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Jump Iceland

Jump Iceland was in fact the third manifestation of a north Dublin band which started life in 1978 as Human Error and then became the Human Dance Faction in 1980 before finally morphing into Jump Iceland in 1981. The sound evolved through these line-ups from dissonant and confrontational to more melodic and persuasive.

My thanks to Mik Skelly for his generous help with this page.


Human Error

From: Glasnevin, Dublin
Active: December 1978 - December 1979 approx
Style:
Lineup:

Bio:

Human Error formed at school in Glasnevin when Mik Skelly met the other three after moving to Dublin from the USA in 1978. The band formed in December that year.

For their first gig the band hired St. Peter's Hall in Phibsboro in May 1979 and asked D.C.Nein to headline (they were all big fans). The gig was a success. Gavin Friday's younger brother witnessed it and a couple of weeks later Human Error opened for the Virgin Prunes at McGonagles where they met Bono and The Edge which in turn led to opening for U2 at McGonagles, the band's third ever gig.

Their sixth gig was supporting D.C.Nein at the Dandelion; the seventh was an experimental one-off project called 49 Guitars And One Girl following one of U2's sets at the Dandelion in August 1979. The lineup was Dik Evans and Mik Skelly on guitars, Strongman and John Tisdall on basses, Pod on drums and Gavin Friday on vocals. They performed just one piece which reputedly received a mixed reception.

John Tisdall left Human Error at the end of 1979 and was replaced by Fintan Grimes from Omagh. The new lineup became the Human Dance Faction .


Human Dance Faction

From: Dublin
Active: 1980-81
Style:
Lineup:

Bio:

Human Dance Faction lasted about a year and did approx 7 gigs in all. The first was opening for D.C.Nein at the Baggot Inn. They did several shows at the Magnet, including supporting Microdisney & Nun Attacks in September. They also played with 1991 and Bodies Move. When Garvin Moore left at the end of 1980, the others stole Derek Dunne from Bodies Move and changed name to Jump Iceland.


Jump Iceland

From: Dublin
Active: 1981-1982
Lineup:

Bio:

Jump Iceland did about 16 gigs in total over a 2 year period. Their first gig was in the Underground Bar on Dame St in Dublin with The Five Cigarettes (pre- Thee Amazing Colossal Men). They played several venues around Dublin including The Ivy Rooms, The Afrospot (in fact they were the first band to play there) and the Judge & Jury, which included one gig with Frank Kearn's Myster Men (Frank would later form Cactus World News with Eoin). They also played further afield in Drogheda.

They shared the bill with such diverse bands as Mouzhik Strap (ex Bodies Move), Atonomy, Of Xerox, and Kissed Air (at the North Star Hotel on Amiens St.) among others. But by far their biggest gig was supporting U2 at the RDS Main Hall on 26 January 1982. Some Kind Of Wonderful were also on the bill that day.

Jump Iceland recorded a couple of demos and a radio 2 session for Dave Fanning's show but neither they nor their antecedents released any recordings.

Derek (drums), Fintan (bass) and Mick (vocals, guitar, processed shortwave) were involved in an experimental side project called F.F.F. in 1982 with Nikki Moss (vocals, synthesizer). FFF performed just twice. The first was one saturday afternoon gig in Base X (The Basement Exchange Record Shop) on Bachelor's Walk in Dublin in June with Dermot Brady (bass/spoken word). The gig was recorded by the band but the tape is lost. The second was at the Judge & Jury, opening for Jump Iceland with a neurotic version of The Normal's "Warm Leatherette". Nikki Moss was a radio DJ with Capitol, Big D and ARD.

Eoin McEvoy was later in Cactus World News.

More info appreciated.



Discography

• 1st demo
details unknown


• 2nd demo
details unknown


• Dave Fanning Session
details unknown



Help!

We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can use, or spare copies of any releases, then please get in touch.




See Also: Bodies Move, Cactus World News

External Links: excellent Microdisney fan site, cathalcoughlan.com



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