Chant! Chant! Chant!
Chant! Chant! Chant! from; Dublin Active; 1980 – 1982
Style; New Wave
Line up;
Vocals; Eoin Freeney
Guitar; Robbie Wogan
Bass; Larry Murphy
Drums; Paul Monahan
Stag/Hot Press Awards
Chant! Chant! Chant were the winners of the first Stag/Hot Press best Newcomer award in 1980. Larry & Paul had formerly been The Threat, they left in late 1979.
Supporting UK Bands
During 1980 they won some notable support dates with English touring bands. The Arcadia in Cork with Manchester’s The Fall, John Cooper Clarke at University College Dublin and finally the 4 Be 2’s at Trinity College.
Records
Their fist single was the Boddis EP. Also on the EP are tracks by Big Self (Concrete Curtains), The Departure (Stop), The Perridots (Precious Blood). The Chant track is What Do You Know. Released on Nienteeneightease Records DC 9 003.
Boddis was a series out gigs held at the Magnet Bar. Often by bands that struggled to get gigs at other venues. Usually it would be a three band line up.
Dave Fanning Session
Their solo single was released in 1981 7″ Quicksand/Play Safe Chant 001 only 500 copies were pressed.
The band also recorded a Dave Fanning Session broadcast in 1981 the tracks were Ballet No:1, Forty One, Say So.
Chant!’s beginnings
From Vox fanzine. Robbie It was difficult in the beginning because of working in England. I’d come home Friday night, practice Saturday morning and play Saturday night. So the music leaned more towards drum & bass. Vox Mono plays “intelligently” on drums (for those of you with raised eyebrows, that means using his head – not just bashing out 4/4 rhythms for their own sake. Robbie plays guitar as if each cord is his last, and he’s going to take off any moment. Eoin’s singing matches sufficiently with the melodies. However, he moves unnecessarily on stage and if relaxed more it might help to intensify the singing. Larry is the natural focal point visually and musically, his experience shows.