- A Rare 1987 French Live LP Capturing the Raw Power of Glam-Punk Icons Cherry Bombz at the Marquee Club
Cherry Bombz's "Coming Down Slow" is a 12" vinyl LP that showcases the band's explosive talent. Led by the captivating vocals of Anita Chellemah, the album features the guitar prowess of Nasty Suicide and Andy McCoy, along with the solid rhythm section of Dave Tregunna on bass and Terry Chimes on drums. This record is a wild ride of raw rock 'n' roll energy that leaves a lasting impression.
Released in 1986, The Cherry Bombz's debut album "Coming Down Slow" offered a unique blend of glam rock and hard rock, emerging amidst the hair metal craze that dominated the era's music scene.
Historical Context and Musical Exploration
In the mid-1980s, hair metal bands reigned supreme, with their big hair, flashy outfits, and catchy anthems. However, The Cherry Bombz, a British band with a penchant for glam rock aesthetics and a rawer sound, offered an alternative to the polished hair metal formula.
"Coming Down Slow" showcased a band that was unafraid to embrace their glam rock influences, incorporating elements of punk, rock 'n' roll, and blues into their sound. This musical exploration resulted in an album that was both energetic and edgy, with a distinct style that set them apart from their contemporaries.
Music Genre and Controversies
While "Coming Down Slow" is firmly rooted in the hard rock genre, it also incorporates elements of glam rock, punk, and blues. This eclectic mix of styles, coupled with Anita Chellemah's powerful vocals and the band's raw energy, created a sound that was both familiar and fresh.
The album's lyrics, which often explored themes of rebellion, excess, and social commentary, sparked some controversies. Critics accused the band of promoting reckless behavior and a hedonistic lifestyle. However, others praised the album for its honesty and its unflinching portrayal of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle.
Production Team and Recording Studio
The album was produced by Kit Woolven, a seasoned producer who had previously worked with Thin Lizzy and UFO. Woolven's experience in capturing the raw energy of rock bands proved invaluable in shaping the sound of "Coming Down Slow."
The album was recorded at various studios, including Wessex Studios in London. These studios, known for their state-of-the-art equipment and experienced staff, contributed to the album's polished yet raw sound.
Music Genre: Hard Rock Glam Rock Post Punk Music |
Collector Notes: This is the only record released by The Cherry Bombz with Andy McCoy (ex Hanoi Rocks), Dave Tregunna (ex Sham 69 / Lords of the Church), Terry Chines (ex The Clash, Generation X), Anita Chellemah (ex Toto Coelo) |
Album Production Information: Recorded Live at the Marquee Club, London, 3rd September 1986. Sound Post Production by Alan Scott at Flame Studios London Sleeve Photos: Justin Thomas |
Record Label & Catalognr: High Dragon Records HD 021 / yPartx 92.403 / Lick Records / Black Dragon Records |
Media Format: 12" LP Vinyl Gramophone Record |
Year & Country: 1987 Made in France |
Band Members and Musicians on: Cherry Bombz Coming Down Slow |
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Formerly a member of the quirky 1980s pop group Toto Coelo (yep, the “I Eat Cannibals” folks), Anita brought a bold stage presence and strong vocals to Cherry Bombz. She shifted from novelty pop to gritty glam-punk with surprising ease, proving she had serious rock chops.
A founding member of Hanoi Rocks, Nasty Suicide (real name Jan Stenfors) was already a glam-punk icon by the time Cherry Bombz rolled around. His guitar playing combined sleaze, swagger, and sharp punk riffs — essential ingredients in the band’s raw, energetic sound.
Another Hanoi Rocks alumnus, Andy McCoy (real name Antti Hulkko) is known for his flamboyant style and bluesy, chaotic guitar solos. With Cherry Bombz, he kept the wild spirit of glam rock alive and well, injecting a mix of Stones-y swagger and punk attitude.
Veteran of UK punk bands Sham 69 and Lords of the New Church, Dave Tregunna brought tight, aggressive basslines and serious punk credibility to the group. He was the band’s no-nonsense backbone, anchoring the chaos with gritty precision.
The original drummer for The Clash, and later a member of Generation X, Terry Chimes had punk pedigree in spades. In Cherry Bombz, he delivered solid, hard-hitting rhythms that kept everything moving — no frills, all drive.
Complete Track Listing of: Cherry Bombz Coming Down Slow |
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This is the front cover of the 12-inch vinyl LP album Coming Down Slow by The Cherry Bombz, captured in a dynamic and dramatic live performance setting. The image is soaked in red and orange lighting, creating an intense and energetic atmosphere reminiscent of an underground glam punk gig.
