The Concept

The first group to perform live without any musical instruments, only tapes. The show was fast paced incorporating mime, dance and theatre.

The Line-up

• Robert Perena
• L.A. Richards
• Carole
• Barbie
• Tik
• Tok

The Execution

A soundtrack collage of other peoples songs, such as Robert Palmer (Numan helped cover) "I Dream of Wires", Fad Gadget "Coitus Interuptus" and "Ricky's Hand", Cabaret Voltaire "Seconds Too Late", Landscape "Einstein-A-Go-Go", Kate Bush "Breathing", among others. This is mixed with electronic doodling by Rusty Egan (Visage) and Richard Burgess.

The Reality

During a performance at The Lyceum two members (Robert Perena and L.A.) announced they were leaving the band, they formed Pleasure and the Beast. This is during the recording of their debut album - I don't know whether it was actually released.

The Evidence

• Dynamo Beat

• Angel Face / R.E.R.B.

The Demise

The Debris

Tik and Tok went on as solo artists.

Robert Perena and L.A. Richards formed the band Pleasure and the Beast.

Back in '81 Gary Numan saw a group called SHOCK at the Embassy Club in London, he asked us to support him at his farewell concerts at Wembley Arena.Which we did, and it was GOOD!!

TIK&TOK left SHOCK and went out on their own,doing gigs and recordings.We were the originators of a Mime movement called ROBOTICS and we became very popular indeed,through our many TV appearances,as well as being in "RETURN OF THE JEDI" and aHorror film called "XTRO". But we deep down wanted to be Pop Stars!!

When Gary announced his 'comeback' tour WARRIORS in'83 we were his support act and we went down a storm every night in every town we played in... We asked if Gary would play on the album we were recording,and he loved the idea,and played on a track called"Show me something Real". He also GAVE us a backing track for us to sing on called "A Child with the Ghost". Which is a very beautiful and sad song. We also appeared with Gary as our alter-egos RONNIE AND REGGIE DOME on a TV show he did with Leo Sayer, which was hysterically funny,and well worth finding to have a look at! TIK&TOK just made it into the Top70 with our second single "Cool Running" but after that we never quite made it to where we wanted to be-partly due to bad management and partly due to a bad record company (see below),so we decided to split up in'84. We made a guest appearance with Gary on that years tour at Hammersmith Odeon, doing 2 songs with him. And that was about it. I must say that Gary was (and I'm sure still is) one of the most un-pretensious, generous, open-minded and talented pop-star I've ever met, and in no way at all does he deserve the unending bad press he's been getting ever since he started.The press are jealous of him I think,and that is pretty pathetic isn't it! I formed a band called IKON after TnT split up and did a few gigs,and then very stupidly released a cover version of George Harrison's "While my Guitar gently weeps" under the name The Wang Brothers,stupid because no-one knew who we were and therefore didn't buy it...

I left the Music Biz to work as an Actor and a performer in TV commercials and now I have re-invented myself as a Digital Illustrator, photographing people like Mick Jagger, Joan Collins, and the Actor Steven Berkoff. A couple of years ago I had another flirtation with the world of music, this time working with another very talented and nice musician named Georg Kajanus,who for many years was the Main-Man in a group called SAILOR.We were called NOIR, and we relaesed a great single in the UK called "WALKING" which was used on TV, and our promo was shown on Top of the Pops 2, but wasn't a HIT. Unfortunately! We still have a further 9 songs demo'd that should, if there is any justice, see the light of day.......

I've been making music on my own at home for quite a while,it's very liberating to work without the awful constraints of trying to be "commercial" in order to please everybody,and ending up not pleasing anybody! The music I've done is roughly comparable to that done by William Orbit,and that's all I'm going to say about it!Maybe one day all this unheard stuff will become available to all the people out there who might still be interested.

By the way - I was TIK!

Singles:

• Summer in the City
• Cool Running
• Screen Me, I'm Yours
• Everything Will Change
• Higher Ground

Album:

• Intolerance

All on Survival Records

As:

The Wang Brothers

• While My Guitar Gently Weeps

On Communique Records

With:

Beki Bondage

• Don't Turn Away
• Hard to Get
• Out of the Darkness

All singles on Communique Records

As:

Noir

• Walking

Single on Koch Records

Line-up:

• L.A. Richards
• Robert Perena
• Marty Williamson
• Cheyne
• Simon Ellis
• Martin Hanlin

The band Robert Perena and L.A. Richards formed after leaving Shock. This article is taken from Debut magazine - (Thanks to Michelle for the time and encouragement.).

