My involvement in Punk goes back to being in a band with Roger Bullen in 1976. When Roger left to join Eater, I went onto drums and Roger’s mum got us a gig at the Roxy. My band was called Nuffin and we supported The Bears (just before their tragedy) and the Clutch Plates.

This gig happened on the 3rd August 1977. The day Janet Street Porter and the LWT crew were their to film part of Year Of the Punk which was screened on New years day 1978. Nuffin had a bout 30 seconds of fame on the show where ‘Red Day Blues’ was briefly aired along with a couple of quotes from me ‘n’ the boys.

I also was joint guitarist with Roger in Lenny And The Lemons where we co-wrote the unclassic ‘Ghost Train’. Since then? been in dozens of bands including Case (during the oi movement) done tours records airplay and still enjoy anonymity.” Cheers Neil Faulkner, November 2006

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It all starts here…. 1975-6

If you were between the ages of 14 and 16 and wanted to be in a band you would only be taken seriously if you could emulate the established British acts of the time. The gigs that my cohorts and me attended would feature Sparks, Thin Lizzy, Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash and David Bowie. We were into a mixture of loud, hard rock and outrageous showmanship.

With the exception of Steven Flynn (Flynny) who was quite an accomplished guitarist, we were all falling at the first fence in our attempts at being musicians. Our lack of musical ability meant that we had to compromise and invent something that we could actually play. We didn’t know it at the time but we started playing what was later labelled punk rock.

1975

During the early months of 1975 two bands from Caterham in Surrey emerged and started writing and rehearsing. A band that alternated between the names of Maggot and True Grit represented Caterham Valley. Caterham on the Hill spawned an outfit called Embryo. All members of both bands attended de Stafford comprehensive school in Caterham. The line ups of these bands varied but the mainstays were:

Maggot/True Grit

Chris Brown – vocals
Barry Louvel – guitar
Neil Faulkner (Me) – guitar/drums
Clive Hook – drums

Embryo

Steven Flynn – guitar
Paul Flynn – bass
Chris Brown – vocals
Roger Bullen – drums

It was during 1975 that an older, more established local gigging band were splitting up to go their own way and find fame and fortune. They were known as The Tor Band and featured Simon Fitzgerald on guitar and Chris Miller on drums. Chris joined The Damned via a brief liaison with London SS and became Rat Scabies. Simon teamed up with Johnny Moped when Ray Burns (Captain Sensible) left Moped to join Rat in the Damned. Simon became Slimey Toad.

1976

With Chris Brown floating between the two bands it was inevitable that by 1976 the two bands would finally jam together. These bands never played in public other than to friends at rehearsals in the local British Legion.

Early self-penned songs:

Maggot/True Grit
Another Drinking Night
Pigs Can’t Fly
Loser
I’m Gonna Wash That Van Right Out Of My Hair
Embryo
Boney
Put The Lights On Me
A C Grise Track
Suitcase

Embryo and Maggot had merged by mid 1976 and slimmed down to a five-piece consisting of the founder members plus me on second guitar.

September – December 1976

Friday September 24th 1976 Chris called round. We wrote a song entitled ‘Pigs Can’t Fly’ It is brilliant. The best I’ve done musically ever.

Saturday September 25th Chris and I recorded ‘Pigs Can’t Fly’ onto cassette. I think I can start getting into song writing. I’m finding it easier to put riffs together. I have to say ‘Pigs’ sounds unique and really is our own sound and style. Must get some rehearsals together with Flynny, Paul and Chris and see what we can make of it. I don’t know what these punk bands sound like uptown. Pity it hasn’t reached Croydon yet. I’m hoping it is something we can get a grip on. Paul and Roger have joined Eater so it must be something we can play.

Sunday October 31st Wishbone Ash gig at Fairfield Halls. These guys can really play and they can create a small club atmosphere. They don’t act like untouchable superstars. They play to the whole venue but if you’re down the front they seem to be just playing to you. Laurie Wiseman, the new guitarist, fits in well. I’m gonna have to take guitar lessons. It’s the only way I’ll ever be good enough to get on stage myself. Actually drums might be easier.

By the time The Sex Pistols had ‘Grundied’ themselves into the history books, Embryo had become known as Bucket ‘ead.

During the autumn of 1976 Roger (now reincarnated as Dee Generate) was enjoying his new found fame in the press-drenched ‘punk’ scene in London. Dee was interviewed by Caroline Coon of the Melody Maker and asked Dee about his past. He mentioned he had been in a band with school friends. Caroline asked ‘what was the band called? Dee, in a brief silent fit of embarrassment about the name Embryo, wanted to say the band didn’t really have a name. His answer came out ‘oh er Nuffin’. Dee had just re-christened his old band and given us a credible punk pedigree all in one brief moment of hesitation.

