Local duo John Otway and ‘Wild Willy’ Barrett hit The Nag’s Head stage in late April 1977 for a performance that pre-dated their brief rise to fame later in the year.
Cover of debut album by Otway and Barrett – re-issued by Polydor in 1977. Partly produced by Pete Townshend
Both born in Aylesbury (around 25 miles from High Wycombe), the eccentric performers were starting to ride on the coat-tails of the nationwide ‘punk’ explosion. Otway (aged 24) had been performing since he was a teenager and had previously graced the High Wycombe stages as a solo artist. ‘Wild Willy’ (real name Roger John Barrett) was two years older that Otway and had a then unique guitar style that could easily be described as ‘grunge’ –if that term had existed at the time.
The set list at The Nag’s Head gig would have included:
Really Free
Geneve
Beware of the Flowers (‘cause I’m sure they’re going to get you)
Cheryl’s Going Home
Racing Cars
The duo signed to Polydor records shortly after their performance at The Nag’s Head in a three year deal for a reported £250,000. Early in the year they had signed The Jam for just £10,000.
In a interview with The Independent in August 2006, Otway said:
“It was a relief to me when punk started, with its reckless behaviour and musical incompetence. Because that was what I’d been doing for years. Suddenly I fitted in. The trouble was that eventually even the punks learnt how to play.”
It was their performance on BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test later in October 1977 that attracted the attention of TV bosses. Check out the YouTube clip below for the full performance.
Really Free hit the singles chart shortly afterwards but proved to be their only success. Otway would eventually concentrate on his solo career and would return to The Nag’s Head during the early 1990’s for a weekly residency to help out promoter Ron Watts. Otway was quoted on the back of Watts’ biography ‘Hundred Watts – a life in Music’, saying:
“I had a perfectly good job as a dustman before I met Ron Watts. He put paid to that and I haven’t done a sensible say’s work since.”
Do you have any memories of Otway and/or Barrett at The Nag’s Head?
The Who returned to High Wycombe for the first time since November 1965. They had previously appeared at The Town Hall on four occasions during 1965 and their April 1967 return came during a period when their original ‘mod’ roots were seeing a decline in popularity.
The Who – High Wycombe Town Hall – 25th April 1967 – Bucks Free Press advert – enhanced for wycombegigs.co.uk
They had originally been booked to play at The Town Hall in February 1967 but it appears that a four date tour of Italy may have taken preference? The 25th April 1967 appearance also took place a few days before dates in Norway and Sweden.
Released on the weekend before the date at High Wycombe Town Hall was the single ‘Pictures of Lily’. Written by a then 21 year old Pete Townshend, it was described by The Who’s guitarist in an interview with NME published in May 1967, as ‘power pop’.
This is footage of Pictures of Lily being recorded:
Thursday 21st April 1977 – Little Bob Story – Nag’s Head.
French Rhythm ‘n’ Blues outfit Little Bob Story returned to the Nag’s Head for another headline performance. Front by Roberto Piazza (AKA ‘Little Bob’), the band were formed in 1974 and released their debut album, High Time, in 1976. Two further albums followed in 1977 (Living In The Fast Lane and Little Bob Story).
Gig listings show they played had previously played at The Nag’s Head on 10th October 1976 and 10th February 1977 – this and the two previous shows were promoted by Blues lover Ron Watts who continued to put on his favoured brand of music alongside the steady stream of ‘punk’ and ‘new wave’ acts.
Bucks Free Press advert for gigs at Nag’s Head – April/May 1977
The Bucks Free Press advert for the gig shows Nuclear Rouge as support to Little Bob Story, while forthcoming gigs include John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett, Lew Lewis Band and the return of Bees Make Honey.
However, while Ron Watts’ was embracing the resurgence of the live music scene by promoting gigs at The Nag’s Head, the nearby Town Hall still had its doors shut to ‘rock concerts’. It seems from another BFP advert that more popular at The Town Hall were the Wrestling events.
Bucks Free Press advert – Wrestling at The Town Hall – April 1977
On the same evening that Little Bob Story powered out their Blues riffs down The Nag’s you could have gone to a ‘Girls, Girls, Girls…Tag Thriller’, featuring Miss Mitzi Mueller and Sexy Suzy Perkins versus The Irish Colleens. While the main event was The Horrific Masked Mummu?
