North East Punk

[Skaddnhotpies]

Back in 1978, I was 15 years old, and was massively into Punk music and the fashion of that era.
My hair was dyed dark red and spiked.
There was a pub, at the bottom of Church Street in, Mainsforth Terrace in Hartlepool, called The Birds Nest.
It was a proper dump, but it was always heaving, when they had their weekly gig night, for local bands playing punk music.
There were fights galore, some decent music at times too.
I cannot remember the names of the bands who played there, but the pub didn't last very long, and shut down for good by around 1980 iirc.
I went to the Rock Garden at Boro, a few times and saw some decent bands there.

That's when you didn't have a care in the world nothing else mattered , crap getting older like

I remember Dicker (one of many members) from The Toy Dolls used to own a pretty good guitar shop in town. It was called Sound World and used to be in Derwent Street and then moved to where Pop Recs is now next to The Bunker.

Your right about the many members anarl

 

[RichD]

The old twenty nine on a Saturday afternoon and Tuesday neet was the place to see local live bands. Young Start up bands played community centres, the bunker or WMC. For more established bands it was the polly or now and again Gens. The scene was great back then..

 

[WattStaxy]

Seaburn Hall had a run of gigs in summer 77, I bought a ticket from Spinning Disc for the first one(I think) The Jam but got turned away for being under 18, apparently it was a bit naughty inside.
One of my favourites The Saints played as well and 999 I think.

 

[Roker19]

Do you have any recollections of the ‘punk’ era in the North East? By that I mean the ‘local scene’. Not famous, good, or bad, punk bands you may have seen or met but the LOCAL proponents, movers and shakers, musicians, and various ne’er-do-wells that were around and active between 1976 and 1980 that would have been considered ‘punk’

Were YOU in a band or around then, organising gigs, posting flyers, engaged in activity? Did you witness local punk bands ‘breaking through’, crashing and burning and/or making fools of themselves? Do you have tales to tell?

Let’s hear about it. Post on the thread or send me a PM if you want to protect your anonymity.

A book is in preparation that will feature contributions from all the local luminaries and those who went further afield or engaged in activity around that period. Glen Matlock and Steve Jones have offered comment and guidance but otherwise all the ‘names’ so far are NE based or originated.

No benefit will accrue and none is offered. Just a chance to reminisce.

I’m not the author.
[/QUOTE

Was around at the time. Must be loads as there were punk bands on the 29 every week. I remember the ones that are better know such as Penrtration and Upstarts. Lesser known one would be the Rebels. Remember they had a bus on to see them play in a pub in Consett. It was full of Newcastle supporting hairys. Cue mayhem and one of the locals got glassed. Think the singer joined the army and they folded. Not a very punk thing to do at the time.The rest might have become Red Alert. Could be wrong,
Only other one Iremember by name were called the Press Studs. From Newcastle. Remember them on the 29. They had a sax player which was unusual but also he was dressed like a ted, drape on quaff the lot. Got a few hackles from 29. Happy days though.

 

[Skaddnhotpies]

The old twenty nine on a Saturday afternoon and Tuesday neet was the place to see local live bands. Young Start up bands played community centres, the bunker or WMC. For more established bands it was the polly or now and again Gens. The scene was great back then..

Spot on about the 29 , I used to walk past there on a Saturday and the friggin ground would be shaking, on me way to the army and navy stores think it was next door !!!

 

[lostinfrance]

No mate Dean crimp James was his name he's on the pc Stoker video and the James bond one and various others , he used to lend me his videos when they'd been playing abroad them Jarman's were a bit radged like

That was even after Baz Warne ?
Saw them at the New Crown in Shields at the end of '82 with Flip and Bob Kent. Next time I saw them was in Milan 2005.

 

[Deleted member 14766]

Hi chaps. I’m looking more for people connected and maybe even IN bands that gigged around that time but didn’t maybe get to the level of yer Penetrations and the Upstarts, even yer Puniluxes, Dolls (for example) They’re already included. Lesser known acts and venues etc would be lovely. By all means reminisce about gigs and bands but owt else would be great.

 

[Skaddnhotpies]

That was even after Baz Warne ?
Saw them at the New Crown in Shields at the end of '82 with Flip and Bob Kent. Next time I saw them was in Milan 2005.

