scene in the UK, but did not necessarily adhere to the aesthetics of that movement. They're sometimes considered as part of the queercore genre. The
of the group is generally characterised by a varied eclecticism which encompasses
and Blues rock, with influences like Lemon Kittens, Five Or Six, and other avant-garde groups.
were formed in the Islington area of London in 1979. Always highly critical of the seemingly inward looking anarchist movement of the times, the autonomous and extreme libertarian approach of
anarchism, as opposed to the
conformity of many of their contemporaries. This led the group receiving respect from notable members of the
anarcho-punk movement such as
Conflict, who released three records by
The Apostles, and
Crass with whom the band co-operated during the squatting of the Zig-Zag Club and during the time in which The
Autonomy Centre and Centro Iberico anarchist venues operated. Both Martin and Fanning worked during this period at the Little @ printers ? an anarchist printers located in the same building as the
Autonomy Centre in Wapping. The
Autonomy Centre was founded with proceeds from the
Crass "Bloody
Revolutions" single in 1980 where Martin was a keyholder prior to joining
The Apostles.
The anti-
communist and anti-gay lyrics of '
Rock Against Communism' and 'Kill or Cure' on the 'Giving of Loving Costs Nothing' ep and other similarly themed later songs opened the group to charges of
fascism and homophobia. Whilst this material was intended to expose the supine attitudes of those within the '
anarcho punk' milieu who did not challenge such blatantly provocative sentiments (a tactic which Andy Martin had used since his entrance to the group), they undermined the coherence of the band's
ideology, leading Stewart Home, in his book Cranked Up Really High, to describe
The Apostles as "locked into...a stasis if not actual paralysis". During the time the band was together Andy Martin began to write about his homosexuality and the subject in general which alienated many of their former fans but did not deter Martin. In 1989, Martin and Fannig gave an interview with Homocore fanzine which addressed this issue. Among their many recordings released,
The Apostles contributed the song "Forbidden
Love" to the first queercore compilation, JD.s Top Ten Homocore Hits, released by J.D.s fanzine in 1990.
The Apostles split as a group in 1990, immediately forming Academy 23 which also included Nathan Coles (of The Unbelievables) and Lawrence Burton (formerly of Konstruktivists). The group collaborated with the industrial band The Grey Wolves on two songs, "Terror Chamber" and "Terror Intensifies", both featured on compilations. Academy 23 were renamed in 1994 as Unit.
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