Members of the band and instruments played? 
Odgie: Allan guitar, vocals, me on drums, Woody at first as bass guitarist, then we were a two-piece for a while, then Robin came in as guitarist – we never had another bass player.

Steve Shy of 'Shy Talk' fanzine recalls...
“They were always a trio, always. They had Woody on bass, then got rid of Woody. Robbie came in to play rhythm guitar. That allowed Alan… We just used to tune him up to an E-card, and he just picked at the guitar. They had a sound check at Leeds University and they’d never done one before, it was a waste of time. They always made it up as they went along anyway. By the time they’d finished the sound check, there were about 300 people sat on the floor watching, then they applauded. They were passing through for lessons or whatever.”

Were you involved with any bands previously…type of bands?  Odgie: There was a thing in Manchester where after a band had played their set, a bloke called John The Postman used to get on stage and do a version of Louie Louie using their gear, with whoever else was in the crowd and could play anything, we used to get involved sometimes. But none of us had done anything band wise – although I used to play a cardboard drum with two pencils in time to the Rolling Stones in his bedroom back in the Sixties… Robin: None.

Influences? 
Odgie: Velvets, Iggy, Hendrix, Stones, New York Dolls, Residents, Can

Robin: The same but with a bit more Krautrock and maybe some subliminal influences from PJ Proby(?)

How did you get into punk rock? 
Odgie: Listened to the Velvets and stuff and suddenly everyone was forming bands and you didn’t have to be technical or anything, just play like your soul depended on it… I guess by accident really, right place right time.

"Punk was like cries for help. You’re much better on stage working out your aggression than, say, you are smashing
phone-boxes and that’s the sort of urgency the music should have. That’s how it started: then you get into where you want to go with it and what you’re doing." Odgie in Sounds Feature

Names of songs played. I think you had one called 'Nuclear Reactor' and Paul Morley recalls “Songs - We played a lot with the Worst, who made the Clash seem like Rush. Alas, their 60-second rants about police brutality and the National Front were never recorded.” Odgie: Christ, can’t remember, a lot of Evo-Stick was going down in those days, plus we had a big Maxwell House jar full of dried shrooms, we’d wake up in whatever squat after the gig, do a handful each and hit the road to the next town. We did have one about necrophilia called 'Pass Me The Vaseline', that’s about the only one I remember. But they changed and half the time we were just making them up as we went along anyway. Robin: nuclear reactor was actually 'Fast Breeder'. Another that sticks in my mind was cover of “Get offa my cloud” – Stones. Our version of 'Sister Ray' by the Velvets ended up as our whole set as an improvisation on some gigs. 'Waiting For The Man', again by the Velvets and my favourite, - 'Heroin'.

How would you describe your sound?
Odgie: Minimalist, urgent, honest, powerful, spontaneous, occasionally inspired, often shite

Robin: As my mother used to say – “That’s not music, that’s just noise”. That statement works on so many levels!

Stretford Civic Centre  - 21st September 1977 with The Fall & John Cooper Clarke

Any examples of what you got up to or incidents? Odgie: We got The Jam booed off stage when they played the Circus. Fuck, they turned up with suits on coat hangers – posing twats. And their music was shite anyway. Steve Shy… “whenever they could, they’d charge a toy to get in or a donation. Anything left after taking petrol money out, they used to send that to the Pat Seed scanner fund at the hospital. It was only a few pounds at the time, but that was their idea of what punk was about. You’re fighting for yourselves and looking after other people.”

 Onto Part 2

 Back To Top