If you favoured The Nag’s Head entertainment that evening, the YouTube clip below provides a taster.
With several High Wycombe appearances behind them, The Stranglers released their debut album, ‘Rattus Norvegicus’, on United Artist records.
Having been formed in 1974, at the time of the release, The Stranglers had a wealth of material to choose from and the nine tracks, running in at around 40 minutes, are familiar stage favourites. Included are debut single ‘Grip’, released in January 1977 and forthcoming single ‘Peaches’. The closing track is the seven minute epic. ‘Down in the Sewer’. If you managed to pick up an early copy of the album, you would also have received a bonus single containing ‘Peasant’ and ‘Choosey Susie’.
The album would peak at No.4 in the UK album charts, spending the remainder of the year in the charts. Before the end of the year they would release their second album, ‘No More Heroes’ and the combined success of the two releases would cement their place in the rapidly growing ‘punk’ and ‘new wave’ movement sweeping the UK.
The Guildford band had played High Wycombe on at least three occasions in 1976. A June 1976 appearance is often listed as The Nag’s Head but is more likely to have taken place at the Student Union Bar. This was followed by confirmed Nag’s Head appearances in October 1976 and December 1976. The latter visit to High Wycombe came ten days after they had signed their deal with United Artists. The band would not return to High Wycombe again, although lead singer Hugh Cornwell would take in a couple of solo dates during the early 2000’s.
If you have 40 minutes to spare, take a listen to the full album via the YouTube link below.
Support for Wayne County is billed as Rock Street Boys plus a ‘world debut’ of The Flobs.
I’ve been unable to trace any information on these two support acts. ‘The Legendary Flobs’ were a band formed in High Wycombe around 1979 but this 1977 version appears to be unrelated. If you know any more please get in touch.
The debut album, running in at just over 35 minutes, consisted of 14 tracks and included a six minute cover of Junior Murvin and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s reggae classic, ‘Police & Thieves’. The track set a precedent for the cross-over between punk and reggae that many would say help inspire the Two-Tone movement a couple of years later, while the ‘Rock Against Racism’ movement, founded in 1976, would also find an allegiance between punk and reggae bands that would spawn several memorable concerts.
Ironic that the track was added to the original track listing of the album after it was realised the running time would be sub-30 minutes.
The album reached no.12 in the UK chart.
At the time of its release, this was the top 5 of the UK Album Charts
Arrival – Abba
Portrait of Sinatra – Frank Sinatra
20 Golden Greats – The Shadows
The Unforgettable Glen Miller – Glen Miller
Hollies Live Hits – The Hollies
Some easy listening there!
Take a listen to ‘Police & Thieves’ – the most ‘easy listening’ track on The Clash’s debut album.
Local band Crossfire played on one of the regular Thursday ‘rock’ nights at The Nag’s Head in April 1977. They went on to play a couple of support dates at Aylesbury Friars later that year and were described in an Friars Newsletter from July 1977 as ‘High Wycombe and Chesham legends’, after finishing third in the Friars poll for ‘Best Local Band’ of 1976.
Bucks Free Press advert April 1977
The line-up for the Nag’s Head gig is believed to be Chris Dennis (lead and slide guitar/vocals), Chris Oldham (lead vocals/guitar), Roger Batchelor (bass/vocals) and Dave Gaylor (drums). Band members Dennis and Batchelor were also connected with High Wycombe Music shop Sun Records (on the Oxford Road and next to where Scorpion Records would pop up later in 1977). Dennis’s guitar style was likened to Eric Clapton. They also finished 6th in the 1977 Friars ‘Best Local Band’ poll.
Friday 7th April 2017 – Relics –Magnolia Park, Hughenden
Locally based The Relics played at Magnolia Park (former BroomWade Sports & Social Club, Hughenden Valley) on Friday 7th April 2017 for another evening combining a good solid dose of Rock & Roll with raising money for good causes.
This gig has taken place and what a great evening it was!
All 150 tickets sold out and there was a surprise when the support act was announced as a tribute to Basta Roc – John Fleming taking on lead vocals for a mixture of old Basta songs and punk classics.
Pictures and YouTube clips from this gig to follow. If you have any pictures or video, please feel free to post these in the comments section below.
