GARAGE/TRASH HITS HARDLY TO GREAT BRITAIN vol.2

                  

                      Gary Boniface

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?

I was lucky enough to witness the mid 70s Ted scene, I was about 13 when I got the rock n roll bug, so 1975 and then the whole spectrum of music that sprang out of it. It might take a while for me to answer all the questions, I got many memories and many to remember.

I've always liked 50s,60s music, As a kid i remember playing my dads Little Richard and Chuck Berry 78s and my mum and dads 45s which were mainly early 60s pop stuff like Roy Orbison, Gary US Bonds, Clarence frogman Henry.. we had the radio on alot in the mornings, this was all through the 60s so the Kinks, Stones, Small Faces, Beatles, Animals, Yardbirds, just a small sample of what was fresh new music, I would hear all this stuff while eating my breakfast before going to school. It's all imprinted. Then in the early seventies there was a RnR revival. I had four friends in senior school and we all got the bug at the same time. 

I used to listen to Radio Luxembourg the Tony Prince show. He would play/feature whole albums. It's where I first heard things like "Woo Hoo" - Rockateens , "Haunted House"- Johnny Fuller (this was about 1974). It was around this time I saw American Graffiti, which had an impact, eventually me and my mates started looking for clothes, like those worn in the film. 

We didn't know there were RnR clubs in Southend, we were too young to go anyway, we were kind of cut off living on Canvey Island so we were a little gang of RocknRoll fanatics just living in our own little universe.

By 1977 ? 50s rocknroll shows were turning up on the radio, there were 3 radio shows we used to tape, Mike Allen on Capitol, who had "Cruisin" on Fridays at 6.30 then "American Dream" on Saturdays at I think 11pm - 1am this show was pretty good, lots of Rockabilly, RnB, Doo Wop etc and Stuart Coleman "Its Rock n Roll" on Saturday afternoon. .Anyway by the time I hit 15 it was an obsession and found Record Mart record shop in Southend run by Derek Glenister.. it was like finding the holy grail🙂 This is when we started going to clubs. 

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

The first RnR club I went to was the Queens Hotel in Westcliff 1977, Little Tina and Flight 56 were the band I think. The first time I heard "I thought it over" by Joel Hill, it was a hard corp Teddy Boy joint.. there was this guy in a grey drape, Jean's, Wellington boots folded down and a Cowboy hat doing this crazy dance, my mate asked him what the dance was and he said "I'm Moon dogging man".. the next band I saw there was Crazy Cavan, maybe a month or two later, I thought they were the business. 1978 we started going to the Minerva on Southend seafront, that's when the rockabilly scene started happening in Southend. That's when I met Bob Martin the Vibes rhythm guitarist. We became good friends. We were all young and the the old schoolTed's didn't really like us, so all the youngsters used to hang out together and we developed our own dress style, dance, haircuts etc by 1980 the Ted and Rockabilly were two different scenes really.

So at the Minerva we saw Flying Saucers, who played there a few times. Cavan, Freddy fingers Lee, Cadillac, the Jets, Rockin Shades, Hogshead .. many others.. Flying Saucers and Cavan would always pack the place out. 

I think in 79/80 there was a Rockabilly night at Crocs in Rayleigh, Essex, I saw Buzz and the Flyers, Mac Curtis, Sleepy la Beef and Hank Mizell there. We went to the first two Caister weekenders, I think Ray Campi helped shift the rockabilly scene up a gear. "Rockin at the Ritz" was a big tune at the time, it was around this time me, Bob and another friend started thinking about learning to play an instrument and forming a band. I bought some second hand drums, Bob bought a second hand sax, another friend of Bob's bought a double bass and came over to jam.. I started going to the Royalty in Southgate, London , I saw Warren Smith, Billy Lee Riley, Sonny Fisher, Blue Cat Trio, the Deltas , Stargazers and Bill Haley there. A few other clubs like Shades and Bumbles where 50s Flash and the Wild Wax Show used to play.. I was getting into stuff like Howlin Wolf, Little Walter and Sonny boy Williamson by 1980 and linked up with a blues harp player called Paul Brett, he was a roadie for Eddy and the Hot Rods, he lived round the corner from me. 

