Rose Of Victory Suffragette City

The story of northern English band Blitz follows something of an unusual trajectory. Formed in the small industrial town of New Mills in Derbyshire (once known for coal mines, cotton mills and calico bleaching), Blitz began as a hardcore concern, their first two albums considered classics of the ‘street punk’ and Oi subgenres of the early 1980s, but third album Second Empire Justice shifted their sound in a totally unexpected post-punk/new wave direction, with intricate arrangements, greater musical complexity and a generally softer style. Unfortunately for the group, the album was a commercial failure that spelled their ultimate demise, yet just as the band bit the dust, bassist Neil McLennan and guitarist Nidge Miller formed Rose of Victory with drummer Gary Bowler and engineer Nigel Beverley on vocals, cutting a one-off version of Bowie’s “Suffragette City,” coupled with an equally intriguing Miller instrumental on the flip. Rose of Victory never lasted beyond this initial offering, however, leaving the single a unique memento of their faltering creativity.