This was the pre-gig message from The Relics: “Many of you will have known Gareth Jones from legendary Wycombe band Basta Roc a bandmate and dear friend of our guitarist Pete. Sadly Gareth passed away in 2016 and half the profits from this gig will be donated to The British Heart Foundation in his memory. The other half of the profits will go to Heritage House School in Chesham – a special school for pupils aged between 2 and 19 years who have severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties. This school is particularly close to our hearts and they truly deserve our support.” Buy tickets, donate and share this gig via the justgiving.com event page. Tickets are £10 each. Please make sure your name is in the ‘message’ section of your donation. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/TheRelics The Relics on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheRelics001/
Friday 1st April 1977 – The Adverts, supported by The Rats – Nag’s Head
Iconic punk band The Adverts played The Nag’s Head on 1st April 1977. A crowd of less than 100 would see lead singer T.V. Smith burst on stage with his band and claim “This is the real thing”.
Support came from The Rats, a US based Stooges influenced outfit doing the London circuit. The low key advertising for the gig would mean their audience numbered around 30 at a time when the punk scene was still very much underground in High Wycombe.
The Adverts – 1977
Formed in late 1976 after front man T.V. Smith and partner Gaye Black (both 20 years old at the time) moved from Bideford to London in order to part of the growing punk scene in the Capital.
They played their first gig at The Roxy, London on 15 January 1977 as support for Generation X. Their second gig at the same venue four days was recorded and the track ‘Bored Teenagers, was included on the live compilation album, ‘The Roxy London WC2’.
Another early gig was supporting The Damned at The Roxy and they signed for Stiff records shortly afterwards. In March 1977, they supported The Jam and Wayne County – again at The Roxy – a venue they played at ten times inside the first three months the iconic venue opened.
Their appearance at The Nag’s Head on 1st April 1977 is believed to their first outside of London but there is a possibility that they supported Wayne County at The Nag’s Head on 6th March 1977.
The March and April outings pre-dated any official studio recordings by a few weeks. Later in April they would record the first of four sessions for the John Peel show, while their debut single, One Chord Wonders’ was released on Stiff on 29 April 1977.
The Nag’s Head gig also came just four days before T.V. Smith’s 21st birthday, while the slightly younger Gaye (now Gaye ‘Advert’) was set to become one of the first female punk icons – with her very familiar ‘panda’ eye makeup and black leather jacket.
Other members of the band during what is believed to be their only appearance at The Nag’s Head were Howard ‘Pickup’ and Laurie ‘Driver’.
The gig was reviewed in punk fanzine of the time ‘The New Wave’, where the audience number is recounted as being barely 50.
The set-list includes: ‘One Chord Wonders’, ‘New Boys’, ‘Quick Step’, ‘On the Roof’, ‘New Day Dawning’, ‘We Who Wait’, ‘Bored Teenagers’, ‘Gary Gilmore’s Eyes’, ‘Bombsite Boy’ and ‘Great British Mistake’.
Part way through the set Smith tells the audience what he thinks of their lack of life. However, in an interview after the gig Smith admits:
“A few people enjoyed it tonight”, adding: “What I didn’t like were the people standing at the bar, who were more interested in their pints than what was going on”. Drummer Laurie chipped in: “Why pay 60p to come here and drink?”
Smith went on:
“Go and drink in another pub if you don’t wanna hear what’s going on. People aren’t prepared to listen to anything that isn’t exactly what they expect. That’s the problem – it’s gonna take time. It’s not an instant thing…”
It may not have been instant but T.V. Smith’s song writing ability soon became a major factor in setting them apart from other ‘punk’ bands of the time. ‘Gary Gilmore’s Eyes’ quickly became a stage favourite but there was controversy when the story behind the lyrics was revealed – Gary Gilmore as a convicted US murderer who offered his eyes for medical science after his execution. I wonder if Noel Edmunds knew this story when he introduced their appearance on Top of the Pops shortly after the track was released as a single in August 1977?
A quick word about support act, The Rats. Not much about their history on the internet at the time of this post but they appear to have hailed from Brooklyn (USA) and included Soer (vocals), Mike Williams (guitar), Fred Wilde (bass) and Mouth (drums). The New Wave fanzine commented: “The Rats don’t sound like any of the English New Wave bands – they draw most of their influences from The Stooges”. Their set-list included ‘Sick Friends’, Iggy cover, ‘Search and Destroy’, ‘You’re so dead’ and ‘Havoc’.
