Angelo Gravity - The Biggest Burnley Star Since Ron Futcher
Andy Savage in 1989, aged 22
Born in Burnley on April 20th, 1967, Angelo Gravity was then known as Andrew Savage, and began making a name for himself as a teenager, when he appeared in a photo in 'The Mirror', aged 18, reading poetry in a jacuzzi - and he wasn't alone - it was all innocent really, honest, guv. Andrew founded several small press poetry publications in the mid-1980s, under his Pleasure Publications banner, including 'Melodic Scribble', 'Steam Engine', 'I Want To Eat Your Stomach', and 'Super Trouper', with the latter becoming a successful tapezine of music, poetry, and reviews, featuring creative types from around the world, which ran to the turn of the century, and was followed by 'Zine-On-A-Tape' in 1999. 'Melodic Scribble' became a tapezine called 'The Last Ever Melodic Scribble', and 'The Big Mouse' progressed from a poetry pamphlet to another tapezine! 'Poetry Missile' was a poetry tapezine, hosted by Asa Vage in 2002. Hope you're following all this!
In its early days as a printed mag, 'Super Trouper' would send out stars for publishers that deserved them, and I still have mine stuck on the wall! No stars were awarded for publications deemed "crap beyond all comprehension!"
Andrew Savage performed his poetry at a number of events in the 1980s, alongside small press legends Steve Sneyd, Richard Mason, Andrew Darlington, and Dave Cunliffe. Andrew was also getting more involved in making music by the end of the '80s, and started issuing tapes of his own music, and compilation tapes with other artists, on his Tapeworm Tapes label. There were nearly always unforgettable titles such as 'Tadpoles Are Cannibalz', 'Werewolf Poo', 'Eh?', and 'You Fat Git'. 'Well' had a normal title by comparison! Playing the acoustic guitar and keyboard, Andrew joined The Peace & Freedom band in 1988, which was a combo consisting of former APF Brigade stalwart Andi Xport, and Peace & Freedom magazine founders Andrew Bruce and Paul Rance. It was Sav who inspired P&F's 1991 anti-poll tax rock opera, 'Cedric'! It was about an oppressed poll tax victim leading a revolution, which ended with the overthrow of the Government!
Andy has always been game for anything, and his 1990 release, 'Glojjunipidnops', was a very funny tape of comedy sketches, featuring the creepy quiz show host on 'Where's My Genitals', and the fearsome 'Dreadful Standup Comedian'. Listening to it again recently, it still made me laugh out loud.
Back to poetry, Andrew and his friends Lovely Ivor and Ethelred Skudge Naggernunk released a poetry booklet, published by US poetry publishers Feh! Press, in 1991, called 'Three Nostrils Are Better Than One', and Ethelred went solo in 1994 for his 'Dead Trendy' collection. A lot earlier, in 1986, an endearing collection of giraffe poems from various poets, called 'Neck', had been released by Pleasure Publications.
1994 saw Sav's best musical outpouring to date with his 'In Another World' release, and in 1995, those galactic fixers of teeth, The Space Dentists, were given life by Andy. Shrouded in mystery, who they really are is, er...a mystery. Moving from Burnley to London to successfully try and gain a degree, and then onto Sheffield, Sav married in 1997, and became a father of two sons in 1998 and 1999. Sav still found time to appear on the former Channel 4 sports show 'Under The Moon', in '98, as one of several acts performing World Cup songs. For his song 'Ooh La La', Andy was billed as solo artist Crunching Tackle From Behind. In the little compilation of highlights of performers of said World Cup songs, Andy's performance was included, with an extract of him giving it large. Another notable solo project around this time was One Last Fling, with two album releases, and the memorable song 'I Hate My Job' - a song everyone can identify with at some point in their lives, unless ridiculously lucky.
The Savmeister embraced the digital age by the end of the century, and was releasing music in the Midi, Mod, and MP3 format, and was on the pioneering MP3 American website mp3.com with several of his creations - his solo work (also known as Andy The S on MP3 site Vitaminic), The Space Dentists, The Claret & Blue Choir, and Bronco Beat, as well as being the instigator of The Peace & Freedom Band's first CD release 'Earth', on mp3.com in 2000. Also in 2000, Sav released a CD of music of his various projects, as a 'Super Trouper Special Edition'. There was also the underground zine on a floppy disk, 'Zine-On-A-Floppy', and Sav was putting up a lot of music and poetry on his Free-Online website. Sav and Paul Rance also formed hip hop mickey-takers Redistribution Of Wealth, especially with mp3.com in mind. One particular highpoint was when Andy brought out a Midi album 'From The Start To The Beginning' as Share The World. A project which sort of connected to 'From The Start To The Beginning' was Andy's environmental novel called 'Ice-Age', which was published in part in the Peace & Freedom Press paperback, 'Science Friction', in 2002.
