The Deviants (formally the Social Deviants) were a musical group in the United Kingdom. Out of the Ladbroke Grove UK Underground Community, a number of bands would emerge. Perhaps the most anarchistic band of the Underground was the ‘’Deviants’’ founded and fronted by singer/writer Mick Farren, the ‘’Social Deviants’’ — later just the ‘’Deviants’’ — made three bizarre albums in two years. Mick Farren states that The ‘’Deviants’’ were a community band which “did things every now and then - it was a total assault thing with a great deal of inter-relation and interdependence”. Musically, Farren described the Deviants as "teeth-grinding, psychedelic rock" somewhere between the Stooges and The Mothers of Invention” (1).

After the ‘’Deviants’’ folded in 1969, Farren recorded a solo album ‘’Mona’’ with a short-lived Pink Fairies line-up that featured ex-Pretty Things drummer/singer Twink and Steve Peregrin Took. When this first ‘’Pink Fairies’’ fell apart and Twink ran off with the name to form Pink Fairies mark 2 Farren initially considered continuing to work Steve Took using the band name Steve Took's Shagrat with Larry Wallis. Took and Farren fell out so it didn’t happen.

Many of the band members for the ‘’Deviants’’ and the ‘’Pink Fairies’’ were interchangeable and both names have been used for various one-offs over the years. In February 1984, Farren was joined by ex-Pink Fairies member Larry Wallis and original ‘’Deviant’’ (as well as ‘’Pink Fairies’’ member) Duncan Sanderson. They were billed as the ‘’Deviants’’ and played a London gig at Dingwalls which was released as the album ‘’Human Garbage’’. Mick Farren’s latest incarnation of the ‘’Deviants’’ ‘’Dr Crow’’ in 2002 which opens up with the title track ‘’When Dr Crow Turns On His Radio’’ and its obvious Mick Farren is back on form! Great guitar from Andy Colquhoun.

As a lyricist Farren provided the words for several songs on Larry Wallis’s first ever solo album ‘’Death in the Guitarfternoon’’ released in 2002.

References

• (1) Funtopia for Mick Farren interview

External links

• Deviants Discography
• Larry Wallis’s review of ‘’Dr Crow’’
• Mick Farren and the Deviants info
• Encyclopaedia Olympianna
• Funtopia for Mick Farren/Deviants stuff