Back to the Planet

History

Back to the Planet, often shortened to BTTP, came together in 1989 while its members were squatting together in Peckham, London, and built up a loyal fanbase during the early 1990s. The band played at Glastonbury Festival four years in a row and appeared at numerous free festivals, such as the Deptford Urban Festival and the 1992 Castlemorton Common Festival. They were outspoken opponents of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, organising events to demonstrate against the proposed law.

Their debut album, Warning the Public, came out only on cassette through their own label, Arthur Mix Records, which was based in Hither Green. After signing with Parallel Records in 1993, they released several singles, scoring modest success with "Teenage Turtles" and "Daydream," along with the album Mind and Soul Collaborators. Following their departure from the label, the group disbanded shortly after putting out the follow-up album Messages After The Bleep in 1995, with members moving on to individual musical projects.

A reunion show took place at the Red Star Bar in Camberwell on 10 December 2006. The following year, they performed at the Endorse It in Dorset Festival in August 2007 and also took the main stage at Beautiful Days that same year. In summer 2008, BTTP played at London’s Paradise Gardens free festival, as well as at Endorse It in Dorset, Solfest, and Shambhala. During summer 2009, they appeared at Glastonbury and EnDorset in Dorset, and in 2010 they played the Wickerman Festival.

In December 2011, they joined the Levelling the Land Part II tour alongside The Levellers and Dreadzone. They headlined Rogues Picnic in May 2012 and played Bearded Theory festival that same month. On Friday 17 August 2012, they made a late-night appearance at The Bimble Inn during Beautiful Days, and they were confirmed for the Alchemy Festival in September 2013. In June 2024, the band announced they had split again, stating, "We all felt it was time, we had a good run, we enjoyed getting back together and making some new music, but it was time for us all to move on."

Members

Back to the Planet featured Fil Walters on vocals, known as Fil Planet, alongside Guy McAffer, who went by The Geezer, on keyboards. Carl Hendrickse, also called Carlos Fandango, played bass, while Fraggle, whose full name is Bernard Malcolm Clive Fletcher, handled guitar. Henry Cullen, later known as D.A.V.E. the Drummer, was on drums, with additional guitarists Alex Hore and Marshall Penn, and another drummer, Amir Mojarrad. After the band, Fil Planet released a solo album and now fronts the South East London group Monkeyrush.

Guy McAffer works as a record producer in London’s acid techno scene and put out the album Ave Some of That You Wankers. He and Carl Hendrickse collaborate on acid techno as Audio Pancake. McAffer also runs the label RAW, plays organ in The Birds of Prey, and guitar in the punk band Dog Shite. Fraggle is the lead guitarist for the punk band The Skraelings.

Henry Cullen became D.A.V.E. the Drummer, a techno producer and DJ who owns Hydraulix records. Carl Hendrickse additionally produces and DJs drum and bass under the name DJTrashman.