Front and center is lead guitarist Andy McCoy, mid-strum, with a focused yet feral expression. He wears a velvet-like, glittery black jacket with a ruffled cream shirt beneath and a wide-brimmed black hat. His blond hair is shoulder-length and slightly messy, catching the stage light. His guitar is angled aggressively toward the camera, emphasizing motion and urgency.
To the right is vocalist Anita Chellemah, caught in a moment of explosive energy. She's gripping a microphone in her right hand, mouth wide open in a powerful scream or high note. Her outfit is a corset-style dress—tight black leather with decorative red and pink lace elements, including layers of tulle that cascade over her lap. Her voluminous curly hair is wild and backlit by stage lights, giving her a fiery aura.
To the far left, partially in shadow but still visible, is rhythm guitarist Nasty Suicide. He’s sporting a spiked red mohawk and a dark outfit with subtle studs and glam flair. Though less prominent in the composition, his posture shows engagement with the performance, contributing to the chaotic glamour of the scene.
The band's name "The Cherry Bombz" appears in bold white and pink letters at the top left, with a pink starburst logo integrated into the "O" of "BOMBZ". The album title "Coming Down Slow" is written across the top in small pink capital letters, partially obscured by the lighting and movement in the image. The entire cover communicates raw energy, glam-rock rebellion, and live intensity—perfectly capturing the spirit of the band.
This is the back cover of The Cherry Bombz 12-inch vinyl LP album Coming Down Slow, designed with bold glam-punk aesthetics and strong stage visuals. The layout is split into three distinct sections, bordered in pink and black, and overlaid with the band’s signature bold branding.
At the top center is the band’s logo in bright pink and white, featuring a star within the word "BOMBZ." Just below the logo is a rectangular framed photograph of the band posing in flamboyant, theatrical outfits. The five members — Andy McCoy, Nasty Suicide, Anita Chellemah, Dave Tregunna, and Terry Chimes — are dressed in glam rock finery with velvet jackets, ruffles, hats, and leather, posed against a studio backdrop.
Beneath the band photo is a silver-gray bar that stretches horizontally with the album title Coming Down Slow printed in spaced-out capital letters. Below it is the full track listing, split into two columns for Side One and Side Two. Song titles and composer credits are printed in white text on a black background for high contrast and easy readability. Each side contains six tracks, with writers credited beside each song title, including band members Andy McCoy, Anita Chellemah, and Dave Tregunna.
Under the track listing is the personnel section labeled “The Cherry Bombz are,” listing the members and their roles in all caps: Anita on lead vocals, Nasty and Andy on guitars and backing vocals, Dave on bass and backing vocals, and Terry on drums. Below that, production information details the album being recorded live at the Marquee Club in London on September 3rd, 1986, with sound post-production by Alan Scott at Flame Studios.
In the lower corners, additional visuals complete the collage: On the left, a blurred performance photo of Anita’s stage outfit with ruffled pink layers, and on the right, another performance image of Nasty Suicide playing bass and singing at the mic, dressed in a red-patterned satin shirt under dramatic stage lighting.
At the bottom, the label logos for High Dragon and Black Dragon Records are printed along with copyright credits. The overall design perfectly captures the wild glam-punk spirit of the band, combining live performance imagery, bold typography, and rebellious fashion into a single cohesive visual statement.
CHERRY BOMBZ - Coming Down Slow
This black-and-white photo, used as a custom inner sleeve image for the album Coming Down Slow, captures The Cherry Bombz mid-performance during their live show at the legendary Marquee Club in London. The photograph is intense, theatrical, and full of kinetic energy, offering a full-band view from the audience’s perspective.
From left to right, the shot includes Nasty Suicide on bass guitar, wearing a patterned stage shirt, deep in concentration near a stack of amplifiers. Next to him is Dave Tregunna, caught in a head-thrown-back pose, likely mid-riff, exuding raw punk energy with his bass angled upward. Behind them looms a wall of Marshall amps, creating a towering soundscape backdrop.
At the center, Terry Chimes is seated behind the drum kit, illuminated by stage lighting from above, visibly in rhythm and focused. To his left stands Andy McCoy, frozen mid-lunge with his guitar — the very image of glam rock attitude. He sports a velvet blazer, a dramatic hat, and shirt ruffles spilling from his collar. His body posture leans aggressively forward as he rocks out in sync with the band.