We did try and recruit Dave Higgs ( the gui6tarist in the Hot Rods) but, let's say, he was a bit worse for wear. We tried out a few guitarists, bass players but it didn't really happen. A little while later I linked up with a blues harp player called Wolfie, he lived in Hammersmith London and I used to go up at weekends for a jam. 

Sometime in 1981 we met a guitarist a kid called Ashley Kingman, formed a trio and Ashley got us a gig in Battersea , which was run by Billy Childish. This was my first gig, I remember Tracy Emming being there, she really stood out, full on Ronnie Spectre style.

When I used to go for a jam in Hammersmith I'd stay at Wolfie's and we used to go to a Mod club in Shepherds Bush on a Friday Night, they would play stuff like Slim Harpo and Bo Diddley etc and that sound was taking off in the rockabilly scene, I think the Deltas kind of reflected that. The Meteors were on the scene by this time aswell.. but I hadn't checked them out yet. This was around the time I started getting into the Cramps, I bought Psychedelic Jungle and it was a game changer for me.

 

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

Your first memories bout garage/trash boom?

I first saw the Meteors in 82 ? at the Lyceum, it might of been supporting Theatre of Hate, mixed crowd of punks, goths and 'billies. I liked the idea of a diverse crowd and the punk rockabilly crossover thing that was going on. I really liked what the Milkshakes were doing at this time aswell, I heard Pretty Baby and Bullsnose on the John Peel show and went and bought the album..

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

After the gig with Ashley and Wolfie I moved to Hanwell near Southall and through work met a guitarist called Bo, I was still on Drums, Bo on Rythm guitar, on vocals a guy called Bob Zorch and Ashley Kingman on lead, Bo and Bob were punks, Ashley and Myself were still on the Rockin scene. We were called the Outer Limits. We supported Acton Punk Band the Satellites, who were managed by Rat Scabies. I got to know alot of the Acton and Southall punks. We did two covers, Chicken Walk/Hasil Adkins and 50 megatons/Sonny Russell. I really liked the sound we had, It was around this time I met Stuart"Sap"Hearn who ended up playing bass for the Purple Things.

Ashley was getting offers from other bands and ended up in Red Hot and Blue.. so we got Sap in on Bass.. the sound was getting more punk orientated. I bumped into Bob (Vibes) again in London, we hadn't seen each other in a couple of years. He had moved to Colchester and was staying with Lloyd Trip. They had formed a rockabilly band called the Hi boys, played a few shows and were looking to form a new band. We decided to get a band together, I said I would ask Ashley if he was up for it. Sadly he was too busy but suggested Boz Boorer. Boz wasn't busy and was looking to play, so Ashley told me about a rockin club Boz used to go to and so I went down there, introduced myself and asked if he was up for a jam with Bob and Lloyd. I was amazed he said yes, so I called Bob and told him I just blagged the Polecats guitarist..

So Boz and myself would go down to Colchester to rehearse for the weekend, stay at Lloyd's. Think we got a set together within a few weeks. Chose the name the Megatons and started playing gigs around Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex..

I think Boz was also playing in the Frantix/Frantics ? With Gerry Brillo around this time..

