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

25 January 1977 – Clash sign for CBS

Tuesday 25th January 1977 – Clash sign for CBS

Just a couple months after playing The Nag’s Head, The Clash sign a record deal with CBS for a reported £100,000.  Mark Perry, writing for his iconic fanzine ‘Sniffin Glue’, said at the time: “Punk died the day The Clash signed for CBS”.  Was he correct?  They certainly never played The Nag’s Head again.  The nearest they got to High Wycombe again were gigs at Aylesbury Friars.

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.

6 January 1977 – Sex Pistols sacked by EMI

Thursday 6th January 1977 – Sex Pistols sacked by EMI

The Sex Pistols are sacked by EMI after just three months with the record label.  The Pistols had played High Wycombe twice in 1976 prior to signing the deal with EMI for a reported £40,000.  The Bill Grundy episode, coupled with their behaviour on route to gigs in The Netherlands, had finally tipped the record label over the edge.  Their solitary release on EMI, ‘Anarchy in the UK’ remains a punk classic – “They only did it for the fame”

Press release from EMI confirming the departure of the Sex Pistols from the record label in Jauuary 1977