Again Again - came and went, leaving only traces and questions.
Again Again – In Session -1979 – Past Daily Soundbooth
Again Again – in session for John Peel – Broadcast January 24, 1979 – BBC Radio 1 –
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Again Again in session – their first and only session for John Peel – recorded on December 20, 1978 – BBC Radio 1. A band that came and went with lightning speed, leaving precious little to know about them. If it wasn’t for Mick Cooper’s excellent breakdown of the Portsmouth Music Scene, I never would have gotten any information, let alone finding this photo of the band.
And there is this review from the Terrascope site from June 2011 that sheds a slight modicum of light on the subject:
“Again Again came together at Southdowns college/Purbrook where V.U./Roxy fans Rob Hutchings and Roger Payne teamed up with art lecturer Jeff Pountain (guitar) and Drummer Mark Broad, Mark Mason joining soon after. Numerous well attended local gigs and support slots to X Ray Spex and The Boomtown Rats saw them moving to the smoke where they did a well received Peel session and released one 12 inch single on “Do It” records. Their track her, “Wrong Again” is a pretty fiery slab of 77 style new wave, in which the twin six strings have distinct traces of influences from across the pond in the shape of Uncle Lou and early Television. They formerly rehearsed in a ratty old building at the back of The Museum Gardens pub (now gone) where ivy used to cling to the inside of the building! Very bijou”.
Further digging revealed that guitarist Jeff Poutain passed away in 2019 – everyone else draws blanks.
And that’s a shame, because they weren’t half-bad. Pity they only did one session for Peel and released on 12″ before packing it in. Poutain returned to art and I have no idea what became of the rest. But that’s par for the course in music; bands and artists that become household names, while others appear and vanish without a trace. It’s just the sad nature of the beast.
Enjoy this session from 42 years ago – perhaps someone will shed some light – additions and inclusions are welcome – I am sure the band would appreciate it!
