The Farm

From the Excitements to Spartacus

The Farm formed in Liverpool in early 1983 around Peter Hooton, Steve Grimes, John Melvin and Andy McVann, growing out of an earlier group, The Excitements. Hooton worked as a youth worker on the Cantril Farm estate in the 1980s. A first recording of "No Man's Land" was for a John Peel session in 1983, and Hooton wrote the poem of that name that year. In 1984 they released "Hearts and Minds", produced by Suggs of Madness. Andy McVann died on October 1, 1986, aged 21, and Spartacus is dedicated to his parents; John Melvin left that year. They supported the Housemartins on a UK tour in 1987 and released four independent singles before 1990. After a cameo in The Final Frame, starring Suggs, in 1989, they signed with Suggs as producer.

In 1990 they wore anti-hooligan No alla violenza T-shirts at Italia 90, and had "Stepping Stone" (58), "Groovy Train" (August 1990, 6) and "All Together Now" (November 26, 1990, 4). Spartacus came out on March 4, 1991 and went to number one in the UK and Gold; a US release followed on Sire on April 30, 1991. "Sinful!" with Pete Wylie reached 28. They signed to Sony and its End Product label in 1992; Love See No Colour did not chart, and Hullabaloo (1994, Sire) reached 169 in Australia. Wikipedia's membership dates end in 1996. An Everton FA Cup Final version of "All Together Now" reached 24 in 1995.

They reformed in 2004 with a Euro 2004 version of "All Together Now" with the St Francis Xavier Boys Choir (May 31, 2004, 5), and in 2009 "The Fields of Anfield Road" (14) with the Liverpool Collective for a Hillsborough benefit. They formed the Justice Tonight Band with Mick Jones, Pete Wylie and John Power in 2011 and 2012, supported the Stone Roses on four dates in 2012, and the Justice Collective's "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" was Christmas number one that year. The 2014 Peace Collective version of "All Together Now" reached 70. The Spartacus 30 digital expanded edition came out in March 2021, and a fifth studio album, Let the Music (Take Control), produced by Mike Cave, followed in 2025 on Modern Sky, its date announced for May 2 and later moved to June 20. Alan McGee named a Farm acoustic gig at the Tabernacle in his top ten gigs.