Category: Venues

8 February 2003 – Kings of Leon – White Horse

Saturday 8th February 2003 – Kings of Leon – White Horse

This is another High Wycombe gig that has grown in legendary status over the years.  Kings of Leon, a much hyped-up ‘pop rock’ band from the USA, were booked to play The White Horse as their first ever date in the UK and as a low-key warm-up for a planned appearance at the NME Awards Show as support for The Coral at London’s Astoria on 11th February 2003.  That gig was subsequently postponed due to ill health in The Coral camp, and Kings of Leon’s London debut was switched to Highbury’s Garage venue on the same date.

Kings of Leon on stage at The White Horse – 8th February 2003 – picture Paul Lewis

Formed in 1999 when the three Followill brothers, plus their cousin, put together a four piece outfit, The Kings of Leon, apparently named as a tribute to their father and grandfather (both named Leon), took their influences from bands such as Thin Lizzy, Rolling Stones, The Clash and The Pixies.

They signed a record deal with RCA during 2002 but their debut output, an EP entitled Holy Roller Novocaine, was a few days away from official release as they took stage at The White Horse.

The line-up that night were brothers Caleb Followill (21 years old, lead vocals and guitar), Nathan Followill (23, drums) and Jared Followill (16, bass), plus cousin Matthew Followill (18, lead guitar).

It was the reputation of the venue that seems to have taken this gig into the mythological stratosphere.  The White Horse is perhaps better known in local circles as an old school ‘strip pub’. But in the late 1990’s the sudden closure of The Nag’s Head as a music venue, led to the West Wycombe Road venue taking on its booking sheet.  It proved a huge success, with Alternator gigs also being asked to showcase their gigs at the 200 capacity venue from late 2001 onwards.  Other promoters also managed to attract the likes of the UK Subs, The Dickies and The Damned in order to keep the ‘punk’ crowd happy.

Gigs would take place after the ‘Exotic Dancers’ had finished their day-time acts at the same venue. However, on evenings when there was an extended line-up or when one or more of the bands turned up early, they could be confronted with dressing rooms still in use or with the stage still featuring a vertical pole!

It appears The Kings of Leon may have fallen into the latter category.

In an interview published on the BBC website in October 2016, Nathan Followill is quoted as saying: “It was absolutely insane. We weren’t allowed in our dressing room because the girls were finishing their dances.  We’re high-fiving each other because we’re all young and we’re playing at the same place as strippers.”

This ‘warm-up’ gig for the Kings of Leon saw the Nashville boys knife and forked into a line-up that was billed as ‘Goth and Metal’ in the pre-gig flyers but also included up and coming local band Dawn Parade, plus true Metal acts Nurotica and Karn 8.  The mixture of attractions, plus word of mouth suggesting that KOL could be the ones to watch, meant the venue was rammed.

Dawn Parade – White Horse 8th February 2003 – picture Paul Lewis

Kings of Leon took the stage at around 10.15pm, they played a relatively short set based around tracks from the soon to be released EP and with the stand-out number, Molly’s Chambers.

The band members sported fairly long-hair at the time, giving more of a ‘Spinal-Tap’ visual impression than the up and coming mega rock stars they were to become.  As musicians, they were still learning their trade, particular 16 year old Jared on bass but there was no denying the songs were catchy and there was an obvious gel between the band members – obvious, really, if you were aware they were all related.  There was no encore but they left an impression.

The YouTube clip below was recorded at Townhouse Studios London, I believe, a week or so after the High Wycombe gig.  Check out the hair!

18 November 1976 – The Clash – Nag’s Head

18 November 1976 – The Clash – Nag’s Head

Punk originals The Clash played The Nag’s Head for the only time on Thursday 18th November 1976 with support from Clayson & The Argonauts.

‘Punk’ was still waiting to happen in High Wycombe, so it was a half-full venue who were lucky enough to witness a 30 minute electrify set, filled with anger and hate.  But for some who stood among the A&R men that night in The Nag’s Head loft, it would prove another milestone in the catalyst for a change in the local music scene.

Eight months before this gig Clash lead singer Joe Strummer had played The Nag’s Head with pub rockers The 101’ers.  A month later in April 1976 The 101’ers had played The Nashville, London with The Sex Pistols and Strummer realised there and then that his band were old hat, or ‘crud’ in Strummer’s words.

Shortly afterwards, a then 23 year old Strummer was recruited as guitarist and singer for The Clash – a band consisting of 20 year olds, Mick Jones (guitar), Paul Simonon (bass) and Topper Headon (drums).  An early (pre-gigging) version of the band included High Wycombe based Billy Watts.

The Clash played their first gig on 4th July 1976 supporting The Sex Pistols at a pub in Sheffield.

Advert from the Bucks Free Press for The Clash gig on 18th November 1976 at The Nag’s Head – High Wycombe – the following evening you could have seen Alvin Stardust in Slough

By the time The Clash appeared at The Nag’s Head on Thursday 18th November 1976 (their 16th proper gig) they had become the most talked about punk band behind The Sex Pistols.  The Wycombe appearance, arranged by Ron Watts, was still fairly low key and a chance to see the West London based boys away from their familiar London territory.  The gig, on the same night as The Miss World competition broadcast live on BBC from the Albert Hall, has such little interest that Watt’s took the unusual step to advertise the gig in the local press – 50p gaining you entry (or 70p for non-members).

