3 March 1977 – Johnny Thunders/Banshees – Nag’s Head

Thursday 3rd March 1977 – Johnny Thunders/Siouxsie and the Banshees – Nag’s Head

This is the first night of a three date Ron Watts promoted ‘USA Rock Weekend’ at The Nag’s Head. First up is Johnny Thunders and his Heartbreakers with a low key support from a new look Siouxsie and The Banshees who have been gigging for less than two weeks.

It’s a busy evening at The Nag’s but not everybody ventures upstairs to witness this early incarnation of Siouxsie & The Banshees.  The Banshees had debuted the September 1976 100 Club Punk Festival – Sid Vicious banging the drums and Marco Pirroni on guitar.  Banshees originals, 19 year old Siouxsie Sioux (real name Susan Ballion) and two year senior Steve Severin (real name Steven Bailey) had then go on to recruit Kenny Morris (20) on drums and Peter Fenton (around 20) on guitar.

Siouxsie and the Banshees – March 1977
Steve Severin, Kenny Morris, Peter Fenton and Siouxsie Sioux

The Banshees’ appearance at The Nag’s Head in March 1977 is often listed as their third ever gig but that is certainly not the case. Following their 100 Club debut in September 1976 the new look band had finally debuted at The Red Deer Pub in Croydon on 24th February 1977.

The third live outing had actually come the day before their trip down the A40, when they supported Johnny Thunders and his Heartbreakers at The Roxy in London. Confirmation the gig actually took place comes from a review published in the 12th March 1977 edition of Sounds.

Giovanni Dadomo, writing about the Banshees, said:

I didn’t expect too much here to tell the absolute truth because the last and only previous experience I’d had of Siouxsie and co, had been at the 100 Punkfest of a few months back. At that time what had travelled under the banner had struck me as being as much of an event as a band, little rehearsed, very obviously non-musical in most respects and most likely nothing more than a one-off diversion.

Not so. This time around Siouxsie fronts an extremely powerful quartet who can and do make very tasty noises which are anything but unrehearsed. Siouxsie herself doesn’t have a great rock ‘n’ roll voice — as if that really ever mattered — but her material shows considerable flair and intelligence, particularly ‘Bad Shape’ and ‘Love In A Void’. Their manager reckons greatness is three weeks away; I’d maybe lengthen the odds a little but I wouldn’t deny a wealth of potential.

The High Wycombe gig creates less of an impression on the few who made it upstairs in time to hear their stark sound.  Described by some as ‘shambolic’, with Fenton looking particular awkward and ill-fitting on guitar.  Siouxsie’s fashion shock techniques of the time, including adorning a swastika armband, were perhaps in hindsight, a step too far.  But the Banshees were still testing the water.

Giovanni Dadomo’s description of the crowd at the previous evening’s gig gives an insight into the type of audience attending punk gigs at the time. An image far from the press portrayal.

Can’t say how many people in the audience agreed [with the potential of the band] because there wasn’t much reaction going down either for or against. See, the Roxy’s clientele has changed dramatically of late to take in all manner of freaks, hippies, long-hairs, even middle-aged European tourists, most of whom just stand slack-jawed no matter what’s happening onstage, leaving excitement as the domain of the two or three dozen hard-core fanatics at the front who haven’t got bands of their own yet.

Commenting on the Banshees first venture onto the live circuit, Siouxsie would later reflect:

“The scene was pretty much based in central London, so we liked the idea of getting as far away as possible so that nobody we knew might actually come and see us. The suburbs seemed safe because everyone there was totally clueless.”

Songs played are most likely to have included: ‘Carcass’, ‘Helter Skelter’ , ‘Captain Scarlet’, ‘Scrapheap, ‘Psychic’, ‘Make up to Break Up’, plus the previously mentioned ‘Bad Shape’ and ‘Love in a Void’.

It would be more than a year before The Banshees would be signed by a record label.

This is Siouxsie & The Banshees performing Bad Shape at The Roxy in March or April 1977. Filmed on Super 8 by Don Letts for the Punk Rock Movie.

