Piano Piano – The Vorpal Blade [LP] (1980, Unforgettable Music)

 

Back in 1979 Ron Rude knew that he didn't stand a chance of landing a record deal, so he turned his Belgrave home into a budget recording studio, lined the walls with egg cartons from the poultry farm next door, and recorded an album, 'The Borders of Disgrace', which he put out on his own label Unforgettable Music. He made news by being the first artist to finance a commercial release using a $1000 cash advance courtesy of his guitar player, Stephen Clarke's credit card.

 
In 1980 Rude, this time with his own credit card and band Piano Piano made another album at home, 'The Vorpal Blade'. To promote it he went on a hunger strike in the window of Missing Link, an alternative record shop run at the time by Au Go GO records founder Keith Glass, and making news again, he demanded that local radio station 3XY play his records, threatening to drown himself in a bucket of water if they did not. His slogan, "3XY or I Die" was intended to show that the major mainstream rock station of the day would be unlikely to give a small-time independent artist a go. TV Channel 10 covered the story, and Rude had the momentum that he wanted. His next move was to make good a threat to drown himself on Hans Christian and Barry Bissel's morning 3XY program. The DJ's relented, and played excerpts of the album as Rude bubbled away with his head in a bucket of water. [SOURCE: PUNK A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY. THE HISTORY OF THE MELBOURNE PUNK SCENE]

 
 

 

Label: Unforgettable Music – RUD 002 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: Australia 

Released: 1980 

Style: New Wave, Punk 

 

Tracklist:

A1 Chance Meeting (Alternate Name In Brackets) 3:10 

A2 New Life 2:14 

A3 Alone From The Heart 2:04 

A4 Valour And Passion 2:15 

A5 Photos Of Hands 2:39 

A6 I Love You, You 3:12 

B1 Romance In Error 2:02 

B2 The Chessmen's Excursion 2:22 

B3 Our Hearts 1:58 

B4 I'll Kill Them 3:01 

B5 Afterthoughts 1:42 

B6 Starlight Starbright 2:39 

 

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