Jul 20 1991 Babes In Toyland, Pet Lamb – Charlie’s
Jul 22 1991 Babes In Toyland, In Motion – Fox + Pheasant
This was the twelfth Saturday afternoon gig of the year in Charlie’s. Southern Studios had been in touch about Babes In Toyland playing. They were going to play Belfast and Cork with THERAPY? and wanted to fit in the capital while they were over. I was delighted because John Loder was involved in Southern. John was involved with Crass and Flux Of Pink Indians and also helped out with Ian McKaye from Fugazi. This was a great gig and NO, Therapy??, did not play the Dublin gig. There was confusion before this gig as the rumour spread that the “Babes” had signed to a major label.
Given our refusal to deal with bands on major labels it may have seemed contradictory to put on a band just because of a link with John Loder. However we were told they were not on a major when they visited Ireland and that’s all the reassurance we needed. They subsequently signed to (and got dropped from) a major but when they played Ireland they were aligned to Southern. It may seem a small and inconsequential point but it was important to ‘Hope’. As mentioned, ‘Hope’ didn’t want to be part of the major record label’s machinery for their bands.
We had NO guest list at our gigs, we treated all bands the same, the same way we treated people who paid in to the gigs, and anyone involved in helping with a gig paid in. This way there was no “them” and “us”. For us to put on a band tied in to a major record label would have been a sign of support for the band, something we didn’t want to do through our gigs, regardless of individual feelings. Monday night and the “Babes” played the FOX. Another surprise gig, my surprise being when I was asked for ALL the money (£300) from the gig to go the “Babes”. “I think they deserve it after tonight’s show, don’t you”. I was too busy dreaming of those CRASS records and thinking this isn’t right to give the reply I wanted to.
