
NME June 1978 |
Blitz carried on. Was Kevin still your manager?
The Blitz, carried on, did it? I thought it died and another band
from Oop North used the same name.
And good luck to them, it’s a good name, although I’ve never heard any of
their records. After I made my escape I wanted to stay as far away from
the Blitz as I could.
How and when did it all
end for Blitz and what happened to the rest of the band?
After the Roxy closed, Kevin St Johns need for a Punk Band seemed to
pale into insignificance. The band went its separate ways, keeping in
contact for about a day and a half (Ruth, Jez, Ed, if you’re out
there...). I know that Jez worked in an amusement arcade in Scarborough
and was a hospital porter just off Leicester Square for a bit, but I’m
sure he must’ve done something else musically, he was a bitchin’
guitarist.
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Leopard boy George! |
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George now
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After punk I took
an about turn. I wrote to Herbie Flowers (this countries most prolific
session musician) asking for help. Gawdblesshim, he called me up and
invited me along to a session he was doing with Justin Hayward and Jeff
Wayne. Suddenly from being punk rock and hating everything about the
establishment within a couple of months I was sitting with people I'd
spent the last few years hating, and it was great! I've never looked back,
until today, and on reflection, I met some great people, but it was a pile
of shit most of the time.
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thought we were going to be stars - we had a lot going for us. We were
much better musicians than the Clash and the Pistols, we had a solid
following of hardcore Punks and had the manager of the Roxy looking after
us. The reality of it was, we were never going to get anywhere. We were at
the end of the movement, and even though Punk was making inroads into the
mainstream, the chequebook bubble had burst leaving a lot of A&R
executives out of pocket with only a band of musical beginners to show for
it. George
February 2006 |
We |
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| How
good were they really? Last words to Alan Smith...I think I saw them about 10
times - I remember The Nashville in West Ken and The Moonlight in West
Hampstead (16/5/78). Their set was: Worse before It's Better
Miles Apart
Motorhorse
Slow Song
Sod You
Don't Need It
I'm So Bored With You
Tying Wings on Baby Sparrows
Holy Trinity
London's for Tourists
Moving
Strange Boy |

Record Mirror
21.1.1978 |
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The guitarist and
George the bass player had a unique way of playing together - George often
playing bass like a lead guitar and the two of them coming together and
moving apart again like nothing I've heard before or since. This was only
possible because of the high quality of their writing - forget 'Strange Boy'
- that's one of their worse tracks - 'Miles Apart, Slow Song, Moving' -
stand up against the best songs of the time. |
Part 2 -
The Roxy & other gigs | Part 3 - Recordings |
Part 4 -Farewell To The Roxy Tour
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