Meanwhile, Johnny Thunders has been in the UK since the chaotic ‘Anarchy Tour’ at the end of 1976. A series of cancelled dates had left gig time short and he had now gone on the road as a headliner in his own right.

A 24 year old Johnny Thunders had formerly been with The New York Dolls but their split in the summer of 1975 (when Malcolm McClaren was Manager) saw the guitarist form The Heartbreakers.  Eventually settling on the line-up of Billy Rath (bass), Walter Lure (guitar) and fellow former Doll, Jerry Nolan on drums.

A flyer for the previous evening’s gig at The Roxy.
Note Siouxsie and the Banshees confirmed as support tucked away on the left Flyer designed by Barry Jones (joint founder of The Roxy)

The Heartbreakers set at The Nag’s Head was reviewed by Kris Needs in the April 1977 edition of Zig Zag.

I went to see The Heartbreakers recently during the New York weekend at The Nags Head, High Wycombe. They completely and utterly did me in!! The group careered through 45 explosive minutes of songs like ‘Chinese Rocks’, ‘Get Off The Phone’, ‘Let Go’, ‘All By Myself’ and ‘Goin’ Steady’.

By the time Johnny Thunder took off his guitar and spun the band into the encore, ‘Do You Love Me’, the crowd had pogoed itself into a sweating, twitching heap. The Heartbreakers were slicing through the thick air and our brains like machettes – and it felt bleedin’ great!

Walter looks like a psychopath, hacking his guitar in great windmill thrashes, occasionally lurching over next to Johnny, who’s as magnificent as ever, but exercising slightly more control now, which reflects in his groin-grabbing playing. Johnny does all the announcements in his Noo Yawk street drawl too, and shares vocals with Mr. Lure (as he does the songwritng).

This is Johnny Thunders and His Heartbreakers performing Chinese Rocks – also shot for the Punk Rock Movie by Don Letts.

 

The USA Rock Weekend shows would continue the following evening with the visit of Cherry Vanilla. Support would come from another relatively unknown band called The Police.

February 1976 – Rag Week preview

February 1976 – Rag Week preview

Just after the 41st anniversary of The Sex Pistols appearance at High Wycombe College on 20th February 1976, I discovered a preview of The Rag Week published in the Bucks Free Press Midweek on 10th February 1976.  The preview lists the event for the forthcoming week and leads off:

High Wycombe Rag Week 1976 kicks off on Friday morning with a Conga through the town. What follows is the now almost traditional week of pub crawls, races and dances in aid of charity.

The event is run by students at the Buckinghamshire College of Further Education – the former College of Technology and Art – and follows much the same line as in previous years.

Friday 13th February 1976 -Kilburn and The High Roads –Main College Hall

“Pre-Rag Ball where the Rag Queen will be chosen”

You can’t mention Kilburn & The High Roads on a High Wycombe related publication without recalling the fact that lead singer Ian Dury was a former pupil at Wycombe Grammar School.  The then 33 year old Dury had formed K&TH back in 1971. There line-up included guitarist Keith Lucas (later to become Nick Cash, lead signer for punk band 999).  Dury would go on to form Ian Dury & The Blockheads in 1977.

Monday 16th February 1976 – Kokomo – Town Hall

“A popular funky soul band led by the three Arrival vocalists will appear with supporting groups”

A quick internet search reveals Kokomo released their debut album in 1976. At the time of this post, they were about to embark on a March 2017 tour.

 

Wednesday 18th February 1976 – Brewer’s Droop – Student Union Bar

“Local and favourite band, Brewers Droop are performing at the Student Union bar”

Ron Watts’ band make an appearance two days before Watts return to bump into The Sex Pistols.

 Friday 20th February 1976 – Screaming Lord Sutch and Kites – Main College Hall

“The Rag Week climaxes in The Rag Ball at the college main hall.”

This gig infamously including an early appearance for The Sex Pistols. It is often referred to as being the ‘Valentine Ball’ and in some cases a ‘Ron Watts promotion’.  Neither is true.  By Watts’ own admission, he was there to book a stripper. Valentine’s Day was the previous Saturday.

