GARAGE/TRASH HITS HARDLY TO GREAT BRITAIN vol.1

 Garage/Trash hits hardly to Great Britain:

                    SUSAN LEWIS :

You are on that lucky generation that have possibility to see all these big youth music movements from teddy boy rocknroll revival, born of punk music to rockabilly boom and psychobilly invasion and same time big bang of garage and trash music. What memories you do have bout all this happenings and how those things changed youth way of thinking and their way of life?

The first thing I was into as kid was Rock n Roll. When I first started to like music, there were a lot of Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran 10th anniversary records, to commemorate their lives. There was also films such as That’ll Be the Day which was about the Teddy Boy lifestyle, so it was natural that I would want to be a Ted. The first bands I saw were Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers, and Flying Saucers. Too many other bands to name, but there was some great gigs at The Lyceum in London in the mid 70s. 

How you were on those scene by yourself and your early memories bout those happenings?

When I started going to gigs, about fourteen years old, I expected to hear the DJ play Bill Haley and Chuck Berry and all that great old stuff, but instead they played totally obscure rockabilly that I never knew existed like Charlie Feathers and Ray Campi and all sorts of wild music. The Wild Wax Show (featuring Roy Williams of Nervous Records) used to supply the records for a late night radio show on Saturdays called The American Dream. I used to record it every week on a cassette tape. I wish I had kept them! 

Which was main reason that made possible all these changes on music business? 

I think the main reason was Punk and the rise of the independent record labels. The first time I went abroad without my parents was to Spain with some older friends who had a cool 1950s Ford Consul. We were driving back through France late at night to make it to the ferry on time. About 2am we picked up John Peel on the BBC playing Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers song Roadrunner. That’s one of my all time favorite memories, the song was about us!

Your first memories bout garage/trash boom?

I had a few of the Pebbles albums so I was aware of that style of music, but the first group I saw playing it was one of Billy Childish’s groups when they supported The Meteors. I can’t remember what they called then, but it was before The Milkshakes. I quite liked the early psychedelic garage sound which we had incorporated into some Meteors songs, so it was something I was open to hearing. I thought the Prisoners were great when I saw them supporting The Milkshakes. It was obvious there was a new scene developing.

Tell us how you became into it and your part on this movement?

I think we became part of that scene almost by accident, The Escalators and The Tall Boys always played a few Pebbles songs so we were welcomed by that crowd. We also played with Punk bands, and also the Pogues, so we weren’t exclusively Trash/Garage.

Along with your own band you were middle of these happenings..tell something bout your band and describe its sound?

I always described us as Rock n Roll. We had a lot of influences from Rockabilly to Punk and Garage, and also Country and Psychedelia. That’s quite a mixture!

Did you do mostly covers or own songs? Where from you got ideas for own songs and where from you found cover ones?

We mostly wrote our own songs. I get a lot of ideas for my songs from Science Fiction, but also news stories, especially “Loch Ness Monster” type of stories the news papers print when nothing much is happening. I like covering unexpected songs, like The Fang, and doing them in our own style

Did you spent free time with other groups..which other bands were your fave on those days?

I used to hang around in Camden Town because there was a lot of good pubs and venues. There was always groups hanging out before playing a show, or after playing. My favorite Trash bands were The Wigs, and The Milkshakes, The Prisoners, and The Stingrays. I really liked The Vibes as well.

Which places/venues had best ones for good party?

The Devonshire Arms in Camden was my main place. It was somewhere that bands went to, so there was always something happening. The Hope and Anchor was great as well, we never had to pay to see the bands.

Main persons that this scene growed so fast and became popular for while?

One of the main people who helped the scene grow was Stan Brennan. He managed The Pogues for a while and had a record shop called Rock’s Off. Stan put on gigs at a pub called The Pindar of Wakefield, and really championed the Garage scene. He had a label called Media Burn that put out some great singles and compilation albums.

If you were record collector where from you bought your records?

I used to buy records at Rock On, and there was a guy called Rex who used to sell records at Rockabilly gigs. They were my main shops.

Highlight of garage/trash boom era? How interested in media was bout garage/trash scene?

The highlight for me was when Channel 4 tv had a Garage special with The Tall Boys, Milkshakes, The Prisoners and the Stingrays. The songs were released on the Four on 4 EP. There was a bit of media interest, but most of the bands wanted to keep it small so as not to spoil it.

How long best days lasted and what happened afterwards?

I think the scene is still going strong, it never got too big so new people are always discovering it. Check out Thee Girl Fridays!

How things on nowdays…do you have still band..best bands..how bout scene and lifestyle of garage music?

I don’t have a band but I always have my guitar close to hand for when the mood takes me to play something. As you might have noticed I changed my name and my gender, so that has been my focus for a few years.

Any special story to share ?  

Only that I wouldn’t change a thing and that music set me free!     

                       DAVE PRINCE:

Garage/Trash hits hardly to Great Britain:

You are on that lucky generation that have possibility to see all these big youth music movements from teddy boy rock n roll revival, born of punk music to rockabilly boom and psychobilly invasion and same time big bang of garage and trash music. What memories you do have bout all this happenings and how those things changed youth way of thinking and their way of life?

