All The Madmen Records - Relaunch

bristol | community | press release Monday July 09, 2012 12:22 by Josh Stanley - All The Madmen Records The Quarry, Eastcourt Rd, Temple Cloud, Bristol, BS59 5BU

25 years after releasing its last record, the original label of legendary anarcho-punk band The Mob is back and seeking new members.

After 25 long years, All The Madmen records is returning as a collective to be run by like-minded people with the ambition to provide talented and under appreciated bands with a platform to produce and release music into the public domain. By funding production, printing and publication of previously unsigned artists and reinvesting the proceeds back into helping more bands produce more records and more gigs; we hope to showcase the music we love to a wider audience.

All the Madmen began as a Yeovil based fanzine in 1978 and became a record label in 1980 when the first single by the Mob (Crying Again) was released on All the Madmen. Other singles and an album by the Mob followed. As well as the Mob, the label also released records by Andy Stratton, the Review, the Astronauts, Flowers in the Dustbin, Zos Kia, Blyth Power, Thatcher on Acid, Clair Obscur, Dan, Hysteria Ward and We Are Going to Eat You.

Although the Mob stopped playing and recording in 1983, All the Madmen continued as a record label until 1988. If All the Madmen had been just another record label and the Mob just another punk band, that would have been the end of the story. But the music was always only part of the story. The bigger picture is reflected in the title of the Mob’s 1983 album -‘Let the Tribe Increase’. The Mob and All the Madmen were part of a counter-culture which never quite faded away.

So when the Mob reformed in 2011, their gigs became celebrations of the tribe’s survival, bringing hundreds of people back together again and attracting many who had been too young to be part of the original tribe. The success of the reformed Mob has now inspired a planned revival of All the Madmen as a collective, collaborative and creative project, to become more than (since it never was) ‘just another independent record label’.

Much of the enthusiasm for this revival comes from Mark Wilson of the Mob. Back in 1982, it was Mark’s energy which (with the help of Rough Trade) led to the recording and release of ‘Let the Tribe Increase’ in 1983. It was the financial success of the album which helped All the Madmen to survive until 1988. For a revived All the Madmen to be a success in this new age of austerity, Mark recognises that enthusiasm will have to be tempered by realism. This will be added by Mark’s daughter, who is actively involved in the project.

Thirty years ago, the life-affirming idealism of the original counter-culture encouraged the punk generation to create alternatives to apathy and despair. While young people today do not face the threat of nuclear war, their future prospects are still very bleak. The values of co-operation and mutual aid which empowered the young people who created All the Madmen are as vital now as they have ever been. To inform and inspire a new generation is therefore an essential part of our collective ambition.

Now that we're back, We aim to create a community ethos in which the music we release is the main focus.

For the foreseeable future, any profits that the label generates will be reinvested into the company to help more musicians in what is currently a difficult environment to enter and succeed in.

We are asking that people pay an initial £50 membership fee to generate a start up fund, with which bands can begin to benefit from the recreation of the label. In keeping with the cooperative values of the company, all members will be entitled to one vote at meetings, regardless of the number of shares they hold. By becoming a member of All The Madmen you will automatically receive a share in the company.

· The first membership registration will run from the 1st July 2012 and will be available until 12th Aug 2012.

· Although we welcome any size investment it is an important value of the organisation that every member retains equal voting rights (one person one vote) in the event of a company resolution or meeting.

· You are free to sell or exchange your share at any time (at your own discretion).

· There will be intermittent periods in which the organisation will issue more shares and the value of these will be arranged accordingly at these times.

· Aside from your investment you will not be expected to contribute towards the running of the company. However, if there are skills you feel would help towards the growth of the record label then please feel free to add these to the form. Payment for time will be made on a trust basis, fairly and accordingly.

· For the foreseeable future all profits will be reinvested back into the organisation. However each year we hope to put on a free event for all of our members.

· There will be a vote at the end of each financial year to decide the distribution of the profits, in terms of reinvestments dividends etc. In the case of multiple memberships, dividends will be paid in accordance to share ownership.

On receiving your membership application you will be sent a welcome pack which will include:

o 1 Share Certificate

o 1 All The Madmen T-shirt

o 1 Ticket to the All The Madmen Launch Gig (date to be announced)

Thanks for reading, please visit the website and become a member!