Another myth is that the Sex Pistols turned up announced; gate crashed and pretended to be the support act.  In fact, The Sex Pistols were a late addition to the line-up – arranged with full knowledge of the Student Union Social team who had agreed a half crate of Carlsberg as the payment for their appearance.

Read more on the 20th February 1976 gig….

 

 

26 February 1977 – Black & White Minstrels – Chiltern Rooms

Saturday 26th February 1977 –Black and White Minstrels Show – Chiltern Rooms

While the youngsters of the time were getting a hard time in both the press and in person for looking a ‘bit different’ and listening to music that wasn’t ‘progressive’, back in February 1977 it was seemingly still OK for the white middle class to ‘black up’ for the sake of ‘light entertainment’.

A Bucks Free Press advert shows The Black and White Minstrel Show was due to perform at The Chiltern Rooms in Desborough Road on Saturday 26th February 1977.  The £1.85 entrance cost would also reward you with a ‘Chicken in the Basket’ supper.

Bucks Free Press advert for events coming up at The Chiltern Rooms in February and March 1977.
Chicken-in-the-Basket seemed popular at the time

It would be fair to say that this show has not stood the test of time. Apparently, viewing figures for the BBC show of the same title (first broadcast in 1958) reached a peak of more than 20 million by the mid 1960’s.  Despite on-going controversy over its portrayal of black people, it remained on the screens throughout the majority of the 1970’s before finally be axed by the BBC in July 1978.

Where you would start attempting to explain the premise for this show to the generation born post 1978? It would also be interesting to hear the thoughts of the significant Caribbean origin population of High Wycombe to a show of this type being presented on their doorstep?

In keeping with the ‘Life on Mars’ style time-travel, the entertainment advertised for Thursday 10th March 1977 was billed as ‘STAG 77’ – no not a band from the New Wave of Heavy Metal but a ‘Gentlemen’s Evening, with Adult Comedians – beautiful Girls, Girls, Girls’. This time, £2.50 would gain you entry, including the obligatory ‘Chicken in the Basket’ supper.

But there was alternative entertainment on the same evening that ‘STAG 77’ strutted their stuff at The Chiltern Rooms –at the other end of Town down the London Road, Billy Idol’s Generation X were returning to the Nag’s Head supported by the only gigging Wycombe ‘punk’ band of the time, Deathwish.

25 February 1977 – Jam sign for Polydor for £6,000

Friday 25th February 1977 – Jam sign for Polydor for £6,000

With at least one Ron Watt’s promoted Nag’s Head gig behind them, it’s confirmed that The Jam have signed for Polydor Records for what seems a measly £6,000.  The initial deal was for four years with a debut single, In the City, eventually release on 29 April 1977 and a debut album of the same name to be released on 20 May 1977.

The Jam – 1977

 

The Jam would reward Ron Watts’ faith in the band during their early gigging days at both The Nag’s Head and London’s 100 Club, by returning to play the Nag’s in May and June 1977, while their appearance at High Wycombe Town Hall in July 1977 came after Watts convinced local officials that it was safe to host ‘rock concerts’ again at the town centre venue following years of underuse for that genre of entertainment.

In The City – The Jam – album cover – released 6 May 1977

Having outgrown the High Wycombe venues, they went on to play relatively locally at Friars, Aylesbury on four occasions (November 1977, June 1978, November 1979 and August 1980).

Remembering 1967 gigs in High Wycombe

1967 – Celebrating 50 years since the birth of Psychedelia

My initial research for wycombegigs.co.uk centred on High Wycombe’s part in the ‘punk’ explosion during late 1976 and particularly 1977. However, it soon became apparent that there had been a vibrant live music scene in High Wycombe stretching back to the early 1960’s.

The boom in live music coincided with the rise in popularity of Blues, Rock’n’Roll, simple ‘Pop/Rock’and what would be described as Psychedelia,  – all this was pushed on by the availability of electrified instruments, effects pedals, the outbreak of ‘Pop’ channels on the radio and a host of TV shows keen to show the latest acts.  Not to mention mind altering substances.

