Zeb and the fast ones

by Ola ”Zeb”Antehag

This is the story about Zeb and the fast ones as I can remember it. All I will tell has hopefully happened and it is in fairly right order as I remember it. You should remember that it was over 17 years since Zeb and the fast ones were active, so to you who think you can the history better I hope you will overlook.

The spring 1983 Zeb and the fast ones were established by Bumba (drums), Laerm (Guitar), Zeb (voice) and Martin Oi (bass). All members had known each other since nine-year compulsory school. Except Martin Oi. With just a pocketful of own songs and some cover we made our live entrance the summer 83 on an outdoor event in Valla. With about the same number of tunes the band did enter Bosses studio the fall 83 to record what became our first single Raggare Beware. After this a number of plays at home ground. Especially was a play at Kvinnebygården when we entered the stage without guitarist, not the worlds most successful concert but it was appreciated by all who at this time liked experimental music. Zeb and the fast ones did also manage the trick to go outside Linköping.

Sometime the winter 83/84 the way was to Stockholm and the famous stage Tre Backar. We were the last band on stage this evening and the arranger cut the power just after a pair of tunes, not exactly what we had expected. A play same winter in Jönköping resulted that we got the opportunity to be warm-up band to Peter and the test tube babies. June 6 1984 we entered the stage in Jönköping’s cultural (arts) center accordingly for the biggest audience we ever should meet. If we had been some older and more experienced we should certainly solve this mission better, but as I remembered the play (or the little I remember) we mangle as possessed by a devil and then the result was accordingly. Well, 1984 was a delicious time and to Jönköping many of that times celebrities as Black Flag, GBH, Adicts and Johnny Thunders. It was also at that time the second Fast ones single was recorded. If it was at the spring or the autumn I cannot say. Worth to be mentioned about the second recording was that Bosse had become tired of our huge consumption of medium-strong beer and gave us the advice to drink strong spirits then it should result in a lower amount of empty bottles.

On the autumn 1984 also a second guitarist was recruited named Finken. The time with Finken was however very short. The tune writing accelerated autumn 84 but the writing of lyrics didn’t. At a concert on Arbis with its fine old traditions (as warm-up band to Vibrators) certainly 3-4 tunes lacked a real text. This caused me and also Martin Oi change our roles. Thus I started to play bass and Martin began to sing. It showed to not work either and the consequence was that Martin left the band the spring 85. Myself I throw in the towel after an outdoor concert in Trädgårdsföreningen the summer 85.

Some time a wise man said probably:  "If you want to quarrel with your mates you should establish a punk band". Exactly this happened Zeb and the fast ones. The personal chemistry might not have been the best from the beginning and the fact that all members had different opinion on how seriously you should look at things did not make the situation better. Anyway we were a punk band in the crowd, not better than or worse than anybody else and the memory still lives as a batch of wear singles as from time to time change owner on some vinyl fair. We had our moments and I still remember this period with happiness.

Be alive

Ola ”Zeb” Antehag  2001-06-18