Electro/synth rock three-piece, released the single Kings Of The Orient b/w New Jealousies on Clay Records in ’82. Other singles include Windows; Jerusalem; and Flame In My Heart. Also released an album entitled Windows.
MAC AUSTIN – vocals (ex GRACE & JIM CROW), HARRY DAVIES – synths, flute, & percussion (ex GRACE & JIM CROW), JOHN DAVIES – synths and strings.
Category: Clay Records
PRODUCT
4-piece punk band featuring ex-member of THE VEINS, STEVE THORNHILL – bass, plus ex PLASTIC IDOLS member MICK PENKETHMAN, NICK HEMMINGS, ex KILLJOYS on drums, and a female vocalist. 
Signed with Clay Records in ’81, released a mini-LP called STYLE WARS, a number of tracks were played on John Peel’s Radio 1 show. Ex VEIN DAVE JENKINS was rumoured to have been a member in the band’s early days. HEMMINGS also played with THE RUSSIANS.
THE PLASTIC IDOLS
Formerly known as WILLY NILLY, THE IDOLS were Stoke’s very own futurist band. Signed to CLAY RECORDS in 1980, released one of the label’s earliest singles, 
Adventure b/w Remix. Two excellent tracks, the single was actually played on Bruno Brookes’ Radio 1 show. Unfortunately, the rest of the band’s set wasn’t quite up to the same standard, or big time may have beckoned. Had a few support slots to big name bands: HUMAN LEAGUE, FISCHER Z, ANY TROUBLE, Q-TIPS, RELUCTANT STEREOTYPES.
Line-up:
D aka DAVE GASCOIGNE – vocals, MICK PENKETHMAN – guitar, JOHN SIMPSON – bass, DAVE WINDSOR – keyboards, ROBERT WILD – drums. DAVE GASCOIGNE is the brother of one time Vine landlord Willie Gascoigne. DAVE GASCOIGNE went on to form TOWNHOUSE. PENKETHMAN left to form THE PRODUCT, he was replaced by MICK TOMKINSON. WILD & TOMKINSON formed LOWLIFE.
LOWLIFE
Featuring ROB WILD & MICK TOMKINSON, ex PLASTIC IDOLS, and ADRIAN from VERMILION HAIR.
ADRIAN left and MICK brought his brother STEVE in, and a lyricist called MARK TEMPEST. The band relocated to Cheshire. Release one single on Clay Records. After the band fizzled out, WILD played for a short while with THE KILLJOYS & BROKEN BONES.
THE KILLJOYS
Early 80s new-wave band, featured ex BEYOND THE WALL & WHITE LIGHTNING BLUES BAND drummer TIM SIMPSON, and STEVE BERRINGTON on vocals/gtr. NEIL HEMMINGS also played drums at some point, he also played in THE PRODUCT. MARTYN PEGG played bass, TOM THISTLETOE played guitar. ROB WILD, ex PLASTIC IDOLS, LOWLIFE & BROKEN BONES was also in the band for a while, as was PHIL ROBINSON. Released a single called This Is Not Love on Clay Records. NEIL, TOM & STEVE also played in a band called THE RUSSIANS.
DEAN BRINDLEY, father of AGENT BLUE’S CALUM MURPHY, was manager at some point.
GRACE
Stoke’s “prog-rockers”, signed with CLAY RECORDS in 1980. Two of the band became WHITE DOOR after splitting in ’81, but then later reformed. MARK PRICE of HIGH SPY was a member at some point. Far too much history to mention on this site. Everything you will need to know is here: http://www.grace-music.co.uk/index.html
DEAN BRINDLEY, father of AGENT BLUE’S CALUM MURPHY, was manager at some point.
DISCHARGE
Formed either late ’77, or very early ’78, one of The Potteries’ first punk bands, Shelton based. Various ‘rehearsal’ line-ups existed, including one with NIGEL BAMFORD (son of BBC reporter Barney Bamford) on bass; first proper gigging line-up was TERRY ROBERTS aka TEZ on vocals, his brother TONY ROBERTS aka BONES on guitar, ROY WAINWRIGHT aka RAINY on bass, TONY AXON aka ACKO on drums, (RAINY played guitar for the first two gigs, and NIGEL BAMFORD played bass). The band looked destined for oblivion, until ACKO left the band in 1979 (due to getting his girlfriend pregnant and having to sell his drumkit!). Final gig was supporting The Damned & The Ruts at the Victoria Hall.
TEZ took over on drums, and new vocalist KELVIN MORRIS aka CAL was recruited. The band’s musical & lyrical direction veered towards CND/anti-war sentiments, and they were (somewhat surprisingly) signed to Mike Stone’s new record label, CLAY RECORDS.
They were managed by TANYA RICH between 1978 and 1980, she was responsible for getting them their record deal. They achieved some success, touring parts of Europe, even having a single – Never Again – reach the Top 75, and the album Hear Nothing… reach number 40 in the album charts.
Various personnel changed would occur, BONES formed his own band BROKEN BONES, replaced by STEVE BROOKES aka FISH from THE SKEPTIX, and towards the late 1980s the band seemed to disintegrate – RAINY was seen working as a postman around Stoke in 1989 . In the mid-90s, the band got together again with various line-ups, and continued well in to the 21st century.
NIGEL BAMFORD managed THE VEINS, and later THE BATWING CHAPS, and is now a concert promoter.
TEZZ also played drums in US punk band BILLYCLUB, played guitar with THE MINISTRY on their 1989/90 USA tour, and also worked from time to time with SECTION 5.
DEMON
Put together around 1980, originally as a studio band to record a heavy metal album and single for Hanley record label CLAY RECORDS. Band then followed up with live work. Many well-known Potteries rockers have featured in the band at one time or another, including DAVE HILL; LES HUNT (ex HUNTER); ex VERMIN, SKEPTIX, SECTION 5 & DISCHARGE member FISH; Radio Stoke broadcaster CHRIS ELLIS(ex HUNTER); and GAVIN SUTHERLAND of THE SUTHERLAND BROTHERS.
20+ years on, the band seem to be as popular as ever.
CHRIS ELLIS went to live in Australia, but later returned to live in Leek.
http://the-demon.com/
STOKEBEAT 