Action Pact

One of the more abrasive early-'80s British punk-pop groups, thanks in large part to the siren shrieks of lead vocalist George Cheex (actually a female), !Action Pact! released only two albums before being cast to the winds during the decline of outrageous punk bands during the mid-'80s. The group was originally formed as the Bad Samaritans, which, when re-formed in 1981, included vocalist Cheex, bassist Kim Igoe (a male), guitarist Wild Planet and drummer Joe Fungus. After renaming themselves, the quartet appeared on a split-single released by Fresh Records. Radio One DJ John Peel began playing the tracks, and invited !Action Pact! to record a session at the BBC studios, after which the group released their debut album, Mercury Theatre: On the Air!, on Fall Out Records. The following year's Survival of the Fattest was the band's last, though the American industrial label Cleopatra released a collection in the late '90s.