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

Anyway.. the Polecats had a new release "Make a circuit with me" and were going on tour so we had to find a new guitarist.. we auditioned a few, nothing really happened. Bob didn't want to sing anymore, he used to get real nervous and throw up before pretty much every gig, So Bob bought a guitar, a telecaster and a Vox ac30 amp. We started trying out 60s songs from comps like Pebbles and writing new stuff. I was filling in on vocals. We ended up with Adam, who was 14 years old, on drums and Martin on lead. They were both local to Colchester. The change to the garage type sound was just a natural thing, Bob and myself were interested in finding the original versions of songs from the Cramps live sets ,like Greenfuzz, Hurricane fighter plane etc and that led us down the rabbit hole of garage punk/psych, we liked the Stingrays first lp aswell, it had a unique sound, so different to anyone else kicking around at that time. The "these cats ain't nothin but trash" comp made us aware there was a "scene" so to speak. The Cannibals version of "Come see me" stood out. After a few gigs we were in touch with Mike Spencer of The Cannibals, I can't remember how we met but Mike gave us our first London gig downstairs at the Clarendon, I think supporting the Guana Batz. After a few more shows we had to let Adam go, he was still at school and would have to bunk off for gigs. We got John Jobaggy in, another Colchester boy. He had been playing with Howlin Wilf/James Hunter who was local. It's kind of strange because just before the Vibes got going i auditioned on drums for a band called the Hatchetmen, I remember two of the songs we played, Roscoe Gordon- No more Doggin and Amos Milburn- Bad Bad Whiskey, they'd got three sax players in, (one being Lee Thompson from Madness) it was Dot (guitar) and Tony's(double bass) band, they eventually went on to become the VeeJays, Howlin Wilfs band. They wanted me to join, even offered to buy me a new drum kit but I really liked what we were doing in the Vibes, so declined.

It was thanks to people like Mike Spencer, Roger Armstrong ( of Ace/Big Beat) and Bal Stingrays enthusiasm and support we got our first release out on Big Beat. When we got the test pressings of the EP I went to the BBC broadcasting house and sat and waited for John Peel to turn up. I gave him a copy and he played a track that night. It got a few more plays and got in the indie charts.Luckily he liked us , played "I'm in Pittsburgh " a good few times, gave us a BBC session, we had done a small tour of France after the EP release, after the Peel session we started getting offers to tour other parts of Europe. The John Peel Show was the only outlet for underground bands to get any kind of major exposure on the radio.

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

Being a part of the Vibes was pretty cool, musically we had a lot of freedom. There wasn't the constraints of playing a certain style, like in the rockin scene for example, we wanted to do our own thing and let rip. Once Johnny replaced Martin on guitar it all fell into place. I think Bal and Mike put us on to him, he was good friends with both and of course played in the Cannibals. Johnny was a great guitarist, real energy on stage. He really admired Wilko Johnsons style of playing. He became a real good friend aswell. So myself, Bob, Lloyd and John all came out of the Rockin scene, I think having that background added something to our sound, we wanted to keep the intensity and atmosphere of stuff like Burnette RnR trio, Gene Vincent etc and mix it up with rave-up 60s garage/punk, so like the Stingrays we didn't really sound like anyone else.

Material wise with the Vibes it was 50/50 covers and originals.. Bob and myself were the main record buyers in the band, I would stay over at Lloyd and Bob's place for the weekend for rehearsals so we used to sit for hours going through Pebbles, Highs in the mid-sixties, Eva comps, Back from the Grave, Bam-Caruso releases like Psychedelic Snarl.. there seemed to be quite alot of Texas 60s punk comps around, Texan Garage punk and psyche bands had a real edge to their sound, really distinct from other states, same with Texan rockabilly and blues.. other turntable faves being 13th Floor Elevators, Electric Prunes, Music Machine, Chocolate Watchband, Bo Diddley, Carl Perkins, Chess blues comps, Sun rockabilly comps, the Gun Club, Captain Beefheart - Safe as milk lp.. so much more.  

The bands I enjoyed sharing a stage with were the Stingrays who we new quite well, the Surfadelics who we did a lot of early gigs with and Bad Karma Bekons, Jude, Tom and myself became almost regular Friday night (after work in Rocks Off) drinking partners along with Bal Stingray and Stan Brennan, all just really nice cool people..

*Oh yeah of course Johnny Johnson was always there, this was around the time the Purple Things had formed, Stan had started Media Burn Records, so others like Nigel Lewis, Nick Garrard would show up now and then..

