Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction
Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction were a British hard rock group, which was formed in 1985. Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction play a sleazy style of commercial hard rock featuring big riffs and choruses, as was the trend in the band's heyday of the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s.
Overview
The band is the brainchild of Mark Manning, a former graphic artist and art editor of the now defunct Flexipop! magazine. The magazine folded in 1982, but the hedonistic lifestyle of the rock and pop stars who frequented the magazine's offices fueled his desire to experience the debauchery of life as a decadent rock star. He joined another music publication called Metal Fury as a graphic designer, but assumed the alter ego 'Zodiac Mindwarp' at night. 'Zodiac Mindwarp' was the namesake of a series of underground comics written and illustrated by Spain Rodriguez. Zodiac soon left Metal Fury and formed the Love Reaction in 1985 with Jimmy Cauty on guitar; Kid Chaos on bass; and Boom Boom Kaboomski on drums.The band was signed to the Food label of Phonogram Records, who soon issued their first recording, "Wild Child" with just Zodiac playing guitar and on vocals, Kid Chaos on bass and Jake Le Mesurier on drums. A demo version of "High Priest of Love" was included on the Melody Maker ''Vinyl Conflict 2 free EP in September 1986. By the end of the year the lineup had changed again to accommodate the still-present figure of Cobalt Stargazer and new drummer Slam Thunderhide. That lineup contributed the studio track, "Drug Shoes," to the FOOD Imminent 2 compilation.
At various times, the band has also featured Evil Bastard, Heavy Metal Bear, Trash D Garbage, Flash Bastard, Suzi X, Tex Diablo, and Robbie Vom.
Zodiac Mindwarp progressed rapidly from their first gig at Dingwalls in November 1985, to playing in front of a packed Reading Festival in 1986, but this was followed by the departure of Kid Chaos, who joined The Cult. Zodiac regrouped by assigning Trash D Garbage on bass and Flash Bastard on rhythm guitar. The expanded five-member outfit went on to record Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction's debut album in 1988, entitled Tattooed Beat Messiah. Other band members playing bass included: Suzi X, Tex Diablo and Kev Reverb; previous drummers included Robbie Vom and The Apocalypse.
The act produced a UK Singles Chart Top 20 hit with their breakthrough record, "Prime Mover".
Half of the band's 1989 follow-on tour for the album was cancelled after Manning was run-over outside The Leadmill venue in Sheffield.
Manning established himself as an author, penning A Bible of Dreams and Bad Wisdom ; plus Crucify Me Again, Get Your Cock Out, Fucked by Rock, Collateral Damage, and The Wild Highway. Manning is also a regular contributor to The Idler'' magazine.
The band's name was taken from the Bruce Springsteen song "Dancing in the Dark"", from the lyrics:
"I'm sick of sitting around here trying to write this book
I need a love reaction
Come on now, baby, give me just one look."
Discography
Albums
High Priest of Love Tattooed Beat Messiah - UK No. 20 Hoodlum Thunder Live at Reading One More Knife I Am Rock - Weapons of Mass Destruction Rock Savage Pandora's Grisly Handbag- ''We Are Volsung''