By the time their third record, "Regular Urban Survivors" was released in 1996, Briptop was firmly established in the mainstream, but perhaps surprisingly Terrorvision thrived. Single "Perseverance" charted at number five (It's awesome "Whales and Dolphins" hook proving irresistable to daytime radio and indie dancefloors alike) and the album was a commercial and critical hit. In many ways a bigger, widescreen sequel to HTMFAIP (with a couple of songs suspiciously close to re-makes - Bad Actress = Middleman, Celebrity Hitlist = Discotheque Wreck...) the cover featured the band larking around as spoof filmstars and was ostensibly a soundtrack to a fictional film - an idea reflected in songs such as "Didn't Bleed Red" (sci-fi) and "Dog Chewed the Handle" (An implausible murder mystery) The band still got in a few digs in at the Briptop elite, with "Superchronic" taking a few swipes at Oasis.
The odd man out, though, of Terrorvision albums is without doubt 1998's "Shaving Peaches", a curiously restrained record which in hindsight sounds like an ill-founded attempt to gain a mainstream audience which in truth they probably already had. Basically, TV forgot how to rock. Despite the album selling poorly, it ironically spawned their biggest hit, "Tequila". Admittedly it was a Mint Royale remix of the track which reached number 2, but in truth it didn't differ that much from the original, adding only an irresistably immediate speed-mariachi tempo. The band took this in their stride - where other, cooler bands would have turned their nose up at such psuedo-success, Terrorvison cheekily just learned to play the remix live instead.
Dropped from major label EMI after "Shaving Peaches", Terrorvision finally returned in 2001 with the independently released "Good To Go". Probably knowing it would be their final record, it is very much a return to 'classic' Terrorvision and in many ways a return to form. Whilst the record lacks some of their prime period sparkle, the choruses are undeniably huge and the album brims with the band's trademark good time party vibes. "Friends And Family", in particular went down a storm at festivals, with its joyously profane "Party Over Here, Fuck You Over There!" refrain.
Terrorvision played their 'final' gig in October 2001, in their hometown of Bradford - a riotous celebration of all things TV which was eventually released as a double live album, "Take The Money And Run".
Since Terrorvision split there have been a number of side projects including Tony Wright's Laika Dog, Leigh Marklew's Malibu Stacey and Mark Yates's Blunderbuss and Boomville. Tony Wright has also released two solo albums and one country album with Ryan Hamilton, and tours with Milton "Milly" Evans performing acoustic versions of Terrorvision songs as well as his own material.
Ultimately Terrorvision were a wonderful oddity - despite coming from a undeniably Heavy Metal background, the band took the genre, (Which, lets not forget, was in terminal decline during the mid 90s) stripped away the po-faced seriousness, and fashioned a rock party band from the ashes. Often dismissed as a novelty act, TV in truth simply loved what they did, and never once considered being too cool to show it. Mark Yates's urgent, exciting guitars anchored the band musically, but it's Tony Wright's hyper-go-go vocals which truly make the band, delighting in rolling his Yorkshire vowels around wordplay which lyrically is sometimes closer to rap than rock. They never hid behind the too-common pretence of disliking success - Terrorvision celebrated every foray into the mainstream and were never afraid to show it. At the same time, they surely gave a generation of Britpop kids a taste what rock delights could await them - witness the bands cover versions of Iggy Pop's "The Passenger", Cheap Trick's "Surrender", Free's "Wishing Well" or perhaps most bizzarely, their lounge-blues version of Iron Maiden's "Take Your Daughter To the Slaughter". They even dabbled with Paul Oakenfold remixes and their very own handbag-house-rock foray, B-side "Too Stoned To Dance". All hail Terrorvision then, Bradford' finest (and most proud) musical export.
While they have never returned to music full-time, Terrorvision have reformed numerous times since their initial split. The first time was for a 'one week only' tour in 2005, for which a live album and DVD were recorded, followed by a performance at Scarborough Castle later that year.
In 2007, the band announced that they were reforming again for a small number of gigs, this time without bassist and founding member Leigh Marklew. Danny Lambert, member of Mark Yates' band Blunderbuss, stood in for Leigh. The following year Leigh returned to the band and the original lineup performed on several short tours and festival appearances over the next few years, including a tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of "How To Make Friends and Influence People", for which two live albums were made available - one recorded from the Manchester show, and one from the London show.
In 2010, drummer and founding member Ian "Shutty" Shuttleworth retired from the band and was replaced by Cameron Greenwood. Terrorvision announced that they were working on a new album, their first new music since 2001. The album, "Super Delux", was released in February 2011. The band continued to tour and make festival appearances, performing at Download Festival in 2012, their highest profile gig in some time.
The band went on hiatus from 2013-2016, returning for a one-off 'Alternative Valentines' show on the 14th of February. Later that year they embarked on a UK tour supporting Thunder, and announced a headline tour at the end of the year for the 20th anniversary of "Regular Urban Survivors". A live album was released, recorded at the Manchester Ritz, as well as a behind-the-scenes DVD film, "Wired Up and Scary".
