This band was started right at the beginning of the “Punk” era. In a pub one night, my mate asked me if I could sing. I said “No”, but he insisted I came round his house to “practice”. We messed about in his kitchen, just three of us with no equipment. After a while, we found a practice room above a pub, and started accumulating a PA system. As word got out about what we were doing, other |
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musicians approached us. At one point we were 7 strong. We practised 3 times a week in that little room for the best part of a year. Unknown to us, folk were standing in the street listening, and demanding we play somewhere. As we were a new band, no-one would book us, so we booked a village hall in the middle of no-where and handed out fliers.
That first night, we set up our gear and |
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waited. By 9pm no-one had turned up, so, thoroughly dejected, we left our roadie on the door and went to the pub. When we staggered back at about 11pm to pack up the PA, we couldn’t believe our eyes. The place was packed solid. None of us had played in front of anyone before, and we nearly turned tail. But, all being a bit pissed, we decided to give it a go. At the end of the first number, they went MAD. We wrote most of our own stuff, and did a few fast covers. When I say fast, that’s Fast with a capital “F”. That night we played 26 numbers in 20 minutes. |
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The band really took off. We thought we were crap, but the audiences loved us. During a set, I’d get through 4-5 pints of bitter. Had them lined up. We were bloody loud. We had a gang of Roadies, real big geezers, who we dressed in white boiler suits (Clockwork-Orange style) and built a “Dummy” PA System which I used to smash up with a pickaxe. The audience were convinced I’d gone mad and was smashing the real thing.
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We hit the recording studio’s a couple of times, and eventually got signed to Elton John’s “Rocket Records” label. Putting out one single, a punk version of Jim Reeves “Distant Drums”.
We’d never set out to be successful, and the recording contract spoilt it really. After 3 years, we split up. But what a 3-years! Total madness. |
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