Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned or Buzzcocks

[Zed Seagull]

Damned. Still making brilliant records, there from the start, the original, the Ayatollas of punk-'n-roll-aaa!

'Grave Disorder' was one of the best albums of the last 10 years, 'Phantasmagoria' the 10 before that, 'The Black Album' the 10 before that.

For once im total agreement with you NMH!! Seen them twice over last 2 years and been superb both times. Grave Disorder is a terrific cd to boot!!

 

[5 Litres]

Indeed. Reminds me of seeing them at the Electric Ballroom in 1979 - cracking gig. ITV filmed it for a South Bank Show they were making about Rough Trade Records, so in theory there should be a videotape knocking about somewhere. I wonder how you get hold of a copy...?

Great band. I used to work for them and have some video footage including that particular gig. PM me your address and i'll send you a copy.

 

[wadhurstseagull]

I loved the Leyton Buzzards - No dry ice or flying pigs was a classic. Then they turned into Modern Romance and I condemned them to hell.

Based on that list would have to be The Clash followed by Sex Pistols for impact.

Undertones were the best though!

 

[5 Litres]

Definitely The Clash for me. Has any other band tried as many different styles as The Clash did and had any sort of success?

 

[NMH]

For once im total agreement with you NMH!! Seen them twice over last 2 years and been superb both times. Grave Disorder is a terrific cd to boot!!

YOU agree with me Zed? Is it too late for me to change my choice??

 

[Trufflehound]

I loved the Leyton Buzzards - No dry ice or flying pigs was a classic. Then they turned into Modern Romance and I condemned them to hell.

The problem with the Modern Romance thing was they forgot to tell anyone it was supposed to be a pisstake and all a big joke, so no one got it.

Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey may have been crap, but it won them a £10 bet with a Greek cab driver in London called Moosey, who claimed they couldn't write a song about him.

 

[Da Man Clay]

Clash

 

[Stinky Kat]

The problem with the Modern Romance thing was they forgot to tell anyone it was supposed to be a pisstake and all a big joke, so no one got it.

Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey may have been crap, but it won them a £10 bet with a Greek cab driver in London called Moosey, who claimed they couldn't write a song about him.

They could have done a jazz funk version of saturday night eneath the plastic palm trees

 

[cheeseroll]

The number of people who claim to have seen the Pistols grows each year! I 'went' to see them on numerous occasions but it turned out they were only rumours that they would be playing each time.

The Clash were superb live and had to be seen every tour.

Never saw the Damned.

The Buzzcocks seem to be whimsical on recent listening but at the time were very much punk and were different to everything else then in the charts (sailor, bolan, supertramp etc).

oh by the way - the Clash

 

[London Calling]

Just remnded me to play

The Best Punk album ever,

which did have most of the classics on it.

Starting with Anarchy Sound of the Subhurbs
New RosePublic Image
Alternative Ulster

No Clash but then I've got all of their stuff aprt from the total bollocks.

 

[NMH]

Only saw the pistols on their reunion tour, as I' passed on them in London back in the day in favour of seeing Eddie and the Hot Rods (a great choice though as E&HR were outrageously good!! while the sex pistols had a quick 15 minutes and a fight in the audience - swindlers indeed).
Anyway, lydon got the pistol reunion tour going after chatting with me about it - I'd even introduced him to the idea in the first place, so it was a free vip ticket for me.

The Buzzcocks were really quite decent live even on their later tours. I saw them in the late 90's and they were good then too. It's hard to blame them for refusing to come back onstage at The Top Rank Suite to be gobbed on and thrown at. That 'riot' was pathetic province wankers effing up a good chance to see and hear a good punk-pop band. The Clash also got bombarded with grollies, I know they really hated playing Brighton back then.

 

[Trufflehound]

The Buzzcocks were really quite decent live even on their later tours.

I think they were better on their later tours. They were good when I saw them in 1979, but great when I saw them again in 1990. The difference was they'd actually learned how to play their instruments in the intervening years.

 

[TSB]

Clash

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

blah blah blah...
Anyway, lydon got the pistol reunion tour going after chatting with me about it - I'd even introduced him to the idea in the first place, so it was a free vip ticket for me.

Are you Dwayne's father?

 

[NMH]

Are you Dwayne's father?

Perhaps - what's his Mum's name?

I suppose that question means you don't believe me?
He was a neighbour of my boat - his (and wife Nora's) cabin-cruiser/speedboat thingy was across the dock from mine. I used to give him the latest Arsenal scores every saturday morning, and lugged him into a taxi a couple of times after he hit the pub lino.

Anyway, it's not a boast to know that wanker, it's not like he's talented - and he might think he can drink a lot - but he can't hold it, any better than anyone else!

 

[Screaming J]

Sex Pistols for me as they had the most immediate arresting effect but granted the Clash probably over a long period of time.

If we're talking about historically important 'alternative' bands though would everyone agree Velvet Underground were the first and shaped everything?

Everything is probably a tad overstating it but you have a point. The New York Dolls & MC5 are worth a mention as is 'Raw Power' by Iggy & the Stooges.

Oh, and the first Modern Lovers LP, before J Richman went all acoustic.

The awful thing for me now I'm 48 is that whenever I hear any new bands I always seem to think " that sounds just like X".

Naturally one keeps one's thoughts to oneself on such occasions (don't want to add to my reputation as a boring old fart) but it also makes me realise - this music isn't meant to speak to me anymore. I'm too old!!

 

[REDLAND]

Good work Zed

Buzzcocks for me, sounds a brilliant today as it did when it was first released.