Think there still going to this day anarl

 

[Roker19]

Was around at the time. Must be loads as there were punk bands on the 29 every week. I remember the ones that are better know such as Penrtration and Upstarts. Lesser known one would be the Rebels. Remember they had a bus on to see them play in a pub in Consett. It was full of Newcastle supporting hairys. Cue mayhem and one of the locals got glassed. Think the singer joined the army and they folded. Not a very punk thing to do at the time.The rest might have become Red Alert. Could be wrong,
Only other one Iremember by name were called the Press Studs. From Newcastle. Remember them on the 29. They had a sax player which was unusual but also he was dressed like a ted, drape on quaff the lot. Got a few hackles from 29. Happy days though.

 

[Tex]

Seaburn Hall had a run of gigs in summer 77, I bought a ticket from Spinning Disc for the first one(I think) The Jam but got turned away for being under 18, apparently it was a bit naughty inside.
One of my favourites The Saints played as well and 999 I think.

The Jam played there in June 1977 and that’s what got them noticed in the north east along with appearing on TOTP. I used to fib and say I was there but I wasn’t. But at that time you’d see lots of people wearing The Jam badges. I loved the energy of bands like the Buzzcocks and Undertones etc but couldn’t get behind the hockling and filth. When I saw The Jam in sharp black suits and skinny ties I thought ‘this is for me’ and marched off to the aforementioned Durham Book Centre to get a one inch wide black satin tie with The Jam on it!

Spot on about the 29 , I used to walk past there on a Saturday and the friggin ground would be shaking, on me way to the army and navy stores think it was next door !!!

Calling @RichDevoto !

I remember nipping in the Old 29 on a match day afternoon to see the R and B Spitfires playing a hundred miles an hour. Sticky carpets and broken glass. Stage in the ‘window’ as you walked in. Big Dougie on the door. Stowed out to the rafters!

 

[Skaddnhotpies]

The Jam played there in June 1977 and that’s what got them noticed in the north east along with appearing on TOTP. I used to fib and say I was there but I wasn’t. But at that time you’d see lots of people wearing The Jam badges. I loved the energy of bands like the Buzzcocks and Undertones etc but couldn’t get behind the hockling and filth. When I saw The Jam in sharp black suits and skinny ties I thought ‘this is for me’ and marched off to the aforementioned Durham Book Centre to get a one inch wide black satin tie with The Jam on it!

Calling @RichDevoto !

I remember nipping in the Old 29 on a match day afternoon to see the R and B Spitfires playing a hundred miles an hour. Sticky carpets and broken glass. Stage in the ‘window’ as you walked in. Big Dougie on the door. Stowed out to the rafters!

Happy days ,years ago you used to see punks ,skinheads ,mods, now just little chavs

 

[Jonny G]

I was in side effects , we were the first band to play the Green tce Bunker supporting High Speed Heros , we were also the band that was the first ever to play the Stockton road bunker , it was a great scene , we played youth clubs , we played the adventure playground when it opened at penny well ( yes that happened ) we also played the poly supporting big country , played most of all in pubs back in the day. Been in pub bands and a Joy division Tribute but semi retired now unless anyone wants to start a punk band haha !!

No glue , no glass bottles

 

[Skaddnhotpies]

I was in side effects , we were the first band to play the Green tce Bunker supporting High Speed Heros , we were also the band that was the first ever to play the Stockton road bunker , it was a great scene , we played youth clubs , we played the adventure playground when it opened at penny well ( yes that happened ) we also played the poly supporting big country , played most of all in pubs back in the day. Been in pub bands and a Joy division Tribute but semi retired now unless anyone wants to start a punk band haha !!

Class read mate

 

[c032745y]

Saw them at City Hall supported by local bands Punishment Of Luxury and Neon,both good bands.

They were still doing the rounds a couple of years ago

 

[Tex]

I was in side effects , we were the first band to play the Green tce Bunker supporting High Speed Heros , we were also the band that was the first ever to play the Stockton road bunker , it was a great scene , we played youth clubs , we played the adventure playground when it opened at penny well ( yes that happened ) we also played the poly supporting big country , played most of all in pubs back in the day. Been in pub bands and a Joy division Tribute but semi retired now unless anyone wants to start a punk band haha !!

