AVO-8 first began way back in the mists … Read Full Bio ↴By Claire Gourlay of AVO-8.
AVO-8 first began way back in the mists of 1979. We are not too concerned about this incarnation, it will be enough to say that there was a single released on Stroppo Records in 1980 called "Gone Wrong" and that two of the protagonists were also involved in the AVO-8 we knew and loved more recently (Stephen Hastie & Kenny Gourlay).
In 1985, Stephen and Kenny got together again and decided to form the new improved AVO-8 with their respective partners, Jan Hastie and Claire Gourlay, and Jan’s brother, George Glen. Jan and Claire did the singing, Stephen did the guitar, George did the bass and Kenny did the drums.
Also involved were: Willie Allison who filled the roles of driver, sometime manager, and PA owner and operator; Eddie Roberston, roadie and generally all round good guy; and, Karen Trotman, lighting person and Claire’s sister and soon to marry George and become Jan’s sister in law. Confused yet? - you will be!
Our first gig was at Brando’s, the pub which we used as a meeting point before and after practice, which unfortunately doesn’t exist anymore. It was at Christmas 1985 and although we weren’t as tight as we could be it was absolutely brilliant.
During the next 5 years we did lots of gigs up and down the country as you’ll see from the gig list. Some of these were to large audiences and some small; there was even one memorable outdoor gig in Nairn where we played to a tiny group of people and a dog called James Dean. The fact that the wind was carrying our sound to a larger town several miles down the coast made up for the small local audience!
Life was made more difficult by the fact that we all had full time jobs to do during the day, but it was definitely worth it. People at work got used to us all turning up late with hangovers, blisters, sore throats etc and we got used to feeling that they were all boring and didn’t have half the excitement in their lives that we did!
We played very few songs written by other people (Last Train to Clarksville and Hang Onto Yourself being the only two we did regularly), so we spent a lot of time writing songs. Generally someone brought a nearly finished idea to the rest and we all worked on it together, so all songs are credited to everyone.
We released three singles, one on our own AVO label and two on Cherry Red. We decided to put out ‘Is This The End?’ on our own label because we didn’t have time ourselves to contact other labels. We didn’t have any real management at that time and all our time was spent working, gigging and writing. When we released ‘Is This The End?’ we did spend some time plugging it and luckily Andy Kershaw liked it, passed it on to Steve Wright and Liz Kershaw (who both played it) and gave us a Radio One session. The session was produced by Dale Griffin (ex Mott the Hoople drummer). This was especially exciting (and nerve wracking) for Kenny - playing drums in front of his hero!
After the session had aired we were contacted by management in London who took us on and then Cherry Red signed us and released two singles. We started getting more gigs down south and got on part of a tour with the Darling Buds, which was pretty good fun. We also met some strange people and autographed weird and wonderful parts of peoples bodies.
There is in existence a video EP which was made by Alistair Allison, Willy’s brother. It is extremely embarrassing to look back on now but at the time it was brilliant to make - lots of lip synching around the streets of Edinburgh and in our practice room. It includes ‘Is This The End?’ and ‘The Voice’ (which incidentally got a great review in a Greek fanzine). We also took part in a documentary for Edinburgh schools about the music business, which, in common with our own video, is extremely embarrassing to watch now but was great to do.
Unfortunately, things came to an end in early 1990 when we decided it wasn’t fun anymore. We thought it best to have good memories rather than carry on and start hating it, and each other. We formally disbanded at a party in Karen and George’s house and then we all got good and drunk.
