By Jim Rowland

InstigatorsPhoenixLPSleeveIn the latter half of the Eighties you’d have struggled to find a harder working group than underground punk legends Instigators, tirelessly gigging up and down the ÜK, around mainland Europe, and even across the ÜSA, on self-booked zero-budget tours. They would eventually bow out at the start of the 1990s. Now in 2025, the band are set to return for the first time in 30 years and are confirmed to play the legendary Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, alongside further gigs in Huddersfield and London and a new EP on the way as well. To coincide with this, Boss Tuneage are set to reissue much-anticipated coloured vinyl reissues of the long out-of-print 1986 ‘Phoenix’ album and ‘Shockgun’ from ’88.

‘Phoenix’ was originally released in 1986 on legendary punk label Bluurg, run by Subhumans’ Dick Lucas, and was the first release from the classic second line up of the band. Whilst Instigators are often tied in with the anarcho-punk movement of the time, the sound of this album is more melodic and complex than the big names from that movements such as Conflict, Crass or Flux of Pink Indians. Tracks like ‘Blind Eye’ and ‘Watch & Wait’ have a fast, bouncy and melodic feel to them perhaps more akin to the likes of The Adicts, whilst tracks like ‘Eye To Eye’ have a darker, harsh and abrasive quality.

Whilst ‘Phoenix’ is a pure punk rock record, ‘Shockgun’, whilst retaining some of the band’s punk rock roots, largely shifts towards more of a rock sound with the band sounding more complex and confident, with tempo and mood changes aplenty. Tracks like ‘Tricked and Abused’, ‘Run Don’t Walk’ and ‘Suicide Investigation’ head in an almost metal direction, aided by some quite flamboyant drum and guitar work, whilst the likes of ‘Cry Freedom’ and ‘Central Nervous System’ remain more in the style of the previous album, albeit with a little more intricacy. It’s interesting and clever stuff.

Restored and enhanced by Andy Pearce, these coloured vinyl reissues are complemented with artwork true to the original ÜK pressings, both with 24 x 12 card inserts and heavyweight board sleeves. A perfect upgrade for old fans but also a good opportunity for those curious to check out a band that may have slipped under the radar, but remain a highly regarded part of the underground punk scene of the 1980s.