On the far right, Anita Chellemah appears in full stride, microphone in hand, her layered lace corset dress fanning out with movement. Her hair is wild, and her body language fierce — fully immersed in the performance. Two spotlights on the floor shoot beams of light up at Andy and Anita, adding contrast and drama to the visual.
Above the band, a string of suspended stage lights glows overhead in circular halos, giving the entire scene a dramatic nightclub ambience. The drum riser features the faintly visible text "SOUND & SIGHT," hinting at the production company or venue tech. The upper and lower borders of the image are trimmed with a jagged white-on-black graphic frame, enhancing the raw, live energy of the composition.
Description
This black-and-white photograph from the custom inner sleeve of Cherry Bombz's album Coming Down Slow captures a quiet yet emotionally charged moment between two band members during a live performance. The setting is intimate, up close, and filled with atmosphere.
In the foreground, Anita Chellemah, the band’s lead vocalist, is draped over guitarist Nasty Suicide (Jan Stenfors) in a dramatic and affectionate embrace. Her right arm curves gently over his shoulders, fingers loosely interlocked as she leans her head against his. Anita's face is turned slightly upward, her eyes gazing off into the distance with a serene, almost melancholy expression. Her wild, voluminous hair spills over one side of her face and shoulder, catching soft light from the stage.
Anita wears a dark corset-style outfit, its textured surface glimmering slightly even in monochrome. Delicate straps and ribbon details are visible across her arm and bodice, contributing to the layered, glam-goth aesthetic of the band’s stagewear. She also wears dangling earrings and a choker-style necklace, enhancing the theatrical, sensual look.
Nasty Suicide, seated or crouched slightly lower, faces forward with his head tilted and resting into Anita’s arm. His expression is calm, somewhat introspective, with his eyes half-lidded and his face partially obscured by his long, tousled dark hair. He’s wearing a black leather or satin jacket with faint reflective highlights, suggesting sequins or a glossy fabric common to glam rock attire.
The background is a blur of stage equipment — mostly indistinct, but with visible drum hardware and cymbals faintly illuminated, reinforcing the live setting. The lighting is soft and shadowed, focused mainly on the pair, with stark contrast lending a moody, emotional quality to the image. The image is framed top and bottom with a white-on-black scratched border design, visually matching the album’s gritty, glam-punk aesthetic.
This shot captures not just a performance, but a moment of connection — a rare, raw tenderness in the high-octane world of Cherry Bombz's sound and style.
"Coming Down Slow" Record Label Details: High Dragon Records HD 021, yPartx 92.403, Made in France © 1987 Lick Records Copyright ℗ 1987 Black Dragon Records Sound Copyright
This is a close-up photograph of the vinyl record label for Side One of Cherry Bombz's 1987 album Coming Down Slow, released by High Dragon Records under catalog number HD 021. The circular label sits at the center of the black vinyl disc, printed in black ink on a pale cream background with a dramatic dragon logo emblazoned across the top.
The logo, a fierce stylized dragon, dominates the top half and wraps around the label name "High Dragon Records." The font is bold and distressed, with the word "RECORDS" set inside a red-bordered box for contrast. The artwork is dynamic and visually aggressive, matching the band’s glam-punk energy.
Along the edge of the label in fine print is the legal phrase in French: “TOUS DROITS DU PRODUCTEUR DE L'ŒUVRE PHONOGRAPHIQUE ET DU PROPRIÉTAIRE DE L’ŒUVRE ENREGISTRÉE RÉSERVÉS,” confirming its French pressing status. Also printed are the format designation “33 TOURS,” the audio type “STÉRÉO,” and matrix number “yPartx 92.403.”
The center features the title “COMING DOWN SLOW” in uppercase with French-style quotation marks. Below that, the five tracks of Side One are listed in order with durations and composer credits:
1. Intro / House of Ecstacy – 4:30
2. 100 Degrees in the Shade – 3:47
3. Pin Up Boy – 3:00
4. Life's Been So Hard – 4:30
5. Oil and Gasoline – 6:08
All songs are credited primarily to A. McCoy and A. Chellemah, except the final track which includes G. Brown. Publishing rights are attributed to Zomba Music, Bombz Music, and Chappells.
Below the tracklist, the artist name The Cherry Bombz is prominently centered, followed by copyright and production details: © 1987 Lick Records and ℗ 1987 Black Dragon Records. The bottom rim includes additional copyright text in French referencing duplication and rental restrictions.
The spindle hole is cleanly cut through the center of the label, with a subtle watermark-like design faintly visible in the background. The overall aesthetic is sharp, gritty, and in keeping with the glam-punk vibe of the band and album.