Never Again
Avo-8 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't drop me
Didn't stop me
It taught me
Never trust nobody
I used to be nice
Peace was my device
Slice and dice
Crush your skull in a vice
Never trust
One threat Is suffice
Pay the price
Put you on ice
Why is my brain going insane
Running away like a runaway train
Hard to maintain
Hard to restrain
Feel like an angry great dane
I know my rhymes are not sane
But I cant let my survival be in vain
Don't try to constrain
Ill bring pain
Shatter your skull like a window Pane
Poke a hole in a multicolor pen
Rainbow forms in your eye as i stab It in
I know this psycho and a sin
But ill never take a threat lightly Again
Victim to victor
Envision the picture
Crush you like a boa constricter
You was a predictor
Came at me with the scales of a Richter
I was stricter
The pain inflicter
Why is my brain going insane
Running away like a runaway train
Hard to maintain
Hard to restrain
Feel like an angry great dane
I know my rhymes are not sane
But I cant let my survival be in vain
Don't try to constrain
I'll bring pain
Shatter your skull like a window Pane
If you bring a gun
Mines cocked ready for fun
Never take a threat from anyone
Buried in concrete under the sun
Don't get it twisted
I love everyone
Trust noone
If you make a threat
Your dome
Why is my brain going insane
Running away like a runaway train
Hard to maintain
Hard to restrain
Feel like an angry great dane
I know my rhymes are not sane
But I cant let my survival be in vain
Don't try to constrain
I'll bring pain
Shatter your skull like a window Pane
He shot me
Didn't drop me
Didn't stop me
It taught me
Never trust nobody
The lyrics of Avo-8's song "Never Again" delve into themes of betrayal and self-defense. The opening lines, "He shot me, didn't drop me, didn't stop me, it taught me, never trust nobody," express the singer's experience of being shot but not being defeated by it. This traumatic incident serves as a lesson to never trust anyone, highlighting a newfound sense of caution and skepticism.
The second verse reflects a change in the singer's attitude and demeanor. They acknowledge that they used to be kind and peaceful, but now they won't hesitate to harm others if necessary. The lyrics evoke a sense of aggression and violence, with phrases like "slice and dice" and "crush your skull in a vice." The singer's mindset has shifted from one of peace to a mindset of self-preservation and a readiness to respond aggressively to threats.
The chorus repeats the question, "Why is my brain going insane, running away like a runaway train?" This suggests a struggle to maintain control and stability in their mental state. The lyrics also imply a sense of frustration and powerlessness, comparing themselves to an angry great dane. The singer acknowledges that their rhymes may not be considered sane, but they refuse to let their survival be in vain. They emphasize their determination to bring pain to those who would threaten them, comparing it to shattering a window pane.
The third verse introduces the idea that the singer is always prepared for threats. They assert that if someone brings a gun, theirs is already cocked and ready for "fun." This highlights a sense of empowerment and a willingness to defend themselves against any potential harm. The lyrics continue to caution against underestimating the singer's resolve, emphasizing that they trust no one and are capable of burying threats under the sun, metaphorically indicating their ability to eliminate any perceived danger.
Line by Line Meaning
He shot me
Someone tried to harm me with a gunshot
Didn't drop me
But they failed to bring me down
Didn't stop me
Their attempt didn't hinder my progress
It taught me
I learned an important lesson from that experience
Never trust nobody
I shouldn't trust anyone completely
I used to be nice
I used to be kind and gentle
Peace was my device
I sought peace as my way of life
Now I won't think twice
But now I won't hesitate
Slice and dice
To harm others with precision
Crush your skull in a vice
To exert violent force and cause severe damage to your head
Never trust
I will never fully trust
One threat is suffice
A single threat is enough to be cautious
Pay the price
You will face consequences
Put you on ice
To eliminate or neutralize you
Why is my brain going insane
Why am I experiencing mental turmoil
Running away like a runaway train
Feeling out of control like a train off its tracks
Hard to maintain
Difficult to keep control
Hard to restrain
Hard to hold back
Feel like an angry great dane
Feeling as furious as an aggressive dog
I know my rhymes are not sane
I am aware that my lyrics are not mentally stable
But I can't let my survival be in vain
But I cannot allow my existence to be pointless
Don't try to constrain
Do not attempt to limit or control me
I'll bring pain
I will cause you harm
Shatter your skull like a window pane
Break your head violently like a glass window
Poke a hole in a multicolor pen
Penetrating a colorful pen to cause harm
Rainbow forms in your eye as I stab it in
Creating a vision of a rainbow in your eye while stabbing
I know this psycho is a sin
I am aware that this level of aggression is morally wrong
But I'll never take a threat lightly again
But I will always consider threats seriously from now on
Victim to victor
Transforming from a victim to a conqueror
Envision the picture
Imagining the desired outcome
Crush you like a boa constricter
To annihilate you with asphyxiation like a snake
You was a predictor
You were trying to predict my actions
Came at me with the scales of a Richter
Approached me with an intense force, like an earthquake's magnitude
I was stricter
I demonstrated stronger control and dominance
The pain inflicter
The one causing the suffering
If you bring a gun
If you introduce a firearm
Mine's cocked ready for fun
I have my weapon prepared for action
Never take a threat from anyone
Never underestimate any threat
Buried in concrete under the sun
To dispose of you by hiding your body in concrete
Don't get it twisted
Do not misinterpret or misunderstand
I love everyone
I have affection for everyone
Trust no one
But I do not trust anyone
If you make a threat
If you pose a danger to me
Your dome
Your head will bear the consequences
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: James Siburt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Antinov
@den You do realize the USA still has more than 3 times the population, right? And the country is still mostly empty. Germany only rivals the US because the US has gotten fat and lazy since the world war era.