....I first started listening to rock 'n' roll from the age of 12 as my older brother used to play Gene Vincent and Johnny Burnette non stop from his bedroom and I just loved the beat and the high energy of the songs compared to what was in the charts at this time!... When he was out on his motorbike, I used to sneak into his bedroom and play his many singles... Jungle Rock by Hank Mizell, 99 Chicks by Ron Haydock & The Boppers, Warpaint by The Brook Brothers, This Little Girls Gone Rockin' by Janice Peters, and many other great Rock 'n' Roll records. There were many music cultures back then and my school friend Pete Clarke first introduced me to The Meteors as he had bought their first record and was a regular at Feltham Football Club with older guys at the school.... after going round his house many times after school I was hooked on this new sound and that's where my journey started on a different road to the original sounds of the 1950's..

How you were on those seen by yourself and your early memories bout those happenings?

The first clubs I used to go to were in pubs with record hops and bands played monthly...my first gig was 3rd February 1984 and I saw The Vibes and The Surfadelics and it cost me £1.50 to get in, and the first time I saw The Meteors was at Feltham Football Club on the 23rd March 1984 with 16 Guns as the support.

Which was main reason that made possible all these changes on music business?

In the early 80's the Rock 'n' roll scene developed into a more heavier sound via the popularity of Top Of The Pops where some bands made it onto the show..and the slap bass become more prominent on self written songs by bands like The Meteors, The Polecats, The Deltas,The Stray Cats, The Blue Cats, The Jets, The Guana Batz, Restless, The Shakin Pyramids and many more and also when covering original songs they had their own take on them.

Your first memories bout garage/trash boom and how you became a part of the movement/ How interested in media was bout garage/trash scene?

These Cats Aint Nothing But Trash compilation L.P. I bought back in 1983 and I just loved this album so much and played it non-stop during my college days..

I first went to The Clarendon Hotel (Hammersmith) and it was called The Broadway and was downstairs 3rd February 1984, and on 16th June 1984 I saw The Guana Batz, The Sting-Rays, The Milkshakes, at The Klub Foot upstairs of The Clarendon Hotel 

Trash On The Tube was on Channel 4 in the U.K. September of 1984 and showcased 4 bands...The Sting-Rays, Thee Milkshakes, Tall Boys and The Prisoners... I remember watching this at the time and the program again highlighted the new garage trash sound to a newer generation.

 

Along with your own band you were middle of these happenings..tell something bout your band and describe its sound?

I formed a band whilst i was at Richmond College called The Blood Stains and we did one gig there but due to academic studies and non stop going out watching bands the band never took it to the next step, even though we were interviewed by a magazine of the time 5,4,3,2,1.

Do you do mostly covers or own songs? Where from you got ideas for own songs and where from you found cover ones?

I recently formed a band with my mate Alan that takes me back to those early 80's garage beat sounds and I've called us Thee Escapees...Myself and Alan write the original songs for the band and only do a few cover tracks....Bo Diddley, The Sonics, and John Mayall, and we have our debut album due out this year on Lee Grimshaw's Spinout Nuggets label, so stay tuned!

Did you spend free time with other groups..which other bands were your fave on those days?

In my younger days I was overawed by all the bands and just watched them and bought all their records, t-shirts and merchandise... nowadays all those fab bands and musicians are good friends and we often chat about the great times back then and still great times now!

Which places/venues had best ones for good party?

The best place and for me the Mecca of our music of the 80's was The Clarendon Hotel...both upstairs and downstairs I had the best time watching so many fabulous bands in their early days and the atmosphere was pure electric and high octane all night..not only that but you got to see so many bands from different genres of music, neo, garage, beat, psychobilly etc...

If you were record collector where from you bought your records?

My first records I bought were The Meteors that I bought from Beggars Banquet in Kingston, Surrey, back in the early 80's and I still have them today...

 

Highlight of garage/trash boom era?

Being old enough to have seen all the fabulous bands and being able to share the experiences with everyone and still being friends with others who were there back in the day and musicians who play in the bands then and now..

 

How long best days lasted and what happened afterwards?

The best days are still going on now, nothing will ever replace the early days, but today there are so many festivals you can go to and with the internet you can watch videos live and travel most places in Europe and around the world to get your fix on Rock 'n' Roll music and it's several reincarnations.

How things on nowadays…do you still have a band..best bands..how bout scene and lifestyle of garage music?

I'm still playing drums in 2 Rock 'n' Roll bands called The Hi-Fi's and Timebomb Allstars and both bands currently have C.D. Albums. New band Thee Escapees who play garage beat sounds as previously mentioned and we have a debut record out this year. 

There are so many new bands on the scene nowadays so it's very hard to pick out just one as I really love so many....I have my own club with my good friend Andy Edwards in London called The Boomerang Club where we have 4 events a year and showcase new bands on the garage, beat, rockin' scene aswell as established groups too!

 

Any special story to share ? 

I collect and own many test pressings of those garage band record recordings from the 80's and also have them signed by all the bands too which is so special to me and I will never sell them as it's now nearly 40 years ago!!!