Punks Are Not Dead !, Zaterdag 29 Juli 2017, Lessines (B)

PUNKS ARE NOT DEAD

The Stranglers

The Stranglers are an English rock band who emerged via the punk rockscene. Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning four decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving and most “continuously successful” bands to have originated in the UK punk scene.

Formed as the Guildford Stranglers on 11 September 1974 in Guilford Surrey, they originally built a following within the mid-1970s pub rock scene. While their aggressive, no-compromise attitude identified them as one of the instigators of the UK punk rockscene that followed, their idiosyncratic approach rarely followed any single musical genre and the group went on to explore a variety of musical styles, from new wave, art rock and gothic rock through the sophisticated pop of some of their 1980s output.

They had major mainstream success with their single ‘Golden Brown’. Their other hits include ‘No More Heroes’, ‘Peaches’, ‘Always The Sun’ and ‘Skin Deep’

The Stranglers’ early sound was driven by Jean-Jaques Burnell’smelodic bass, but also gave prominence to Dave Geenfield’s keyboards. Their early music was also characterised by the growling vocals and sometimes misanthropic lyrics of both Burnel nd Hugh Cornwell ver time, their output gradually grew more refined and sophisticated. Summing up their contribution to popular music, critic Dave Thompson later wrote: “From bad-mannered yobs to purveyors of supreme pop delicacies, the group was responsible for music that may have been ugly and might have been crude – but it was never, ever boring

Buzzcocks

The Buzzcocks are an English punk rockband, formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto hey are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene , the independent record label movement, punk rock, power rock and indie rock. They achieved commercial success with singles that fused pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy. These singles were collected on Singles Going Steady, described by critic Ned Raggett as a “punk masterpiece”.

Devoto and Shelley chose the name “Buzzcocks” after reading the headline, “It’s the Buzz, Cock!”, in a review of the TV series Rock Folies in Time Out magazine. The “buzz” is the excitement of playing on stage; “cock” is Manchester slang meaning “mate” (as in friend/buddy). They thought it captured the excitement of the Sex Pistols and nascent punk scene.

Devoto left the band in 1977, after which Pete Shelley became the principal singer-songwriter.

The Bollock Brothers

The Bollock Brothers are a British Punk act formed in 1979 by the London promoter, DJ and manager Jock McDonald and are latterly best known for their English language cover of Serge Gainsbourg’s song “Harley David (Son of a Bitch)” (originally in French) and Alex Harvey’s “Faith Healer”.

As well as being renowned for their self penned creations such as “Horror Movies”, “The Bunker”, “The Legend Of The Snake” and “The Slow Removal of The Left Ear of Vincent van Gogh” which featured Martin Glover of the band Killing Joke, they are known for their release of cover versions by artists as diverse as Led Zeppelin, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Steppenwolf, David Bowie and Vangelis among others.

Always on the lookout for clever publicity, their 1983 electro version of the Sex Pistols’ album Never Mind The Bollocks received critical acclaim and featured Michael Fagan, the man who famously entered the Queen’s bedchamber at Buckingham Palace. Jimmy Lydon, brother of Johnny Rotten was a featured vocalist for a short while in the early 1980s.

In 1994, Croydon-based DJ Andy Hubbard aka “Alby” remixed Faith Healer at the Alaska Studios in Waterloo, London. The record although widely acclaimed on the club scene unfortunately was never released and the original DAT copy was held by Jock McDonald. Andy Hubbard also replaced the original keyboard player for a gig later that year in Wuppertal, Germany.

Having released nine studio albums as well as many other EPs, singles, live releases and compilations the band continues to be a popular live draw throughout Europe although primarily in Belgium, Germany and France.