These are just some of the better known acts that played High Wycombe in 1967:

Small Faces, The Move, Geno Washington, The Who, Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart and the Jeff Beck Group.  I suspect more local groups emerged too, so if you have information, please get in touch.

When wycombegigs.co.uk was finally set live in February 2017, it seemed appropriate to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the happenings of 1967.  This appears to be a hugely transitional year for ‘pop music’. It was also at a time when High Wycombe was undergoing social development, including a spate of new venues eager to take advantage of the growing popularity of live music.

To set the scene back in early 1967 High Wycombe, the Town Hall appears to be only Town Centre venue that hosted live concerts.  However, as the year progressed, smaller venues would try to grab a piece of the live music action.  Pubs, such as The Nag’s Head and the smaller Rose & Crown would start to publicise live music, while other venues, such as The British Legion (close to the College) and The Needham Bowl (in Desborough Road) would also promote live music nights.

All this was happening as plans to construct a new shopping centre (The Octagon) in the Town Centre were coming to fruition.  This would include a fly-over that would cut through the heart of town.  The underside of the flyover would eventually house two more live music outlets.

Nationally, notable music events in 1967 included the June release of The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.  Later that month The Beatles would perform “All You Need is Love” for Our World – the first worldwide television broadcast. The launch of BBC Radio 1 followed in September 1967, while locally, Wycombe Radio went to the airwaves in October 1967.

The same year High Wycombe was also still awaiting a ‘bye-pass’ to alleviate the traffic congestion caused by the fact that the A40 was the main connecting route from London to Oxford.  The first section of the ‘bye-pass’ would become the M40 and opened in June 1967 between Handycross and Stokenchurch.  Perhaps it was High Wycombe’s obvious midpoint location on the London to Oxford route that made it a popular stop off for bands during the 1960’s?

Throughout 2017 I plan to post details of the 1967 High Wycombe gigs.  These will be published on or around the 50th anniversary of each date.  Ten years later, ‘punk’ may have been the new scene but there is no denying the influence the acts that performed in 1967 had on their younger onlookers.  e.g. Small Faces/The Jam, The Who/Sex Pistols.  If you have any memories or memorabilia of 1967 gigs in High Wycombe, please get in touch or leave comments under this post or those for each gig.

18 February 1977 – Damned release first ‘punk’ album

18th February 1977 saw the release of ‘Damned, Damned, Damned’ by The Damned on Stiff Records, for what is accepted as the first ‘long playing record’ by a UK ‘punk’ band.

The Damned had played High Wycombe at least twice during their first six months of gigging – stepping onto the Nag’s Head stage as support to The Vibrators in September 1976, while less than a month later they headlined their first ever gig when they appeared at the same venue.  The latter is recalled regularly as the infamous gig where their Manager of the time, Ron Watts, threatened to fetch a shotgun if they didn’t behave.

Damned, Damned, Damned – the classic front cover of the February 1977 release on Stiff Records

The Damned, Damned, Damned album was recorded in early January 1977 and produced by Nick Lowe.  27 year old Lowe had released Stiff’s first single, ‘So it Goes’ in August 1976.  His first band, pub rockers, Brinsley Schwarz, had played the Nag’s Head as early as August 1973 and appeared on at least three more occasions into 1974.

Recording was completed in 10 days.  Total running time for the 12 tracks comes in at a minute or so over half-an-hour and included their debut single New Rose and the subsequent follow up, Neat, Neat, Neat, released on the same day as the album.

Neat, Neat, Neat, she can’t afford a cannon

Damned, Damned, Damned reached No.36 in the UK album chart.

YouTube audio of full album below:

The Damned would not return to High Wycombe until April 1979.

16 February 1977 – Glen Matlock leaves The Sex Pistols

Tuesday 16th February 1977 – Matlock leaves The Pistols

News began to emerge that Glen Matlock’s time with The Sex Pistols could be at an end.  On 11th February 1977, Sid Vicious had ‘auditioned’ as their new bass player (even though, in true punk fashion, he could not play the right notes or keep in time).

