Back to the Planet

Formed in London in 1989, Back to the Planet was an outgrowth of Britain's late-'80s economic turmoil; the five-piece group met while its members were on the dole, living as squatters -- ironically enough -- in a long-vacant unemployment benefits office. Comprising vocalist Fil "The Girl" Walters, bassist Carl Hendrickse, guitarist Fraggle (born David Fletcher), keyboardist Guy McAffer, and drummer Henry Nicholas Cullen, the group spent the first few years of its existence honing its fusion of rave, ska, and punk at festivals and clubs; recording their self-released debut cassette, Warning to the Public, in 1991. Without benefit of airplay or promotion, the tape sold over 5,000 copies, and Back to the Planet soon resumed their relentless touring schedule. A 12" single, Revolution of Thought, followed in 1992; to support its release, the group mounted a rave in the English countryside, a rather infamous affair which later became fodder for the British government's Criminal Justice Act, a measure specifically designed to outlaw squatters, ravers, and other perceived "threats" to the fabric of UK society. Undaunted, Back to the Planet signed to the Parallel label, issuing the single "Teenage Turtles" in 1993. Although the group emerged as one of the festival circuit's most popular artists -- their trademark "Whose F*cking Planet?" t-shirts were de rigeur among concert goers -- Back to the Planet's success as a live act failed to translate into record sales; the singles "Please Don't Fight" and "Daydream" both fared poorly, and when their 1993 debut LP, Mind and Soul Collaborators ,failed to do any better, Parallel dropped the band from their contract. Logically enough, they remained on the road, enlisting new drummer Amir K. Mojarad and resurrecting their own Arthur Mix label to issue A Potted History, a collection of early cassette-only material. The all-new Messages After the Bleep followed in 1995. ~ Jason Ankeny