The Snake Corps was formed by two ex-members of Sad Lovers & Giants (Tristan Garel-Funk and Nigel Pollard) after the band first split in 1983. The pair were augmented by Marc Lewis on vocals and Liam McGuinness on bass.
After some initial success building a local following Nigel left the band to rejoin a newly reinvigorated Sad Lovers & Giants (with Liam’s brother, Tony on guitar) and was replaced by Jon Greville from the hardcore three-piece Rudimentary Peni, on drums.
This line up recorded the first album: FLESH ON FLESH, released on Midnight Music in 1984.
Tours in Europe helped to build and consolidate the band’s following, but despite being championed by the legendary DJ John Peel in the UK the story was largely one of press and radio indifference. Feeling a need to broaden the scope of their sound, the band added keyboards with the return of SL&G founder member David Wood. With the arrival of Jim Blanchard from label-mates the S-Haters, on bass guitar, this line-up recorded the band’s second album SMOTHER EARTH. More gigs followed but UK recognition continued to elude the Snake Corps despite growing interest from around the world; the bulk of the band’s record sales going overseas. Ian Gibson (recently having left the Mk2 version of SL&G) was eventually to replace David Wood on keyboards.
With the collapse into chaos and insolvency of record label Midnight Music, the band raised the necessary funds themselves to record 3rd CUP at Berry Street Studios with Brad Grisdale at the controls. In synergy with Grisdale the result was what many consider to be the Snake Corps’ finest album.
In 2010 Marc & Liam reformed the band, later joined by Jim. In September 2010 the band played with sister Sad lovers & Giants in Barcelona, the gig was a huge success more gigs in Berlin, Madrid and Valencia followed. The band also played with the Chameleons at the 02 academy in Islington 2012 and again put on a wonderful performance, helped by their acclaimed new session drummer Dave Vigay. The band played to a sell-out audience in Tarragona, Spain, in November 2015 playing a new song ‘A Far Cry’ from a forthcoming release, the EP ‘The Ocean Calls’, which was released in September 2016, – the band played in Berlin and Madrid in October and November 2016. In Italy, Spain and the UK in 2017, again with the Chameleons Vox – In 2018 at the Gotham Music Fest in Germany in April, Barcelona in Sept, and Turin in November, a return to Barcelona followed. In 2019 the band released ‘She’ll Rise’ followed by an return to Valencia and Tarragona. ‘Ghost’ was released in 2020. The band has been constantly gigging since then and more concerts follow towards the end of 2024.
You can follow The Snake Corps here: linktr.ee/snakecorps