Vicious (aged 19, real name John Beverley) had followed the Pistols since their formation in late 1975. He had attended their infamous performance at High Wycombe College in February 1976 – after the gig he was seen staggering around with blood dripping from his hand having smashed a window trying to get into the Pistols tour van.

Glen Matlock at The Nag’s Head in one of his many bands that played the High Wycombe venue. More on this to come.

Matlock’s departure was eventually confirmed by Pistols Manager Malcolm McClaren on 28th February 1977 – a telegram to the music press claiming he had been ‘thrown out’, because he ‘went on too long about Paul McCartney’.  A 19 year old Matlock would later deny he had been sacked, stating in a leaving agreement that he had ‘resigned’.  He was paid off the sum of £2,966.98 plus £25 for work with The Sex Pistols at a recording session on 3rd March 1977.  The agreement also stated Matlock would receive one-quarter share of royalties for the songs he had co-written.

Matlock had played with The Sex Pistols in High Wycombe for both the February 1976 appearance and the September 1976 outing at The Nag’s Head.  But his departure from the most famous punk band of all time would not end his performing days, or the chance to see him High Wycombe.

Shortly after his Pistols exit he would be seen down the Nag’s Head during a time where he was looking for recruits for a new band – the group would eventually emerge towards the end of 1977 as The Rich Kids.  Matlock would go on to appears with at least another four acts in High Wycombe during his performing days, including The Rich Kids, Jimmy Norton’s Explosion, The Spectres, London Cowboys and Dead Men Walking.  At the time of this post he was still touring in 2017 at the age of 60.

14 February 1975 – Brewer’s Droop – Technical College

Friday 14th February 1975 – Brewer’s Droop – Technical College

Ron Watts’ band, Brewer’s Droop were guests at the 1975 Valentine’s Ball at High Wycombe Technical College.  If I am reading the advert correctly, your romantic night out would have started out with the charmingly named Dildo Kids!!  Although that may have been a strap line for The Droop?

Music paper advert for Brewer’s Droop mini tour – February 1975, including Wycombe, Birmingham and Bognor

By the time of this gig, ‘The Droop’ had been gigging for more than four years, clocking up more than a 1,000 dates but regular gigs were on the downturn, leaving a then 33 year old Watts to concentrate on promoting.

The Technical College was also set for a change, when in September 1975 it was renamed (or in modern jargon, ‘rebranded’) to Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education.  Under both banners it would regularly host gigs throughout the 1970’s and beyond, while ‘rock concerts’ at the nearby Town Hall gradually became less frequent.

It was just over a year later that Watts returned to the venue (to help book a stripper) and bumped into a ‘bunch of scruffs’ called ‘The Sex Pistols’. The rest is..etc…

13 February 1967 – The Move – Town Hall

Monday 13th February 1967 – The Move – Town Hall

Birmingham  based The Move came to High Wycombe at point of their first UK chart success.  Formed in December 1965 with a line-up of Trevor Burton (guitar/vocals), Roy Wood (guitar/vocals), Chris Kefford (bass/vocals), Carl Wayne (vocals) and Bev Bevan (drums), they released their first single, ‘Night of Fear’, in December 1966.

The single peaked at No.2 in the UK on 26 January 1967 and just over a week later they were the headliners at High Wycombe Town Hall’s Valentine Ball.

The Move – Bucks Free Press advert for their 13th February 1967 appearance at High Wycombe Town Hall – the ‘A NIGHT OF FEAR’ caption is a reference to their single of the time. Note the added attraction of ‘TOP DISCS’!

The Move were grouped into the ‘Psychedelic’ tag that the music press of the time were starting to use.  This was during a period of mass experimentation in not only the latest electronic music gadgets but also the mind altering substances prevalent in the music industry.

A quick look at the lyrics of ‘Night of Fear’ seems to reveal more, “Just about to flip your mind, just about to trip your mind”.

Their follow up single in April 1967, “I Can Hear The Grass Grow” reached No.5 in the UK charts and was also accused of containing references to ‘the synthetic effects of hallucinogenics’.