In the audience that night was Zig-Zag editor Kris Needs.  He wrote a review of the gig for Sounds that said:

“The Clash are now firing with more compressed energy than a flamethrower at full blast. They play with almost frightening conviction and intensity, each number a rapid-fire statement delivered like a knockout blow”.

Needs had first seen The Clash on 9 October 1976 in his home town of Leighton Buzzard.  They had blown him away.

The Clash entered the stage that evening with Strummer sporting freshly dyed blonde hair and a bolier suit with the words ‘Hate and War’ daubed on the back with a paint brush.  The set included ‘White Riot’, ‘London’s Burning’, ’48 Hours’, ‘Janie Jones’, ‘I’m So Bored With You [The USA]’, ‘Protex Blue’, ‘Hate And War’, ‘Career Opportunities’, ‘What’s My Name’, ‘Deny’ and ‘1-2 Crush on You’.

His description of Strummer at the High Wycombe gig said:

“Strummer was magnificent, screaming his words and punching the silly low ceiling in front of the stage with rage. With his yellow hair he looks like a paint-spattered Greek God”.

Needs’ review also touched on the subject of why The Clash had yet to be signed.

“The Clash seem forced to take a back seat on the new wave recording front while groups like the Damned, Pistols and Vibrators shove singles out. Why isn’t it that the hottest group this country has got hasn’t yet had the chance to get themselves on vinyl? Dunno, but going on last Thursday’s set, it won’t be too long before some record company wakes up.”

Needs continued with further praise for the band

“I firmly believe The Clash are the most important band to emerge in this country for years. They’re certainly the most exciting. They may be bottom of the bill on the forthcoming Sex Pistols tour but make sure you get there really early — even if it means ducking out to wash your hair during the Damned.”

They were definitely hot property and the gig is also recalled by promoter Ron Watt’s as one where much of the half-full venue was made up of record company A&R men, writing in his autobiography “You could tell tell that [the A&R men] didn’t understand the music because they kept asking me what I thought of the band.”

Eventually they did understand and The Clash would get their deal in January 1977 – signing for CBS for a reported £100,000.

This article was first inspired for a piece I wrote for chairboys.co.uk on the 40th anniversary of the gig.

Strummerville to Waterlooville – November 1976

http://www.chairboys.co.uk/history/1976_11_waterlooville_clash.htm

 

The Nag’s Head

The Nag’s Head – iconic High Wycombe venue lost to developers

This was another article I wrote during the research for this website and published on chairboys.co.uk in July 2016.

The Nag’s Head, along with the name Ron Watts, will be a common theme running throughout this website.

You can read the article via the link below.

http://www.chairboys.co.uk/history/2016_07_nags_head_lost.htm

It would be great hear of your memories of this iconic venue.

Ron Watts

It would be fair to say if it wasn’t for Ron Watts, the live music scene in High Wycombe during the late 1960’s, through the 1970’s and the into the 1980’s, would have been a much duller place.

Watts first promoted gigs in High Wycombe in 1968, with some of those early names including: John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Jethro Tull, Status Quo, Thin Lizzy and Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Then, having taken a break from promoting gigs in High Wycombe, it was a chance viewing of the Sex Pistols at High Wycombe College in February 1976 that led to him giving them a series of shows at Oxford Street’s 100 Club venue.  In September 1976 he would bring the Pistols back to The Nag’s Head just a couple of weeks before appeared at the famous 100 Club Punk Festival and less than three months before they hit national notoriety via the ‘Bill Grundy’ episode.

Watt’s would go on to bring the up and coming ‘punk’ and ‘new wave’ to High Wycombe during the remainder of the 1970’s and early 1980’s. The most well-known names include The Stranglers, The Clash, The Damned, The Jam, Generation X, The Jam, Siouxsie and The Banshees, XTC, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Tom Robinson Band, The Psychedelic Furs and U2.

Ron sadly passed away during the initial research for this website and, in the absence of a working version of wycombegigs.co.uk, I wrote an obituary that was published on chairboys.co.uk on 16th July 2016.

I introduced the piece thus:

Watts is best known for his involvement in the rise of the punk scene in 1976 and 1977, promoting gigs at the famous Nag’s Head venue in High Wycombe in addition to the legendary 100 Club venue in Oxford Street, London. However, it  would be an insult to his legacy to leave unmentioned his part in bringing top Blues acts to venues in the UK during the late 1960’s and beyond, plus his front man role in legendary Cajun Blues band, Brewer’s Droop.

You can read the full piece at:

http://www.chairboys.co.uk/history/2016_07_ron_watts_obit.htm

Ron’s name will pop up time and time again on this website and it would be great to hear your memories and tributes to the man responsible for so many gigs in High Wycombe, many of which provided the inspiration for future bands to form, or in my case, a leading figure in inspiring the creation of this website.

