Name: Zeitgeist on Friday Rock Show "Rock War" by Zeitgeist UK
Duration: 9 min 43 s
Description: From a knackered C90, with original pause button tape edits.

got.round.to.listening.to.this.i.can.hear.Voi.Vod.and.early.Slayer.(Show.No.Mercy.period).In.as.good.as.i.remember.it.ive.got.the.cd.anyhows.:-)

My mate Trev got me into Zeitgeist from recording this show

From a knackered C90, with original pause button tape edits.

Zeitgeist on Friday Rock Show "Rock War"

Zeitgeist came together circa 1987, being first named The Black Angels, then Spirit of Ecstacy. 

Once the name was changed to Zeitgest, the gigging started in 1988. With first studio recordings in  December resulting in the first demo tape. 

The bands style developed a lot in 1989, with a lot more gigs and a second demo tape ("Mindstorm") recorded in May. This tape was reviewed very favourable in Kerrang and Metal Forces, being compared to the work of cult Californian Thrash band Blind Illusion (who the band had never heard!). There was also also coverage in many of the underground fanzines of the day (The Organ etc.).

In August '89, Human Zoo from Mindstorm won the first heat of the Friday Rock Show's "Rock War" for unsigned bands. Unfortunately the final saw them lose to a couple of hair metal bands. However, this exposure did wonders, raising the bands profile and opening up more gig bookings and tape sales. 

By the time of the 3rd demo tape (BlackList) in August 1990, the band had progresse a lot and had outgrown some of the more generic earlier influences. 

Zeitgeist gigged in support of most (all?) of the British Metal hopes of the day Slammer, D.A.M, Xentrix, Acid Reign, Reanimator as well as playing with more hardcore bands like Dr & the Crippens, Bomb Disneyland, Conflict etc. more likely to be on The John Peel show. Certainly by the end it seemed that Zeitgeist were too weird for the thrash metal support slots and too metal for the weirder support slots. The industrial/alternative & metal crossover scene hadn't really happened yet, which may have been a more suitable environment for them. Still, alienating a crowd was something they weren't afraid to do, due to Jim's sometimes confrontational frontman style, often winning over crowds as the band weren't attempting to fit in to anything. 

To add to the mix, as well as their own material, later shows were dotted with live covers from such varied sources as The Doors (Five to One), Slayer (Ghosts of War), Circle Jerks (Beat me Senseless), SWANS (New Mind) & Rolling Stones (Jumpin' Jack Flash). 

The band split in early 1991, on the cusp of a support tour UK thrash band Cancer. The band were still only 20 and 21 years old. 

[ One of The bands who supported Zeitgeist in 1989, Anathema, went on to have a long & successful career despite this! ]

Line-up
Jim Loftus - vocals
Mark Armstrong - Lead & Rhythm guitar
Dominic Brannon - Rhythm & Lead guitar
Ged Davies (replaced by Roy after Blacklist) - Bass
Mike Mulligan - Drums, baked goods.

Zeitgeist on Friday Rock Show "Rock War"

Zeitgeist UK

Recent comments

Graham Fraser 1

HiEM/Bozzwell