Earning a living in the music business is a pretty hit and miss affair at the best of times. Think how often you see a small news item about an artist sueing a manager or record company or publisher (or all three) for unpaid monies and you'll get the picture.

It gets particulary depressing when you skim the classified pages of the so called 'serious' music papers. There you'll find colum upon colum of unexceptional bands looking to break into an exceptionaly over crowded market. Most of these musicians are probably holding down jobs they hate in the hopes that one day they'll sign a record deal, have a hit record, and tell the governor where to stuff it. Most of them havn't got a cat in hell's chance.

With that in mind I have to admit that I found Pleasure and the Beast refreshing. What ever you think of their music, if indeed you've heard it, and their reputedly outrageous stage show, you've got to give them credit. They're survivors. In my hour with them I learned that you can earn a living in the music industry, without (yet) having a hit record, and without doing odd hours down at the local Tescos.

Robert Pereno and L.A. Richards form the visual focus for the band. as we settled into Robert's King Road flat two other members of the band join in. First Simon Ellis, keybords player, and then Marty Williamson, guitarist. As is often the case when a group of self-confident individuals gather there were interruoptions, voices raised to make points and disssagreements.

"It is possible to make a living doing this," asserted Robert. "I mean I have chosen to be in the entertainment business and whether the NME likes it or not I'm going to carry on working and earning a living. First of all the band are on a wage. L.A. and I are also actors, and in acting you can earn as much in a couple of days as somebody with a top 20 record. Then there's the clubs. I've lived off clubs- I was on a weekly wage from the Camden Palace for a year. And Simon's on a wage from the Hippodrome at the moment." L.A. came in, "You make it all sound so easy..."

"It's not easy" he barked back, "but you've got to be realistic. You've got to make a living havn't you?"

Of course the obvious question that rises is , if you can make more money doing other things, why make music at all.

Robert wass first off the mark again.

"What I'd realy like is for us to be so busy making music that we couldn't act. Making music is an ambition and it's something I've got time to do. Surly it's better to do it while you've got a chance than to look back years later wondering what might have been"

"I'm not an actor," said Simon, "but I can play keyboards. That's why I've chosen music - it's what I do best."

The catalyst for Robert and L.A.'s musical career was their long time friend Rusty Egan - which could explain their affinity with the London club scene. Origionaly the pair were signed to his production company, Metropolis. The first fruit of that partnership was a single caled 'Dr.Sex' which was banned by Auntie Beeb and went on to becom a big gay disco hit in the states. Although Robert fells that Rusty has been "a necessary part of what we've done so far" the opinions of the rest of the band are split down the middle.

"Basically his production stinks, and you can quote me on that!" sputtered Simon.

Marty joined in, "Rusty has a lot of enthusiasm for his work and if you work with him somehow that enthusiasm rubs off on you. He's good for bouncing ideas off - that's where his usefulness is".

What is surprising is that for all the reputation the band has gained through it's adventures in clubland, and all the press they've had, you'd expect them to be very prolific. In fact , in the year and a ahlf since PATB formed they've only had two singles - the aforementioned 'Dr.Sex' and earlier this year, 'God's Empty Chair'. They cite the reson for this as lack of funds.

To compensate for the slow relese of product they simply gig constantly. A prospect that occasionally fills a lesser mortals on an equally tight budget with dread.

"I know what you're saying" said L.A.

"There is a bad side to it. I don't actualy like ending up in some horrible bed and breakfast not knowing where I'm going next."

"The traveling isn't much fun either," agreed Marty. "but when you get out and do the gig and you're facing new people each night- that's great. There was a trend in the last few years that saw a lot of small venues dissapear. But now I think those venues are coming back. I think live bands are coming back."

"I was in Nottingham recently in a realy kitsch disco" continued L.A. "and there in the middle of it was the Lords Of The New Church playing live. All those discothequues are becoming normal venues again."

Robert turned the conversation to PATB's own stage show: the ultimate extrovert experience.

"There's no compromise. We go on stage to entertain and it's loud and brash with an element of pathos as well. There are very few extrovert English bands. I don't think dressing up in strange clothes makes you an extrovert- it has to do with charater. It's being honest, opening up and being able to laugh at yourself. It's a mixture of passion, sexuality, humor. Blood and guts." L.A. laughed, "Robert once broke my arem on stage. We use to do a sort of Apache dance routine where I got thrown about an awful lot. But after that I vowed I would never let him throw me around again."

Blood and guts. Broken arms. It's all part of lifes rich tapestry, I suppose.