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

The bands I enjoyed sharing a stage with were the Stingrays who we new quite well, the Surfadelics who we did a lot of early gigs with and Bad Karma Bekons, Jude, Tom and myself became almost regular Friday night (after work in Rocks Off) drinking partners along with Bal Stingray and Stan Brennan, all just really nice cool people.. the Tallboys in bands we liked playing on the same stage with, the Vibes and Purple Things did shows with them. Again, real nice people.

The Bands on the scene I admired from afar were the Prisoners, Milkshakes and on the peripheral of the Trash/Garage scene, Scientists(the Purple Things supported them a couple of times). Gig wise I would go to see bands like the Birthday Party/Bad Seeds, Gun Club, post- punk bands.. Five gigs that stood out around that era for me was the Cramps at Hammersmith Palais, Birthday Party, Gun club both at the Venue, Victoria, Charlie Feathers at the Hibernian ? Fulham.. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds first show at Electric Ballroom Camden Town.

Which palces/venues had best ones for good party?

The most memorable gigs we did,( the Vibes) for me, were supporting the Fleshtones in Rennes, France, the Legendary Stardust Cowboy at the Paradiso, Amsterdam and a headliner at the Loft in Berlin. Everything else is a bit vague.

I had some other questions too..maybe later I could add em to here....

                    MARK ROBERTSON

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?

I started even earlier. So I was 7 when I saw the Beatles in Hard Day’s Night at the cinema and decided I wanted to be in a band. After that I had Heavy Rock, then Glam (I saw Roxy Music in 1974), then punk rock. That’s what changed my attitudes most. The idea of getting on stage, making a noise and releasing your own records. I was in London for the beginning of the 2 Tone movement and saw the top bands at very early stages. I was never into the teddy boy rock n’roll revival.

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

I was a huge music fan and went to gigs two or three times a week from about 1978 when I moved to London. Too many great memories for this blog.

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

The independence brought about by the punk scene.

Your first memories bout garage/trash boom? 

The Meteors manager Nick Garrard looked after a few of the bands. I liked the variety of styles. Punk and psychobilly had become a bit one-dimensional.

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

I was more of an audience member, a lot of shows happened at the Hope & Anchor which was my regular venue.

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

With the Tall Boys we had a sort of garage rock sound and a few of our songs became closely associated with the scene.

Did you do mostly covers or own songs? 

In the Tall Boys majority own songs.

Where from you got ideas for own songs and where from you found cover ones?

Almost everything came from Nigel (now Susan) Lewis. I suggested a few Stooges covers and I think Kevin suggested Chris Spedding’s Motorbikin’

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

Not free time. Most of the bands lived in Medway, I lived in London. Favourites – Cannibals, Vibes and Milkshakes.

Which places/venues had best ones for good party? 

Hope and Anchor and Dingwalls.

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

Nick Garrard (as manager of the Milkshakes). John Curd the promoter for adding these bands to the Klub Foot shows.

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

Rock On Records.

Highlight of garage/trash boom era? 

Four on 4 broadcast on The Tube.

How interested in media was bout garage/trash scene?

Sounds was quite interested, especially after Four on 4.

How long best days lasted and what happened afterwards?

Probably 3 years, but it was a long time ago so I can’t be sure. To be honest many of the records didn’t live up to the excitement of the live shows.

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

A number of the bands from the scene still make festival appearances and The Prisoners did a big show at the Roundhouse. My last proper band stopped in 2018, but I did a guest recording and the occasional live appearance with The Dustaphonics.

Any special story to share ?   

There are a lot of stories ! I’ve put all mine in my book “Ride This Torpedo”. Still a few copies left.     

 

 

Last few copies of my second book - Ride This Torpedo. Signed and dedicated if required, €22 France €28 Rest of World. Payment by PayPal to devilsrhythm666@gmail.com , please confirm address when ordering. 

The book covers The Escalators, Deadbeats, Ruffhouse All Stars, Tall Boys, Johnson Family, Queen B's and Jeroen Haamers and the Zorchmen. 

The Devil's Rhythm book is sold out everywhere. No reprint or e-book planned, but S/H copies do appear from time to time.