Kronstadt Uprising who formed in Southend-On-Sea in 1981 will be known to most people as active participants in the punk scene that spawned Crass, Flux Of Pink Indians, Poison Girls etc. They released two singles ‘The Unknown Revolution’ (1983 – Spiderleg) and ‘Part Of The Game’ (1985 – Dog Rock) and appeared on ‘Bullshit Detector Volume 2’ (1982 Crass Records).
They took their name from the uprising at the Kronstadt Naval Base in 1921 to which Lenin called “the flash that lit up reality better than anything else”.
Many years later and a long way away from Kotlin Island in the Gulf of Finland, the band formed in Southend-On Sea, Essex, in 1981, and survived six turbulent years with many members coming and going. However, far from being a negative factor, it produced a very stimulating and creative environment that lead to an ever evolving musical style that can be heard on this CD.
Founder member Steve Pegrum was encouraged by the self-empowerment message and ethos of punk rock. In 1979 he acquired a drum kit and formed several punk bands. By 1981 the scene was starting to fragment. The area of punk that now interested Steve was that which stayed true to the original DIY ethic and this developing scene encouraged Steve to form Kronstadt Uprising.
By November 1981 the band were ready to record. They recorded nine tracks and sent the tape to Crass who decided to use ‘Receiver Deceiver’ on Bullshit Detector Vol. 2, released in September 1982. Also in 1982 the band recorded ‘The Unknown Revolution’ EP under the production of John Loder and Derek Birkett at Southern Studios for Spiderleg Records. The record was eventually released a year later.
Late 1983/1984 saw the band move away from the confines of the current punk scene and concentrate on writing new material. However, after three years various members felt they had progressed as far as they could and in March 1984 they played their final concert in London.
In the Summer of 1984 Steve decided he wanted to continue playing, so a new Kronstadt Uprising emerged with a totally new line-up. In April 1985 they recorded the ‘Part Of The Game’ EP for local Dog Rock Records. The band continued to gig and increased their fan base, but diversifying music tastes within the band took their toll and they eventually decided to call it a day in 1987.
