York band Nerve Senta debut album re-released digitally

Nerve Senta’s eponymous LP hit the shelves of record stores like Red Rhino Records in Gillygate in 1981 and has now been restored by a record label run by the band’s former keyboard player.

Ian J Cole, who now runs Sinners Music, which started in York in 2006, said it took him a year to restore and digitise his own vinyl copy of the record, since the original masters had been destroyed.

Ian Cole played additional keyboards on the debut album along with original band members (Image: Ian J Cole) The label boss said: “I had a conversation with Garry Barrett, the lead vocalist and songwriter over a pint, and everybody was up for it being re-released.

“I kept sending the restored tracks to him – he is the client too, after all.

“We were dead proud of it back then, I remember going into Red Rhino and being chuffed to see it there.

“They recorded two singles before I joined so I was really happy to be part of it.”

Ian J Cole (Image: Supplied) Nerve Senta formed in York in 1977 and gained a following on the live circuit, playing in Acomb, The Grob and Ducat, and working men’s clubs across the city.

Garry Barrett, who also played guitar on the LP, wrote 10 of the tracks on the debut album.

After he started learning to play, Garry said his friend Tony Jackson ‘threw down the gauntlet’ when he said he’d written a song in passing one day.

Nerve Senta formed in 1977 and performed a one-off reunion in 2010 (Image: Supplied) Garry said: “It made me become more prolific in my writing.

“I’d come home from my job as an apprentice sprayer at Derwent Coach Works in Osbaldwick and get started straight away.

“I bought an old four-track, which had two guitar and vocal parts, and took it all along to rehearsals and we went from there.

“I enjoyed playing at the ‘biker-friendly’ Forge Inn in Tadcaster and also The Barge Inn on the Ouse in York.

“We decided to record the album on cassette at first because it was cheaper.”

Ian said: “We played tracks from it live in Leeds, Hull and quite a few gigs here.

“We were probably the most well-known band in York.

“All the venues were packed and Supermusic Records came to one of them, and there was talk of interest from London labels.”

Nerve Senta reformed in 2010 for a reunion gig (Image: Supplied) Ian said the seven-inch discs were recorded for Tense Raven Records and Supermusic Records funded and produced the original album recording at Fairview Studios in Hull in late 1980, before its release a year later.

Nerve Senta split in 1982 although all five original performers – Garry Barrett, Ian J Cole, Garry Varley (bass and vocals), Geoff Locker (drums and vocals) and John Foottit (lead guitar and vocals)  reunited for a one-off concert at the Post Office Club in May 2010.

Sinners Music Records full download and streaming release of ‘Nerve Senta’ – ‘for fans of Elvis Costello, The Jags, The Records, and The Kinks’ is available now on all download and streaming services.