The Hook ‘n’ Pull Gang (not to be confused with the more recent ‘Hook and Pull Gang’) was formed by Die Cheerleader’s Rita Blazyca. The band was part of the late 80s indie scene in Edinburgh, Scotland. They were described as “a cross between the Sex Pistols and the Ronettes.” Punters remember the band as a strong live act. They were known for singing about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and influenced other bands in the Edinburgh scene such as Goodbye Mr Mackenzie. The band also made an appearance on the Scottish BBC indie music series FSD.
(Click to see larger images)
The recording for their one and only 7inch is apparently from a radio session recorded in London in 1987, prior to Sam Ireland joining the band. The line up on the record is Eileen McMullan (drums/vocals), Rita Blazyca (guitar/vocals) and Alan McDade (bass). By 1988 Rita had assembled an entirely new line-up, with Stuart on drums, John on bass, and Sam Ireland on vocals. When Sam joined the band a song called Smothered emerged in the set, one assumes this is an early version of the same Smothered that was also performed by Die Cheerleader?
A zip file containing the two songs from the 7″, another track Janice Long, and a live track recorded on May 19, 1987 is available from KittyRadio.com. Download it here.
The Hook ‘n’ Pull Gang 7″
A - Gasoline
B - Pour It Down Yer Throat
Label: Bitch Hog Records
Cat #: Bitch1
