The Lords of the New Church

While not on the same commercial level as ‘supergroups’ like the Traveling Wilburys or Asia, the quartet known as the Lords of the New Church was most certainly a supergroup to be reckoned with. The band’s two main members – Stiv Bators (The Dead Boys’s vocalist) and Brian James (guitarist for The Damned) – met in 1977 when Stiv’s band opened for British punk band The Damned in New York in 1977. The two became friends and vowed to work together. After the Dead Boys’ split up, Stiv flew to England to audition as new vocalist for UK punkers Sham 69, who had lost their original vocalist Jimmy Pursey. Once Stiv was brought in as vocalist in 1980, the band decided to change their name to The Wanderers and released their sole album, Only Lovers Left Alive, in 1981. The band was not a commercial success and split up shortly afterwards. Since Brian James had already left the Damned, this gave the duo the opportunity to form their own band. Bringing in Sham 69 bassist Dave Tregunna and Barracudas drummer Nicky Turner, the new band played their first show – billed as The Things – at the end of 1981. Changing their name to Lords of the New Church, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1982. Bolstered by charting hits “New Church,” “Russian Roulette,” and their most successful single, “Open Your Eyes” (number 7 on the UK Independent Singles chart), the album reached number 3 on the Indie Albums chart in England. The album and “Open Your Eyes” were also popular in the US and other countries as well. The band followed that debut with Is Nothing Sacred? (1983) and The Method to Our Madness (1984) but the band soon encountered problems with their label (I.R.S. Records) and bassist Tregunna left the fold in 1985. Although the compilation Killer Lords was issued at the end of 1985, the band’s commercial profile had dimmed, and they continued with personnel issues until they officially called it quits in 1989. Sadly, vocalist Stiv Bators was struck by a car on June 4, 1990, and refused hospital care. He died later that night of traumatic brain injury. The Lords of the New Church reunited on several occasions in the years that followed but it never lasted more than a gig or quick recording session. Brian James died on March 6, 2025, at the age of 70.

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