Biography
Shrubs were an English rock music group, formed in Watford in 1985. After being sacked from Stump for 'being too serious', Nick Hobbs formed his own band, initially as The Kevin Staples Band, but changing name to The Shrubs before first release Full Steam Into The Brainstorm, a 6-track 12" EP in July 1986 on the Ron Johnson label. Bassist Phil Roberts left shortly afterwards to join Marc Riley in The Creepers, to be replaced by Steve Brockley, and subsequently by Mark Grebby, who had been the bass player for original Ron Johnson artistes Splat!
Shrubs contributed Bullfighters Bones to the NME's famous C86 album.
A further 12", Blackmailer followed towards the end of the year, with debut album Take Me Aside For A Midnight Harangue hitting the shops in July 1987. With the collapse of the Ron Johnson label and the indie distribution network The Cartel, several hundred copies of "Harangue" were incinerated, much to Hobbs' annoyance. Shrubs signed with the Hertforshire-based Public Domain label for a studio/live 12", Another Age, and second and final album Vessels Of The Heart, both in 1988, after which the band split. Hobbs went on to form Mecca, who toured the Soviet Union with Nitzer Ebb, and subsequently Infidel, along with current Pere Ubu guitarist Keith Moliné and Nico's former drummer Graham Dowdall.
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