Wasted Youth was a punk / post-punk band from London, England, active between 1979 and 1982, which blended early Goth and post-punk with dark acoustic strains of the sort associated with Nick Drake and Syd Barrett. The line-up of the band was Ken Scott (vocals and guitar), Rocco Barker (guitar), Nick Nicole (synth), Darren Murphy (bass) and Andy Scott (drums). Their records were released through Bridgehouse Records, a label set up by the bass player's father in the pub he owned in Canning Town.
Wasted Youth emerged from the remnants of mid 1970s heavy rock band "Warrior", fronted by Ken Scott. The band were largely influenced by Black Sabbath until the punk explosion at which point Scott split the group, due to its reluctance to embrace the new sound. There was brief collaboration with writer David W. Kirby (aka, Dwk The Dogbreaths) who recited verse over the top of extended rhythm sections during live sets.
Rocco Barker went on to form the band Flesh for Lulu and was in the Channel 4 show, A Place in Spain: Costa Chaos.
Classic Rock (magazine) reported that the band's bassist, Darren Murphy, died of cancer on the 15th February 2012.
Famous quotes containing the words wasted and/or youth:
“Now the hungry lion roars,
And the wolf behowls the moon;
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,
All with weary task fordone.
Now the wasted brands do glow,
Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,
Puts the wretch that lies in woe
In remembrance of a shroud.
Now it is the time of night,
That the graves, all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his sprite,
In the church-way paths to glide:”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The forward Youth that would appear
Must now forsake his Muses dear,
Nor in the Shadows sing
His Numbers languishing.”
—Andrew Marvell (1621–1678)