No glue , no glass bottles

Big Country at the poly was discussed on here a few weeks ago. I don’t know why I never went as I used to go to see loads of bands and they weren’t well known at that point but they already had a bit of a buzz so not sure why I didn’t go. I know a few who were there and said it was absolutely mental something like five encores and they kept playing Fields of Fire coz they ran out of songs! “Massive!”

Saw them at Roker Park when they played ‘Boy About Town’!

They were still doing the rounds a couple of years ago

Didn’t know they were local. My band used to do a (bad) cover of Puppet Life for about a minute but it didn’t go over well so we dropped it!

 

[Cheesy Feet]

I was a young punk living up Downhill and used to follow Town End Farm band 'Disorder'..i used to knock about with the lead singer 'Roughy'..my crowd included Frankie Warsaw of 'Leatherface' fame..i also used to come down to Monkwearmouth School to see 'Red Alert' play..i went to see 'Red Alert' the other week at Independent supporting the 'Angelic Upstarts'..there was a good scene in Sunderland back then although I was a bit young for the gig scene in 1977..i saw the Upstarts once at the Old 29 and the Toy Dolls in Le Metro or whatever it was called then..SLF at the Poly..i used to go to the Ivy House on a Thursday night for Tommy Hairs punk disco and Green Terrace School on a Friday for more of the same..Heros on Fawcett Street became a bit of a hang out for us all then the Mowbray and the Locarno..great times and I made some great friends some of whom I still see today.
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[Butcher's Coat]

The Toys Dolls didn't form until around 1979 or so.
Before that, they were "Straw Dogs".

 

[Cheesy Feet]

Hi chaps. I’m looking more for people connected and maybe even IN bands that gigged around that time but didn’t maybe get to the level of yer Penetrations and the Upstarts, even yer Puniluxes, Dolls (for example) They’re already included. Lesser known acts and venues etc would be lovely. By all means reminisce about gigs and bands but owt else would be great.

The band I used to follow.. 'Disorder' from Town End Farm..they supported the Revillos at Sunderland Poly..there's pictures of them with the Revillos on a site called 'Bored Teenagers' but it won't let you copy them..anyway while the Revillos were on stage one of the Disorder lads..rumour had it 'Leroy' the bass player..went into the Revillos dressing room and had a shite in the sink..apparently when singer Fay Fife went back in and saw the turd she ordered the band out and stormed off in a right huff.

 

[Skaddnhotpies]

I was a young punk living up Downhill and used to follow Town End Farm band 'Disorder'..i used to knock about with the lead singer 'Roughy'..my crowd included Frankie Warsaw of 'Leatherface' fame..i also used to come down to Monkwearmouth School to see 'Red Alert' play..i went to see 'Red Alert' the other week at Independent supporting the 'Angelic Upstarts'..there was a good scene in Sunderland back then although I was a bit young for the gig scene in 1977..i saw the Upstarts once at the Old 29 and the Toy Dolls in Le Metro or whatever it was called then..SLF at the Poly..i used to go to the Ivy House on a Thursday night for Tommy Hairs punk disco and Green Terrace School on a Friday for more of the same..Heros on Fawcett Street became a bit of a hang out for us all then the Mowbray and the Locarno..great times and I made some great friends some of whom I still see today.

[/QUOTE]
I've been trying to think of the punk band I saw at gilley law youth center, I knew it began with a D but couldn't remember the name cheers for that been racking me brains all afternoon

 

[Cheesy Feet]

Eh? They were out in 1984!

The original punk scene was slightly before my time but I remember hearing about local bands Red Alert and Warsaw. I think Albie and the late DJ Tommy Hare were involved and the original bunker lads. Once they pressed a hand-written fanzine in my hand named ‘Acts of Defiance’.

There was a local teen TV show on a Friday night I forget the name. It did a feature once on local bands and I remember seeing big Marty Yule from Hot Rats playing the drums in a band named I Breathe First followed by the Rhythm Methodists singing ‘Don’t Rely On Me’ in Hero’s. This was maybe 1980, a bit after awareness of the original punk scene Around 1977.

Acts of Defiance was a fanzine made by Russ and Mick Dunbar and Raf Mulla..amongst others..they used to flog it at Tommy Hairs punk disco in the Ivy house on a Thursday night.