an abbreviated debut. The group supported the Rezillos on October 18, 1977, at the F Club in Leeds. Fast Product founder Bob Last approached the band after the F Club set.

The Mekons recorded “Never Been in a Riot,” “32 Weeks,” and “Heart and Soul” on October 29–30 at Alpins Place near Galashiels, where Tim Pearce used a two-track recorder. Fast Product issued the three-song single in January 1978 as the first release on the label. The group recorded “Where Were You?” (b/w “I’ll Have to Dance Then (On My Own)”) at Spaceward Studios in Cambridge with Mary Jenner on bass. The single sold more than 27,000 copies and preceded a contract with Virgin Records. The Mekons then entered The Manor in Oxfordshire with Bob Last to record The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen.

Discography:

• “Never Been in a Riot” / “32 Weeks” / “Heart and Soul” (1978)
• “Where Were You?” / “I’ll Have to Dance Then (On My Own)” (1978)
• The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen (1979)
• The Mekons [a.k.a Devils, Rats and Piggies: A Special Message From Godzilla] (1980)
• Fear and Whiskey (1985)
• The Edge of the World (1986)
• The Mekons Honky Tonkin’ (1987)
• So Good It Hurts (1988)
• The Mekons Rock ‘n’ Roll (1989)