DESPERATE MEASURES, the London/New Zealand punk and rock four-piece will release their brand-new mini album Rinsed on Easy Action records in August 2021. Containing six tracks of hard-hitting punk with a big helping of rock n’ roll and available on 10” vinyl, CD and download, these recordings feature the new line-up of founder Eugene Butcher, former Glitterati and current Rich Ragany and The Digressions/Hollywood Brats guitarist Gaff, Ricky McGuire (U.K SUBS, The Men They Couldn’t Hang), and former K-Line/Done Lying Down drummer James Sherry.
Written over lockdown and with influences including the Stooges, Iggy Pop, Sex Pistols and Guns N’ Roses, song titles include ‘Scars and Memories’, ‘Flowers at Your Door’ and first single ‘The Rich-Tual’ (check ouit the vid, above) as well as a cover of the Dave Berry/Sex Pistols ‘No Lip’.
With DM’s last gig before the pandemic way back in Feb 2020, the band are excited to announce a 13-date tour with The Professionals and a headlining album launch show at London’s legendary Hope and Anchor on July 30.
“”To go on tour with the Professionals is a dream come true! We were totally into their album I Didn’t See It Coming back in the day,” states frontman Eugene Butcher. “This is going to be an explosive double bill!”
Desperate Measures formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1981. It was a violent city, and a violent time, but the city had a thriving music scene and DM’s quickly found a following with their punk and post punk sound influenced by the likes of the Stooges and Killing Joke. Highlights for the band in their brief existence down under were playing the after-show party for the Clash where Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon met the band, and playing New Zealand’s most famous punk festival, ‘Golden Showers’ in Wellington.
Desperate Measures released one sought after 7inch, the ‘1984’ E.P that now sells for upwards of $100 and a live album before splitting in 1983, when singer Eugene Butcher moved to the U.K. After a couple of well received reformation shows back home in New Zealand supporting the U.K Subs and Peter and the Test Tube Babies in 2009 and 2010, fast forward, and 40 years after they formed, a new line-up featuring sole original member, Eugene Butcher, have been fully active on the UK music scene, sharing stages with the likes of U.K. Subs, The Pack, Cockney Rejects, Subhumans, Nashville Pussy, alongside appearances at festivals such as Rebellion, Camden Rocks and HRH Punk.
