Anti Nowhere League Homepage

1979 the Anti-Nowhere League where formed in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England by Nick Culmer, Chris Exall, Winston Blake and "PJ" Gilham. According to Nick "Animal" Culmer, a "Nowhere" is a boring, 9-5, existence. A boring middle-class, mediocre, mortgage paying, clean living existence. Naturally, the League would be anti this, particularly as the name originated when all self respecting punk bands had to be anti-something. They played their first gig uninvited at a village fete on Tunbridge Wells Common where, unsurprisingly, they got arrested.The League gain the opening slot on the '81 "Apocalypse Punk Tour", also including Chron Gen, Anti Pasti and The Exploited. This brought them to the
attention of punk promoter John Curd, who signed them to his WXYZ Records
label. By bribing The Damned, they got the support slot at three low-key gigs in the
north of England before supporting Vanian, Sensible, Scabies et al on their nationwide UK tour. In terms of complete stupidity, the League out-Damned the Damned (no mean feat...); a particular incident involving Animal smearing cream cheese on a carrot, sticking it up Captain Sensible's arse before eating it...

In December the League played to around 7000 people as part of the "Christmas On Earth" festival in Leeds, also featuring Chron Gen, Damned, Chelsea and UK Subs amongst others and released "Streets Of London/So What" to widespread publicity and outrage, making tabloid headlines as "another evil influence on Britain's youth". Following complaints from such people as Mary Whitehouse - no, seriously - the police raid WXYZ's offices with a warrant from Bromley magistrates "to seize obscene publications/material". They take away some
5,000 copies of Streets Of London/So What on 7" from WXYZ and distributor Faulty Products. WXYZ consider taking the matter to the High Court, but drop the matter due to lack of finance. Thereafter all copies were removed from shops and the 7" became the first record to be banned under Britain's 1959 Obscene Publications Act, despite selling 36,000 copies prior to this...After the release of the 7" “I Hate People” "We Are The League" was released
in April to a fair amount of controversy. As with "Streets Of London" original 12 track versions are seized, but not before a fair few sales are clocked up pushing it to no. 24 in the UK charts. In June a cut-down version of "We Are The League" is pressed, containing just seven songs after the censors got to the rest of the album.In November the League recruit a second guitarist in the form of Mark "Gilly" Gilham, who makes his first - albeit uncredited - appearance on the "For You/Ballad Of JJ Decay" 7" single, released at this time.
In 1983 the League perform to an enthusiastic crowd in Zagreb. A LP of this gig entitled "Live In Yugoslavia" is issued by ID Records, only to be seized by the police even though only 1500 copies had been pressed. The police in Britain refused to allow it to go onto the shelves until five offensive words had been bleeped out - and they were. European versions, however, remained uncut. (As an aside, the Dojo CD reissue avoided controversy by omitting "So What" completely...).
Late 1984: Following PJ's departure, Michael Bettell is brought in on drums for the "Out On The Wasteland" single, released in December.1985/6 The League leave ABC/WXYZ and sign to GWR. Meanwhile, punk reissue label Dojo puts out a compilation of remixes/outtakes entitled "Long Live The League", which sells about 14 copies. If that. Anyway, the League recruit
Jonathan Birch as full time drummer and begin to record "The Perfect Crime", which is recorded over some 11 months at Ice Studios in Eastbourne and is eventually released in 1987. And it proved to be a complete departure from what everyone expected. Who could have predicted synths, a choir, and a complete
absence of swearing? Certainly not the British music press, or the fans. Both of whom largely ignored the album. It sold badly - not least thanks to poor record company support - and the League broke up soon afterwards, disillusioned with
the entire music business.
Having broken up the previous year, the League reform for a one-off farewell gig in Southborough, Tunbridge Wells in 1989. Somewhat underestimating their popularity, they only hire a 500 capacity hall only for it to be packed to the rafters. A typically chaotic gig is captured in the form of the 12" EP "Fuck Around The Clock" and "Live And Loud", both on Link. Nothing more is heard in League circles until 1992. Metallica play "So What" for the first time live at Wembley Arena...and Animal is brought up on stage by Hetfield and co. to sing the filthy classic. It's a quality performance, with Animal slagging off Metallica - "This is a number of ours they fucked up...and they ain't fucking paid me yet!" - Throughout '92, perhaps in a response to Metallica's cover version, there's a  flurry of League reissues. This encourages the League to reform, and play to  packed-ish houses for the next three years...
1996: The League release the 4 track EP “Pig Iron” on Impact. A CD titled "So What! - A tribute to the Anti-Nowhere League" followed with 17 cover versions of ANL songs by various bands - including Sodom, Antiseen, Daily Terror, Mothers Pride, Shock Therapy and Vader - is released along with a sneak preview of the new "Scum" album in the form of "Burn 'Em All" by Impact Records. It includes a bizarre Gary Numan/Depeche Mode sounding "I Hate  People " & a Ska version of "Woman"....! ‘97 Founder member Winston leaves, to be replaced by J.J on bass. "Scum", the first new studio album for ten years, is released. In 1998 the League release Return to Yugoslavia, recorded in late 1997, and are arguably one of the best  bands at Holidays In The Sun '98 in Morecambe.

ANWL still exists with various musicians and Animal on vocals. Latest release was the CD " The Road to Rampton".