In the spring of 1986 I was in hospital to have impacted Wisdom teeth removed, an operation that resulted in my being able to pass, facially, as Henry VIII for a good few days. This stay in hospital resulted in two musical milestones. Firstly on waking up from the anaesthetic the fella in the next bed said to me “You’re a music lover aren’t you ?” I nodded yes, “Thought so, you’ll be pleased to hear that Wham! are splitting up” ! The second was that while staying in the hospital for a couple of days I discovered The Zulus.

I was laying in the bed one evening listening to the John Peel Show on Radio One (some of you may not remember the days when Radio One was anything other than a wallpaper music obsessed shite-fest) when he announced music from a new band from Boston, Massachusetts called The Zulus, the song was called “I Can't Wait To Tell You The News” and he would be giving out contact details after he’d played it. Halfway through the song I was convinced and scrambled around for a pen and paper.

I then did something I’ve not done before or since, I wrote to a band expressing my admiration for their song and enquiring how I might get my hands on a copy. This missive I sent off to the US address Mr Peel had furnished me with and then promptly forgot all about it. Around 2 months later a package arrived at our house for me from the United States, what on earth is this I thought. Inside was a copy of this 6 track mini album, a bunch of photo’s and press cuttings and a letter from the band (the extras all since lost) expressing their disbelief that their independently released record had made itself heard in the UK and please have this copy on us.

The Zulus grew out of revered Boston outfit Human Sexual Response (about whom I know almost nothing) and comprised of singer Larry Bangor (formerly of HSR), the quite brilliant Rich Gilbert on guitar, drummer Malcolm Travis and bassist Chris MacLachlan. After this mini album they signed with Slash Records and released the following “Down On The Floor” before splitting in 1992. 

“I Can't Wait To Tell You The News” is a fantastic Punk rush, all stampeding drums, spiky guitars and Larry Bangor’s dramatic delivery. “Kings In The Queen City” seems to deliver a manifesto for the singers lineage “I belong to the ruling family, I belong to the Bangor dynasty” and the final “Gotta Have Faith” is an uplifting, driving, droning ender. It’s all very American, this isn’t music you might ever think was made anywhere but the USA.

I Can't Wait To Tell You The News - https://youtu.be/1xCYEJngwRs?si=8-L--hyxijwhZXA9