Biography

THE CREEPERS successfully toyed with any musical style that grabbed their fancy, whilst always baring their obstructive and uncompromising traits. The band were renowned and remembered as a rare concoction of wit, healthy cynicism, intelligence and vitriol.

The band was established in Manchester in 1983 by Marc Riley following his departure from The Fall. Embarking on a recording career and releasing 2 singles - Favourite Sister and Jumper Clown - under his own name, Marc Riley became Marc Riley and the Creepers under which moniker the band released a further 3 singles - Creeping at Maida Vale, Shadow Figure, and 4 A's from Maida Vale. All three were 4 track 12" recordings from John Peel BBC Radio 1 sessions - and 2 studio LPs - Gross Out and Fancy Meeting God! - until his indispensable contribution was beyond dispute and he dropped himself (in name only) to record as The Creepers. The band then released their most successful single to date, a cover of Eno's Baby's on Fire followed by their third studio LP Miserable Sinners. This was their last release for In Tape Records and they subsequently signed to Red Rhino Records in the UK and released the single Brute before recording what was to be their last studio LP Rock n Roll Liquorice Flavour. The decision to disband the group was taken by Marc Riley at the end of 1987 before the release of the LP in the knowledge that they had recorded their finest work, since Riley felt the band's diverse and prolific recordings under two Creeper line-ups had gone as far as he wanted to take it and as far as a world audience would accept any further possible change in musical direction.