3 February 1977 – The Jam & The Boys – Nag’s Head

Thursday 3rd February 1977 – The Jam and The Boys – Nag’s Head

The rise of the Punk Rock scene had provided the perfect vehicle for Woking’s mod revivalist band, The Jam.  Leader singer and guitarist Paul Weller had formed the band in 1972 at the age of 14.  By the time of their February 1977 appearance at The Nag’s Head, Weller was still only 18, with bassist Bruce Foxton and drummer Rick Buckler – both 21 years old at the time – making up the three-piece.

The Jam came to High Wycombe on the back of several Ron Watts’ promoted gigs at The 100 Club and the trip to High Wycombe was a rare adventure outside of the capital at a time where they were on the verge of signing for Polydor.

A week after the Nag’s Head gig, The Jam recorded their first demos for Polydor – laying down four tracks: In The City, Time for Truth, Sounds From The Street and I’ve Changed My Address.  They would put pen to paper on their Polydor deal on 15th February 1977 and it was announced in the press on 24th February 1977.  The reported advance seemed a measly £6,000 compared to the £100,000 coughed up by CBS for The Clash in January 1977.

Their powerful, in your face, style proved popular with The Nag’s Head crowd and they returned to the same venue later in the year as a thank-you to Ron Watts.

Support for The Jam for the February gig were The Boys, a UK punk band formed in late 1976.

27 January 1977 – Clayson & The Argonauts – Nag’s Head

Thursday 27th January 1977 – Clayson & The Argonauts – Nag’s Head

Led by Alan Clayson, this weird looking bunch are reported to have made their debut at a Ron Watts’ 100 Club gig on 9 January 1977.  However, they were listed to have supported The Clash at The Nag’s Head on 18 November 1976.

According to some notes from Alan Clayson via the link below, that night at The 100 Club his band were the warm-up act, along with The Jam, for a band called Stripjack.

 

You will also see they played The Nag’s Head some ten years later, in front of a crowd of twelve!

Read more at:

http://damagedgoods.co.uk/bands/alan-clayson-and-the-argonauts

20 January 1977 – Generation X – Nag’s Head

Thursday 20th January 1977 – Generation X – Nag’s Head

Generation X had been formed at the tail end of 1976, when 21 year old William Broad dropped his guitar playing role with early punk rockers Chelsea, to take on the pseudonym ‘Billy Idol’ and create his own band – taking with him/stealing, bass player Tony James (23), drummer John Towe – then adding 17 year old guitarist Bob Andrews.  They played their first gigs in London during December 1976, with their second ever live outing taking place on the opening night of The Roxy in Neal Street, Covent Garden.

Their appearance at one of the regular Thursday Punk nights at The Nag’s Head appears to be their first live gig outside of London and only their 9th ever gig.  Their style was more rock n’roll, rather than the chaos and political statements of The Sex Pistols and The Clash but the charismatic Idol was a crowd puller. Their set-list included Day by Day, Listen!, Youth Youth Youth and Your Generation.

Generation X at The Roxy in December 1976.

Support for Generation X at The Nag’s Head comes from The Bumpers.

It will be the first of four appearances for Gen X in Wycombe during 1977.

13 January 1977 – Roogalator – Nag’s Head

Thursday 13 January 1977 – Roogalator – Nag’s Head

Roogalator were a much talked up band at the time of their January 1977 at The Nag’s Head.  Classified by many as ‘pub rock’ band, they had signed a one-off record deal with Stiff Records in 1976 but had moved to Virgin Records by 1977.  They played alongside many of the up and coming punk bands of the time and were included on the Hope and Anchor – Front Row Festival album released in March 1978.

The advert below is from The Bucks Free Press and tucked just above an advert for dance lessons held at the Palace cinema in Frogmoor.

1 December 1976 – I swear I was there

Wednesday 1st December 1976

Less than three months after attracting virtually no publicity for their gig at The Nag’s Head, The Sex Pistols went the 1976 equivalent of ‘viral’ when they said f**k and s**t on early evening TV in the UK.

Those in the High Wycombe area at the time would have been able to tune into Thames TV ‘Today‘ programme, hosted by Bill ‘as drunk as I am’ Grundy.  Broadcast at 6pm, by the time the programme had closed 30 minutes later, Grundy’s now infamous run in with The Sex Pistols and their entourage had shot the punk rockers to the front pages of the tabloids.

Wycombe would take a little more waking up though.  Later on in the evening of 1st December 1976, the lovely Anita Harris would perform at Desborough Road’s Chiltern Rooms.

Anita Harris at The Chiltern Rooms - advert from The Bucks Free Press

£2 would have gained you entry, including a buffet supper. Or you could have pushed the boat out and spent £5.50 to include a ‘Four Course Dinner’.

Here’s the footage of the Today programme from 1st December 1976.
(Obviously contains swearing).

From that day on everything changed.

A few days later at the close by Desborough Hall, Wycombe’s Deathwish took to the stage as they became the first local band to grasp the punk scene.