Since 2016 the band have continued to perform on an annual basis, including a novel triple-headline tour in 2018 with Reef and The Wildhearts called "Britrock Must Be Destroyed", where the order of the bands would rotate from one gig to the next, and a 25th anniversary tour for "How To Make Friends and Influence People" in 2019.
Also in 2019, Terrorvision released their first new material since "Super Delux" eight years prior - the Christmas single "Our Christmas Song", as well as a pre-order exclusive download track "By My Side". The band have indicated their intention to release more new music during 2020, though whether this takes the form of an album, EP or individual tracks is currently unknown.
Perseverance
Terrorvision Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was low on a hundred things
I was wrong to put my money where my mouth was
I was right about the whales and the dolphins
Whales and dolphins whales and dolphins yeah
And I don't mind preserving time at all
I was blue about the people in the power
I was yellow when they said to fight the reds
'Cause I knew I'd be beaten black and blue
Black and blue battered and bruised yeah
Hold the line just give it some time then call
Cor what I like and what I hate about perseverance
Ooh what I'd give and what I'd take for perseverance
I was round and about in the area
I was square in my suit and tie
I was lost in the bermuda triangle
It all went pear shaped twisted and twined
Twisted and twined twisted and twined yeah
And I don't mind preserving time at all
Hold the line just give it some time then call
Cor what I like and what I hate about perseverance
Ooh what I'd give and what I'd take for perseverance
I was lost on the road to nowhere
I was a guest on a runaway train
I was happy 'cause I knew I was innocent
They were glad to let me take the blame
Taking the blame taking the blame taking the blame
It's always the same 'cause
I what I like and what I hate about perseverance
Ooh what I'd give and what I'd take for perseverance
I haven't time I haven't space for perseverance
'Cause I swap and change just when I like to keep up appearance
The lyrics to Terrorvision's song Perseverance seem to be about the struggles and contradictions in life, particularly in regards to personal beliefs and social pressures. The singer describes being conflicted and misguided at times, but also recognizing the importance of certain values such as animal conservation (whales and dolphins), even if it means sacrificing personal gain. The chorus plays on the idea of both liking and hating perseverance, suggesting that while it can be necessary and rewarding, it can also be exhausting and ultimately futile if one is constantly changing their mind or actions.
The song also touches on other themes such as political corruption and personal growth. The singer acknowledges feeling hopeless and powerless in the face of injustice (being "beaten black and blue" in the fight against communism), but also recognizes the potential for change if one puts in the effort and maintains their stance over time ("hold the line just give it some time then call"). They describe feeling lost and trapped at times, but also experiencing moments of clarity and freedom ("happy 'cause I knew I was innocent").
Overall, the lyrics to Perseverance highlight the complexities and uncertainties of life, as well as the importance of standing by one's values and beliefs, even in the face of opposition or doubt.
Line by Line Meaning
I was high on a molatov of cocktails
I was intoxicated on a mixture of various alcoholic drinks
I was low on a hundred things
I was lacking in many areas of my life
I was wrong to put my money where my mouth was
I made a mistake by investing in something before really considering the consequences
I was right about the whales and the dolphins
I had accurate beliefs about the importance of marine life
Whales and dolphins whales and dolphins yeah
Repeated emphasis on the importance of marine life
And I don't mind preserving time at all
I have no issue with taking my time and not rushing things in order to preserve them
I was blue about the people in the power
I was sad or upset about those in positions of authority
I was green that's my excuse
Green usually means inexperienced, so this line suggests a lack of experience is the reason for something
I was yellow when they said to fight the reds
I was cowardly when asked to fight against communists
'Cause I knew I'd be beaten black and blue
Black and blue battered and bruised yeah
I knew I would get badly hurt if I fought, leading to physical injuries
Hold the line just give it some time then call
Stay committed to your decisions and be patient before making any changes
Cor what I like and what I hate about perseverance
Ooh what I'd give and what I'd take for perseverance
The artist is reflecting on their feelings about perseverance, including what they admire and dislike about it, and what they would be willing to sacrifice or gain for it
I was round and about in the area
I was square in my suit and tie
The singer was wandering around aimlessly, but then transitioned to looking professional
I was lost in the bermuda triangle
It all went pear shaped twisted and twined
Twisted and twined twisted and twined yeah
The singer encountered trouble and things went wrong in unexpected, complicated ways
I was lost on the road to nowhere
I was a guest on a runaway train
The singer was directionless and felt like they had no control over their own actions or life
I was happy 'cause I knew I was innocent
They were glad to let me take the blame
Taking the blame taking the blame taking the blame
It's always the same 'cause
The artist was falsely accused, but those around them let them take the blame regardless, leading the artist to resign themselves to always being caught in these kinds of situations.
I what I like and what I hate about perseverance
Ooh what I'd give and what I'd take for perseverance
I haven't time I haven't space for perseverance
'Cause I swap and change just when I like to keep up appearance
The artist reflects once again on their opinions about perseverance, saying they don't have the capacity for it and often only maintain the illusion of it for the sake of appearances.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANTHONY WRIGHT, IAN SHUTTLEWORTH, LEIGH MARKLEW, MARK YATES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind