Nyah Fearties - A Tasty Heidfu' (Good Energy)

Raw as hell recordings from the 1980s Scottish underground by Nyah Fearties, who toured Arran in
kilts, who built a percussion setup from scaffolding and oil drums, who appeared on The Tube on the
back of a moving lorry, and recorded this, their first album, in a cow shed in Ayrshire.

Don’t expect this to sound soft or slick because it isn’t, and therein lies its glory. Released on vinyl
1986, and later circulated under the counter as an unofficial CD-R, it’s bounced around the
Glaswegian underground for decades. The master tapes went missing but with the approval of Davy
Wiseman it’s been dragged kicking and screaming back into the world as a limited LP run and digital
release, and contains perhaps the most chaotic detournement of a Robbie Burns folk ballad ever laid
to tape.

Nyah Fearties are from the village of Lugton, and created a near-unique brand of anarchic modern
folk in the 1980s and 1990s. “Simple Minds, Orange Juice and The Jesus And Mary Chain were from
Scotland but Nyah Fearties are about Scotland” said one review. Their feral Celtic punk is influenced
by industrial groups like Einstürzende Neubaten, who inspired a scaffolding and scrap metal
percussion setup that became known as ‘the blatter cage’, making them unwelcome wherever they
went. Fearties are a duo of brothers Davy and Stephen Wiseman, and this record also includes, “the
Entire Company on anything they can lay their hands on” according to original sleevenotes. The
brothers toured, appeared on TV, and later supported The Pogues on tour, and these successes
allowed them to release better recordings under improved conditions.

Originally released in 1986 and reissued now by Good Energy, a co-production between Jennifer
Lucy Allan (Arc Light Editions) and Kevin McCarvel (Nyali Recordings), and remastered by Patrick
Klem. Good energy thanks all involved, especially Cal Wiseman and the one with the best energy:
Davy Wiseman.

To be Feart is to be scared, but you better be because A Tasty Heidfu’ is back and it’s coming
for you.