It's official - The Disco Students are back. Our first live appearance for over two decades took place at The Fire Station in Farnham last night - and even though I say so myself, we were impressive.
There was real energy and an urgency in the songs ; after the time spent writing, rehearsing and recording them, they took on a new dimension being played live onstage.
We played seven songs - around half an hour - which was just right. My highlight was a great performance of "I Ain't Been With No Prostitute".
We're not getting carried away, there's still a long way to go before we can regain our position in the "Rock Food Chain", but we're in no doubt that we're really onto something.
It was great to play infront of a live audience who appreciated the material.
The next step is to mix the CD - we're back in the recording studio on Tuesday.

We held our final rehearsal last night before the live date. We have settled on a set of seven songs - around 30 minutes worth.
The final run through went well - we've all worked hard since August , now it's time to see how the songs stand up in a live environment.
The final discussions centred around just what we should wear for the appearance - a subject always guaranteed to stir up controversy.
In my mind, the presentation of the songs , although obviously not as vital as the music itself is a major factor.
A group should look like a group - as if they are four people with a shared vision, and the look of the band should mirror that .
So, my next post will be a report of the gig.
I am confident we will be superb.

We're just a week away now from our first live appearance - and all is on schedule. We won't be outstaying our welcome - it looks like we'll be playing perhaps eight songs - around 30 minutes worth.
Our repertoire increases, last night's rehearsal produced two new songs, "Black Girlfriend" and "Chrysler Building 1976" - the latter a homage to the NY punk scene - how a kid from Buckinghamshire saw the antics of Patti Smith, Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell etc.
Personally speaking, one trait is beginning to creep in. Owing to a low boredom threshold, I much prefer the newer songs - material that has been written in the last week, even the last 24 hours !
This is of course, a ridiculous state of affairs - as no-one outside the group has actually heard any of the material.
This was one of the causes of the group's decline in the past - I must and will fight it!
We are now looking for live dates for the New Year - to tie in with the release of the CD, so as you read this, London venues are being approached for gig possibilities.

Recording completed, we're now listening to the rough mix prior to going back into the studio for the final mix.
The main thing is, we're all pleased with the results. We actually recorded five songs, but only four will be on the CD.
The next step is to get the artwork finalised for the sleeve and arrange for the mastering. Then we'll release the record.
We're aiming at a mid January release.
As you may have noticed, www.discostudents.com is now live, although far from complete. The full site will be online in a week or so.
Great to here from Emperor Rosko ! Alive and well and broadcasting from California, the Emperor will be mentioning the Disco Students on his show on SKY this Friday 12th December. He is mentioned in "Last Disco In North Korea".
We're ready now for new material, some of the fresh songs are "Black Girlfriend", "The Chrysler Building 1976", "Girl Factory" and "English Anti Pop Star".
Rehearsals now ready for Saturday 20th December - our first live date.

Two days recording at La Rocka studios in North London, and our four track cd is almost complete. The session went well, and we're all pleased with the result.
We must return to the studio to mix the songs, and then we will be ready for the release.
A major bonus for us is that www. discostudents.com is now live online, over the next few weeks the full site will be up and running.
Our minds are now focused on our first live appearance - 20th December.
For the next two weeks, intense rehearsing will bring us up to speed, ready for Farnham.

Just a few days now before we go into the recording studio for the first time in over 20 years. Three songs to be recorded - it looks like "Bad Orgy", "Morrissey Stole All My Ideas" and "Last Disco In North Korea" will be recorded.
After then it will be our first live date - so all is going to schedule.
The aim back in the Summer when we got together again was to play live , and get a CD recorded by the end of the year
There is a real feeling of confidence and excitement within the group, the newer material is strong and melodic - basically we're getting better every week.
Our new website looks fantastic - and that's all down to Kevin.
And it's been great to hear from our first guitarist, Simon Clark who has been in touch from Australia.
I've asked him to let us have an update of what he's been up to so we can use it on discostudents.com

We will be playing live at The Old Fire Station in Farnham on Saturday 20th December.
The first performance by the group for a generation.
New songs now almost complete are "On No, You're Pregnant" and "The Last Disco in North Korea".
We are recording our CD in the first week of December - this will be released in the New Year.
There's a real feeling of excitement and anticipation within the group.
We tape each and every rehearsal - the group is getting tighter and more confident with each week.
News soon of our full website : www.discostudents.com

An idea I've had for some time is about to be put into practice.
The music from the film "The Piano" by Michael Nyman is to be given The Disco Students treatment.
One piece, "The Promise" is to be tackled.

And so, the new songs keep coming.
We have now nailed down six new numbers, with the old material, we're almost ready to play live.
The last rehearsal, on Friday 17th, was without doubt the best ever.
We are now making one hell of a racket.
New songs, hot off the press are " We're All Gonna Die", "Us Artistic Types", "I Know You('re)R Kind " and "I Am The Very Limit".
One problem is, which three songs will we choose to be on the EP ?
Each week, new material is being written.
We want to record at the end of next month.

The time had come to try the new material.
"Bad Orgy", "Morrissey Stole All My Ideas", "Gay Lorry Drivers" and "I Don't Want To Go To Prison" were all created within a few weeks.
The new songs all carry the distinctive Disco Student sound.
Work continued on arranging and honing the new material, ready for the next step - recording.
The plan is to release a 3 track CD on Yeah!Yeah!Yeah! Records - the first Disco Students record since 1981.
We've been looking around at recording studios and think we've found the right place.
We will be recording in the first week of November.

Right, where was I ?
OK, so we assembled at Basement Studios for our first rehearsal.
We decided to see how "South Africa House" and "Kafkaesque" sounded in 2003. As these songs were written by callow youths a quarter of a century before, they had aged very well.
A few changes here and there - and we had them.
The next step was new material.
We had a whole raft of new lyrics, and it was like finding an oil well - the stuff gushed all around us.
Clearly, we had nothing to fear.
By our third rehearsal we all knew we were onto something.
The Disco Students are alive and well.

So, how does one put a group together that last played live over 20 years ago?
Mmm, good question.
Well, first of all I asked myself do I REALLY want to do it ?
The answer was yes please.
From then on it was easy.
The telephone is a great thing - so I used it to contact Richard - he used his to get to Jon and we were three.
I drove in a car to see Kevin - and he agreed.
Then we all four met in a pub in Baker Street and talked about what had to be done.
There was little doubt - there was a lot to be done - and we had to do it.
Within another week, we were rehearsing at Basement Studios in Watford.
We were writing songs - more of which later - and we were a group.
The Disco Students existed once again.

As you've arrived here, you just MUST be interested to know how The Disco Students are faring on their return to the world of music.
The answer is, rather well actually.
The group broke up in the early 1980's, with the members going their separate ways.
The very thought of The Disco Students existing in any form again was simply a non-starter.
Too many hours in dreary rehearsal rooms and cold Transit vans had taken its toll - the group were a spent force - exhausted and broken.

So, fast forward to the Summer of 2003.
And the idea of reforming The Disco Students seems just perfect.
How odd.
Of course there have been some casualties - drummer Graham Hocking has not been seen or heard of for over 20 years. Gone.
Guitarists Simon Clark and Carl Perkins have too disappeared off the radar.
Jon Greenough, now lives in Plymouth, Devon - the logistics ruling him out of the new group.
So, it has been left to original members Simon Cheetham and Richard Coles to find two suitable allies to do the group justice.
The position of drummer has been filled by Jon Coles - brother of Richard.
Kevin O'Brien, once of Watford punk heroes The S-Haters now plays the guitar.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you The Disco Students.