On his mp3.com 'The Music Of A Savage' CD release, Andy stated that his musical style was "individual, experimental, instinctive, electronic and acoustic pop." Sav's music and poetry has always been quirky, with a gentle compassion for people and animals, and respect for nature, exemplified by his 'We Only Share The World' song. Andy is one of those instantly likeable characters, and his work reflects his personality.
Angelo Gravity in 2006
Becoming a teacher after moving to Dover, Andy Savage had little time for creative stuff, but in 2007 things changed, and he's back with a bang, with poetry, music, and his new medium of video pouring out of several sites, and with the new name of Angelo Gravity!
- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.
Tapeworm Tapes Compilations
Tadpoles Are Cannibalz
As this comp. features all me ol' mates, tis a bit hard to review... but I'll try. Knockout stuff by P&F, great organ playing, and vox. by Paulie. "Ethereal" is a track for vampire freaks... Andy Savage is in weird form all through... The Tadpoles eat through their own kind. Gypsy & Schulz are in laid-back form. Schulz is some guitar player, especially on "Tears After Midnight", "Lovers of the Dance", "Life Is a Bitch" and "Oranges". Man's Hate have the best material, though, with the boy-wonder Xport jiving on "Ding Dong (Avon Calling)" and "Farming Diary". Andy Savage is a Burnley supporter, so buy it and cheer the old boy up.
- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 5, No. 3, Spring/Summer 1988
You Fat Git
Best comp. of last year, with chart-busting-a-go-go stuff, like Don Campau's "I Never Panicked" - a raunchier guitar sound would be a bit difficult to find. Some class from Nostalgie Eternelle. Always wear nappies, when listening to Mad Mick or Sav, these guys will move the strongest bladders. The things Torvill and Dean get up to on here is nobody's business. The star turn, of course, are P&F...
- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 5, No. 4, Autumn/Winter 1988
Zine-On-A-Tape Tapezine
Zine-On-A-Tape 2000
Grace Slick and Noddy Holder on the same tape?! Andy Darlington probes, and Nod 'n' Grace deliver. Nod recalls a hepatitis episode, and Grace gives a forthright (what else) but realistic appraisal of putting people on pedestals. The poetry of John Hirst is moving enough for me to suggest his is the best batch of poetry ever put out by Tapeworm Tapes. Mr. Quimby's Beard provide some uplifting music, Steve Sneyd, an uplifting poem, and The Space Dentists rock the house down with their intergalactic-influenced sound. A few reviews, too. The last tape of 2000 - as a little scamp Sheffield way would say, "Bugger! Bugger! Bugger!" Oh, yeah, it's £3, incl. P&P.
- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 14, No. 1, Spring 2000
Angelo Gravity Videos at YouTube
Angelo Gravity Discography - Major Solo And Space Dentists Releases (all on Tapeworm Tapes unless otherwise stated)
The Music Of A Savage (mp3.com) 2000
Ice Age/Super Trouper
1. Snow Softly Falls
2. Twilight Ice
3. I Get Warm When I Think Of You
4. Frozen Arrows
5. Super Trouper Zine Theme
6. Last Night I Saw A Ghost
7. Xander's Pumpkin Trip
8. Ginseng Overdose
9. Who's Walter's Friend?
10. Rainbow Mornings
11. The Sorry Tale Of King Thumb
12. Crawling Through The Jungle
13. Roundabout At The Bottom Of The Lake
14. Dragon Tamer
15. Distant Days
16. I'm So Nervous
The Space Dentists - We Are The Space Dentists 1999
Andy Savage - Poisoned 1998
Super Trouper 27/Andy Savage - Injected (old songs remixed on computer) 1998
Share The World - From The Start To The Beginning 1998
Super Trouper 18/The Space Dentists - The Space Dentists 1995
Super Trouper 15/Andy Savage - In Another World 1994
Andy Savage - Glojjunipidnops 1990
Ten - An Autobiographical poem by Angelo Gravity
I was born in Burnerlee
A town that can play mean,
But I wear the claret and blue
Of our football team
I sport a scar across my knee
Shaped like an alligator
Born when I was four years old
And fell on a radiator
I've lived in London and Sheffield
But now I call home Dover,
I've drove a Mini and a Ford
But now I steer a Rover
I keep a dog who licks my face
When I am not looking,
I have a wife who skates on ice
And, thank god, does my cooking!
My two boys make too much noise
But still find time for eating,
We have a fire, burning logs
To warm our home with heating
I stay up late, writing poems
Play piano and guitar,
I love the light sent by the moon
And Polaris is my star
Kate Bush, Kinks, Who, Stones,
And Beatles get me hotter,
And of course I have read
Those books of Harry Potter!
I've been to Belgium, France and Spain
Italy, Switzerland, Tunisia,
Never set foot in the Netherlands
But remained two weeks in Romania
Once, I really was on telly
Very late one night,
Singing live a song I wrote -
Thank the Lord I got it right!
I have a wish to go to space
And gaze upon the earth
To see its seas and many lands
Now, what would that be worth!