Germany has limited natural resources, limited space to grow food, a smaller industrial base and a massive terrain disadvantage. It's not remotely a fair comparison, especially back in the 30's and 40's.
The US was basically an untouchable industrial and agricultural powerhouse that could beat Germany's manufacturing by 10-fold. It's only recently they've slipped out of that spot by outsourcing to countries with cheaper labour.
Also, don't forget, the US REBUILT a lot of Germany to use them as a bulwark against the soviets. So yeah, Germany is a tiny country, with a relatively small populace.
You want a really big country? China & India, literally over a Billion people in each, with unrivalled industrial output. Industrial output isn't the deciding factor in whether something is good or bad though.
Germany is more of an engineering powerhouse and always has been, sometimes to the detriment of manufacturing, as they keep changing the designs faster than the factory can retool and get back to production.
Donna Hays
As a Canadian this is a black spot in our history. The neighbors were way more involved in stopping this than you showed. Lots of side dealing and secret political meetings. If they couldn't control and profit, they would kill it. Canadian engineers were brilliant and yes we could have had a space program. No one I know thinks scrapping this project was the right move for Canada.
Alan Clish
@shperax The Arrow flew March 25, 1958 whereas the YF-12A flew September 1964. Quite a difference!!!
shperax
At the time, Lockheed was positioning themselves to be the primary maker of all the world's jets. They saw a chance at a monopoly and took it. It's just simple business. Plus, Lockheed already had a YF-12 in the works at that point, which was capable of Mach 3+. Business deals like this still happen all over the world today. If you don't want competition to exist, you buy them out.
Troy
Missiles and garbage planes over our own better tech at the time.
Alan Clish
Oh please stop using the 'Americans killed the Arrow excuse". We had the most ignorant government not to mention a WWI defence Minister who knew absolutely zero about the Arrow. WWI, not WWII!!! We didn't present any threat to the American Aircraft Industry. The Arrow was flown long BEFORE the XB-70, A-12, SR-71. The only aircraft that flew a few months after the Arrow was the Phantom which went on to a glorious history. What the Americans did do was seize the opportunity of collecting brilliant minds from Avro and Orenda when word got out that the brain dead government was killing the Arrow. Look at us now 65 years later, completely dependent on foreign countries and our Armed Forces a complete shabby mess with outdated junk. Absolutely God awful!!
AMC
Wes Mcdonell
I’m a Canadian patriot and this magnificent marvel of Canadian engineering always brings me to tears .
Diefenbaker was a weak link here falling prey to outside influence, he cratered just when we needed strong leadership and a love of canada and the brilliant minds that created this beautiful aircraft. It was a mistake to terminate this proud symbol of Canada’s pride .
Jim Anderson
Well said
Another namless commenter
@WarfarenotWarfair I think that there was Soviet Union interference because the case for why is strong which is that there was a competition between a US military manufacturer company(I forgot which) and Avro to build a better interceptor and whoever won would have both the USA and Canada adopt the superior aircraft and the fear of having US national pride diminished by having to adopt a foreign aircraft or even just the idea of a then puny country in population like Canada to put up a good competition against the USA would just be an international embarrassment and a blow to their reputation as a super power during a time when the intimidation of being a superior military was the line between being a chosen ally by the larger global community for support of development and safety, or being viewed as the inferior of the 2 country's(Soviet Union and United States) and to have to deal with the prospect of now reaping the major benefits of working with the many newfound country's after WW2's conclusion.
WarfarenotWarfair
There was no interference, Diefenbaker was against the military and wanted to selfishly lean on Americans for defense in turn destroying Canada's ability to produce fighter aircraft.
John Hunter
Born and raised in Canada. Every time I'm reminded of the Arrow I get so unbelievably mad. I think the ultimate reason the project was scrapped was due to pressure from the US. It was a threat to their aerospace industry, so it had to go.