The Many Stresses Of Stress

Recently, you may recall, I wrote at length about the difficulties of choosing a decent band name. It turns out, choosing a name isn't the end of your problems. The first band I formed, way back in 1981, was a two piece act (that's us central in the header above), playing what would now be called "Minimal Synth", but at the time was simply using whatever we could afford (which wasn't actually very much).  Regardless, we put out three albums and contributed to a bunch of compilations, all of which have since been reissued on vinyl, CD, download, and even cassette by labels in the US and Europe. We played a clutch of UK club level gigs, had a minor hit in Belgium, and then split in 1985.  We called ourselves 'Stress', which we thought was a pretty good name and felt that we were pretty unique with our blend of electronics, bass guitar, cut ups, and socially and politically aware lyrics (eg the track 'Semi D Prison' was about being too afraid to leave your home after being put in a state of fear by the media and insurance companies).  Then Sofia Ribeiro Willcox's recent article on Brazilian heavy metal in Outsideleft reminded me that the name 'Stress' was far from unique and, in common with many other acts,  there were in fact lots of bands across the globe sharing the same name, including that Brazilian heavy metal act (who even have their own Wikipedia entry - something I never got around to creating myself). 

Although I'd like to think we were the most original and best of the bunch, there is pretty much something for everyone in the many Stress's. Lets take a look at some of our other namesakes.

Stress (Switzerland)

Painfully dull metal rap band, just like a zillion others. Formed in 2009 and, unfortunately, still going.  Lots of albums, singles, and videos of white kids pretending to be black and shaking their hands at the camera, even a clothing chain (yes, baseball caps and hooded tops – very original). Excruciatingly corporate in a way only the Swiss truly excel at and very much the face of a typical “band” today. Radical? I think not

Stress (UK – London)

Short-lived Neo-Psychedelic rock band, who released an album in 1991 on Reprise/Warner Bros. Records. They were sometimes credited as “Stress UK” in America to avoid any confusion with the dire San Diego band featured below. Their album drew numerous favourable comparisons with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles, and they sound ok actually, even if they do look like a bunch of dorks on the cover of their album.

Stress (USA - San Diego)

Typical 1980’s US cock rock rubbish. Founded in 1983, this travesty of the Stress name played in San Diego and Los Angeles at clubs with names like Madame Wong's, FM Station and The Troubadour and released an LP, now gracing thrift stores throughout the States.  They had a guitarist who spent a short time in Aerosmith apparently, which explains a lot.

In late 1987, they decided to change to more of a pop direction. Fortunately, this failed to gain them the level of success and groupies they were clearly willing to do anything for and, much to the relief of music lovers and anyone with even a shred of good taste, they disbanded.  Thank god.

Stress (Poland)

No information on this lot, though being from Eastern Europe I’d put money on them being a punk band.

(The) Stress (Greece - Athens)

Thrashy anarcho-punk band.  They released their own LP, which even got re-issued in 1992. They also featured on a compilation LP on Enigma Records.  A halfway decent band also called Stress (albeit with a ‘the’ at the start) at last!  Hoorah! 

Stress (UK - Brize Norton)

Released a couple of demo tapes in 1981 and 1984.  Otherwise, no further information is available, but I gather they were another shouty anarcho-punk band in the Flux of Pink Indians/Crass vein.

Stress (Belgium – Grimbergen)

Again, no info on this bunch, but sounds like yet another shouty punk band to me with catchy song titles like “My father is a fascist”. Popped up on the bootleg LP ‘ Bloodstains across Belgium Vol 2’ in 1998

Stress* (West Germany – Schleswig)

My personal favourite of all the other Stress’s, Stress* (with an asterix – what is that all about?) were a punk band from a small town called Schleswig in the north of Germany. Their songs were sung in English and German about their view of life, problems in school, local nazis, girls, the police, etc.  All good stuff. They played a few gigs in the north of Germany and released the self-titled LP Stress* in February 1982 on Rock-O-Rama records but a few months later they split, which was a shame really, but then so did we!  Here’s why they threw in the towel in the words of their drummer, Jürgen Maik:“In that time the whole 'punk-scene' changed a lot (many people misunderstanding the words "no future" came along thinking they also are something like a punk) and with our LP release we were "famous" enough to be established in their eyes and more and more it was no fun anymore to make music for these guys...” A man after our own hearts!

I have no doubt there are yet more Stress's out there than this, and there are certainly various solo rappers using the name - all of which I have wisely chosen to ignore here - but it still makes me cringe when I see another act with that name pop up, as if I were somehow responsible. Like a band version of The Three Faces of Eve, I have come to the conclusion that Stress is really a schizophrenic, multiple personality band that can't make its mind up whether it is punk, electronic, rap, psychedelic, or heavy metal, or even what nationality it is!  It's no wonder I am confused!

The next band I formed after Stress finished was called Dance Naked.  That name attracted us a whole new set of (frankly, unwelcome) followers online, and resulted in some very entertaining YouTube search results, but then that's a whole other story...