Alternative TV

Alternative TV, abbreviated ATV, was a punk band from London, who originally was from 1976 to 1979, but was later founded nor twice. Founder of all three formations was Mark Perry ( Sniffin ' Glue fanzine ). Another protagonist of the band in their first period in the 1970s was the guitarist Alex Fergusson, who was also involved in the founding in 1981. The band's music was generally more adventurous than the mass of the bands of the genre and is therefore associated with the art-punk today. As influences Fergusson and Perry called the reggae and the German band Can.

The first release of the band was a flexi disc that came with 1977, the twelfth and final edition of Perry's fanzine. The single was included on Love Lies Limp. Shortly afterwards appeared with the single How Much Longer / You Bastard the first regular plate at Deptford Fun City Records. Was published in 1978 more singles and the first album The Image Has Cracked. At this time, Ferguson had already left, he later became a member of Psychic TV. The music, which started Perry with the new cast, was based more and more on the dub and took an experimental direction. With the also published in 1978 split LP with the English psychedelic band Here and Now to Alternative TV remote apart from its punk roots and eventually took the form of an avant-garde project. In 1979, the group was renamed The Good Missionaries.

In the following years, recordings appeared under the name Perry as well as under the band name The Door and the Window. In 1981, Perry, Fergusson, members of Fergusson's former band Cash Pussies and Dennis Burns from the last cast of Alternative TV came together again and formed the new group. The new lineup dissolved in the same year again, and Perry focused on a new music project and activity as a music producer. Since 1985, he brought with changing musicians further publications under the name Alternative TV out.