Election Day: The Final Concert

……With guitarist Dean Dales sensationally quitting Deadly Affairre mid tour to pursue a solo career (indeed, he soon developed a promising career as a gents hairstylist: “Something for the weekend sir?”), keyboardist Mick Wakefield took up the lead guitar reins and auditions were held for a new ivory tinkler. The chosen one was jobless Airedale 12 year old, Adrian ‘The Brain’ Field (because he acted like ‘a brain’).
Yes, Adrian was something of a plonker, but along with Mick, he was ‘instrumental’ (it’s the way I tell ‘em etc.) in transforming the newly dubbed Election Day into a fine rockin’ unit. Many commentators, in fact, went so far as to suggest that with the assistance of stud-u-like soundman Steve Holt, the band were now producing some er, real tasty sounds.
Deadly Affairre had been primarily popular with the teenyboppers of this parish; in contrast, the Leccies,, with the skills of the classically trained ‘Brain’ complementing the tasteful lead work of Wakey and all underpinned by the rock solid Massey-Banfield rhythm section, were a huge leap forward in musical virtuosity.
Election Day swiftly built a massive army of fans who thought nothing of travelling up to fifty yards to catch a live appearance. Many of these supporters were in situ at the now legendary Batley Frontier and Rooftop Gardens residencies, where the group celebrated their newly achieved ‘hot’ status by committing Keith Moon style violence on their equipment.
As was their wont, no Sergeants-derived band was complete without internal aggro. Previously this had been the domain of Firebrand Mick and Ice Cool Paul (with Duncan providing the Tapesque luke warm water in the middle). However, with the addition of ‘Brain’ to the ranks, it was open season. No one was surprised then, when Mick, having become so incensed at one of his brain-dead suggestions, hung the ‘Brain’ by the collar of his own ‘vampire cloak’ (don’t ask) on a hook in his garage. In a similar vein, Paul regularly gave him a good kicking (for disciplinary reasons) in a moving vehicle. Duncan’s amusement was principally derived from aiming a P.A. speaker at the unfortunate lad’s head whilst the group’s tour bus was in motion, then, at the opportune moment, gently squeezing the brakes. Sliiiiide….boff….result!
The Hatred of the Brain as it became known in rock circles, grew so intense (and admittedly, childish), that Adrian started crying, boo fuckin’ hoo, and quit following a ‘comical’ attempt to leave him behind after a show in Doncaster. Barnsley keyboard wiz Dean Turner was brought in to replace him, but despite the brutal, nay inhumane, treatment, Adrian returned to the fold for yet more good old-fashioned, rock n roll abuse.
Election Day continued to storm venues the length and breadth of England (no really, come back!), until Duncan, tired of the constant touring, fled to Australia to record his debut solo album Drummers Aren’t Fick, Cobber. The band carried on briefly, with Mick recruiting his former sideman Roger ‘Nice Facial Hair, Sir’ Boothman from experimental Country ‘n’ Gangsta project Station to Station, but his impact was minimal and he quietly departed when Duncan returned for a final series of concerts.
Whilst the music recorded at Garforth Liberal Club on 3 April 1988 has long been dubbed ‘The Final Concert’, that isn’t strictly true. The absolutely very last, no more, Leccies have left the building, so sod off show took place at some pigeon fancier’s dive in Rotherham a few weeks after this date. Rest assured though, that the exciting live show captured here for the first time on CD, represents the ‘real’ last hurrah of a great band……..

Adapted from Fuck Off Adrian: The Election Day Years written by Duncan Massey and published by Sergeants Inc © 2001