| Description: | Croc Shop have been making noise in alternative and industrial circles since their formation in Berlin in 1988. Mick Hale & the original bass player raWerner were on a European tour in 1987 with their previous "Pop Art" band and becoming more inspired by 'darker' bands such as Joy Division, Wire, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Jesus & Mary Chain & New Order, they decided there that it was time to take a new approach. . . "Crocodile Shop" was born when a postcard was sent from Berlin to the States to a drummer Mick had worked with on some demos prior to this European tour. Many different stories have been told about where the name comes from... in truth "Crocodile Shop" was just something that they wrote on the demo cassette to remember what was on the tape! The thought most likely started as their wanting to call a band "The Reptiles" for some time.
An EP, Head, was rushed out by the Minneapolis based Susstones Records ('87) while Mick was on tour opening for Wire's Ideal Copy tour. More a reflection of the previous band's style Head is to Croc Shop what With Sympathy is to Ministry (coincidentally C/S later covered "Say Your Sorry" on the German Compilation Under Cover.) The more fully realized debut C/S album, Lullaby, was a dark guitar based work produced by Chameleons UK's Dave Fielding. In 1990 C/S made the transition from goth-rock to industrial after an ongoing replacement of people with machines, and released the two more electronic-based vinyl EPs: Measure By Measure & Technological Optimism. It was at this time keyboardist vMarkus 'officially' joined C/S, after sitting in on keys for a show at NY's Limelight. |