Wood, 20 at the time of the Wycombe gig, would go on to claim fame with Wizzard in the 1970’s, while Bevan (22), would become better known for his time in the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).  They were both still performing at the time of this article, 50 years after their appearance at The Town Hall!

This is what they looked and sounded like back in early 1967.

11 February 1977 – Throbbing Gristle – Nag’s Head

Friday 11th February 1977 – Throbbing Gristle – Nag’s Head

A common misconception about many of the early ‘punk’ bands was that they ‘couldn’t play’, had ‘no good songs’ and looked like they’d been dragged through a hedge backwards.  Of course, only some of this may have been true.  Some of the best pop songs of the 1970’s came out of the punk movement and the musicianship was generally of a high standard.

If you wanted real punk, then step forward Throbbing Gristle – a band consisting of 26 year old Genesis P Orridge (real name Neil Megson), 25 year old Cosey Fanni Tutti (real name Christine Newby) and, according to the Bucks Free Press Midweek review of their gig at The Nag’s Head on Friday 11th February 1977, reclusive American artist Monte Cazazza.  The latter apparently coined the phrase “industrial music for industrial people”.

A scan of the review is shown below but I’ve also included the text for ease of reading and search engine recognition.

I wish I’d gone home

Anyone who reads the juicer Sunday and popular newspapers will know the name of Throbbing Gristle, pictured above featuring Genesis P. Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti and Monte Cazazza.

One may have asked in passing : “Who are these weirdies?” I still don’t know who they are, or why they should have attracted such publicity, and I went out of my way to see them perform at the Nag’s Head pub in High Wycombe on Friday.

Well, I say perform because just at the moment I seem to be lost for words to describe what went on.

I make no apology for saying I am a lover of heavy, noisy. Jarring, ear-splitting music. I’m young and strong and I can take it.

But I had a job to keep my pint in my stomach as I listened to the muck which was Throbbing Gristle’s claim to fame.

An ape with his hands severed can thump just as violently on a bass guitar as Genesis did. I thought that was bad, but then he picked up his electrified violin and suddenly the place was full of agonised cats.

I can’t be sure that he was trying to sing, and I couldn’t make out every word he screamed into the microphone, but it sounded like I should have ignored the man and gone home.

Our photographer gave up early. I wish I’d followed him.

But I waited, and watched dumbfounded as Cosey Fanni Tutti bared both her chest and her ignorance of music, and Genesis poured artificial blood over his head then spat it onto the stage.

At least he did stop playing for a while — but only to shout obscenities at the audience and to throw a table across the hall.

Then he invited half a dozen youngsters from the catcalling and jeering audience onto the stage, and he handed them the instruments. They sounded better than Throbbing Gristle, even though they couldn’t play a note.

Those youngsters paid 75p to go into the hail to listen to the stomach churning travesty of music which Throbbing Gristle was oozing into the Nag’s Head.

The landlord, Mick Fitzgibbon, told me that the youngsters were about ready to throw Genesis P. Orridge, plus his equipment, bodily through the door.

“I’ll never have them back here,” he said. “The kids were threatening to punch the promoter, and I don’t blame them.”

However Gig Reserves, the promoters want to make amends to customers of theNag’s Head. They promise that next weekend’s band, Phil Ram, is good, and not to be missed. I think I’ll go along to make sure

KEITH BALDOCK

 

Those with a strong stomach, should follow the link below to read how Cazazza funded his 1977 trip to the UK.

http://undergroundmusiclibrary.blogspot.co.uk/2005/12/interview-with-monte-cazazza-slash1979.html

The Nag’s Head gig was also recorded for an official cassette release in 1979.

The track listing included: Very Friendly, We Hate You (Little Girls), Slug Bait, Anarchy And Music. Zyklon B Zombie, If I Was A Little Baby and Wall Of Sound.

Perhaps the ‘Zyklon B Zombie’ track name influenced the later Wycombe punk band ‘Cylcon B’, formed in 1979 with former members of the Plastic People?

Were you one of the people who were invited on stage at this gig? Please get in touch.

The complete audio was available via YouTube as of March 2020. Happy listening!