About The Freeze

There is more than one band with this name: 1) The Freeze is an east coast melodic hardcore band that has been a twisted beacon of energy in the hardcore punk scene for over 20 years. After their formation in 1979 and release of the "I Hate Tourists" Ep in 1980 they recorded the famous song "This Is Boston, Not LA" which became the title of the now infamous comp Lp. Although thought of as a Boston band they were originally from the Cape Cod area. After forming while still in high school, the band went thru many shifting line-ups all revolving around singer/lyricist Clif Hanger and for most of the bands existence, guitarist and co-writer Bill Close. In 1983 they released the classic hardcore Lp "Land Of The Lost" and then were more or less successful at producing a new Lp every couple years or so up thru the "personal troubles" period of the "Misery Loves Company" record and ending with their last full-length in 1999, "One False Move" on Dr.Strange records. The Freeze music is driving hardcore at it's roots but always has a solid melodic ring thanks to the more-than-competent musical ability of guitarist Bill Close. Clif's lyrics are dark, twisted, unstable, paranoid and at their best are fantasy stories from the scary corners of his mind. 2) The Freeze is also a punk band formed in 1976. The Freeze formed in 1976 and initially consisted of Gordon Sharp (vocals), David Clancy (guitar), Keith Grant (bass), and Graeme Radin (drums). (Later line-ups would see the addition of a guitarist/saxophonist/clarinetist Tony Wallis, alternate drummer/keyboardist Neil Braidwood and alternate bassist Mike Moran.) The band was active from 1976 to 1982, gigging continuously throughout their homeland of Scotland, and supporting a wide range of acts, from the likes of Sham 69 to Echo & The Bunnymen. On stage they were quite the lively bunch - with an unusually diverse spectrum of sound, glam-punk gender-bending theatrics, and a knack for random song improvisation - it was a package that often left onlookers enthusiastically scratching their heads in astonishment. The group had two official releases - 1979's debut 7-inch EP In Colour, and 1980's 7-inch single Celebration, both of which were self-financed on their own A1 label. And although The Freeze would prove that they undoubtedly had both the musical talent and vision needed to propel their name into the greater new wave market, it was their eclectic and unpredictable nature that ultimately barred them from capturing proper label interest. Not to say their wasn't any interested... John Peel noticed the band and in late 1980 invited them to do their first BBC radio session, followed by another session in 1981, both of which have yet to see any official release. By 1982 Gordon had become increasingly dissatisfied with the confines of the band's musical format, wishing to instead give focus to more experimental song structures, a desire which eventually lead him to forge a new union with fellow core-member David Clancy, move to London and change the band's name to Cindytalk. (text taken from http://lifeonthedot.blogspot.com/2007/08/freeze-in-colour-ep-1979.html)