Up to this point, life in Caterham had not been influenced by the happenings in London. We were 14, 15 & 16 year olds reading about it in the press but underestimated its volatility and relevance. By the time the Today programme had happened we knew we had discovered new role models and heroes and had something to aim for. Of course, like everyone else, getting to see these innovative bands was now virtually impossible. A mate of ours – Roger Smith who later became a guitarist in one of my later bands – did catch the Pistols at the 100 Club in July. Roger said that he thought he had witnessed something rather special that night. All of a sudden, we were in competition with a thousand other bands for finding gigs.

There wasn’t much in the way of punk records available at the time. The only records I bought in late 1976 were the Sex Pistols ’Anarchy In The UK’, The Damned’s New Rose’, The Vibrators’ ‘We Vibrate’ and a Flamin’ Groovies EP which remotely passed as punk back then. When I heard the Damned’s ‘New Rose’ I knew I had found it. This was a band that sounded a bit like us. I had actually bought a record where the musicianship wasn’t that much greater than my own. I knew I could do this. And so did everyone else. I realised I didn’t need to waste time learning an instrument. I just needed to craft some songs together.

January – February 1977

By now we had all experienced the raw energy of ‘Anarchy’, ‘I Wanna Be Me and ‘New Rose’. Inevitably we covered these songs in our rehearsal set. My composition ‘Pig’s Cant Fly’ seemed to hit the spot from our ‘pre-punk’ days along with Embryo favourites ‘Boney’ and ‘AC Grise Track’.  

Saturday January 8^th Nuffin a jam session today in the backroom. Roger played drums, Flynny guitar, me guitar, Chris on vocals and Paul on bass. Everyone piled in for a listen: Julie, Melanie, Claire, Helen, Roy, Warren, Rob, Barry, Alan, Clive, Carol, Mike, Derek and Cuan. Played Anarchy at least half a dozen times and wrote a new song. Didn’t get it finished, as the girls wanted us to go down the football club for few beers. Didn’t realise being in a band was going to make us so popular.

Tuesday January 25^th Nuffin rehearsal in back room. Back to four piece line up with me on drums. Went through:

Suffragette City
Pigs Cant Fly
AC Grise Track
Boney,
Suitcase
New Rose
Anarchy In The UK
I Wanna Be Me

Wednesday January 26^th Rehearsal at Paul’s place. Went through last night’s set. Sounding good.

Saturday January 29^th Rehearsal at Flynny’s house. Went through our set three times. Broke four drumsticks and got seven blisters. Fuckin’ excellent!

Monday January 31^st Rehearsal in back room. Sounded shit so Chris and Locky (our sound man) went down the pub. Roger took over on vocals. Did New Rose loads of times. (Knackered) Chris returns and we run through the set. I struggled after too many New Roses.

We were now eager to see what Eater were doing and get up on stage and do our thing. Eater’s manager was keen for his band to play to a wider audience and agreed to play a date in Caterham with Nuffin as support. We cobbled together our first live set which contained a mixture of covers and originals:

Suffragette City
Anarchy In The UK
I Wanna Be Me
AC Grise Track
Pigs Can’t Fly
Boney
New Rose
Blitzkrieg Bop
Beat On The Brat
Judy Is A Punk

Friday February 4^th Bought the Ramones album and gave Roger back his copy.

Tuesday February 15^th Dr Feelgood on the Old Grey Whistle Test. They’re not punk but I’ve liked them since I saw them on the Geordie Scene a few years ago.

Wednesday February 16^th Had a jam with Flynny (both on guitars) decided we sounded good and decided to ask a mate to drum for us to see if I should move onto guitar permanently.

Monday February 21^st Had a jam with Marcus on drums (Marcus is an old school friend who I had bought my drum kit off back in 1975). There was loads of feedback but we sounded tight for a new line-up.

Tuesday February 22^nd Another run through as per yesterday. Bits were OK but overall it sounded shit. Decided that the Marcus experiment failed. Chris will break the news. He’ll come up with something believable like “Neil’s chopped the top of his finger off and can’t play guitar anymore”. (Nice one).

March 1977

Next up for a local ban was The Damned who were due to play Fox’s in South Croydon on Thursday March 3^rd. We got turned away at the door of the club as the ban had not been announced.

Tuesday March 8^th The Old Grey Whistle Test and for the first time I hear whispering Bob Harris acknowledging punk. In his weekly round-up he states “The new Stranglers single is great, and the Damned who are the best new wave act have released their debut album – oh by the way – New Rose is terrific!”  

Bob Harris: Here is someone who I listened to on Radio 1 on the ‘Sounds of the Seventies’ (along with John Peel’s ‘Top Gear’), who once extolled the virtues of Ry Cooder Neil Young and the Average White Band was now was getting off on punk rock. Didn’t seem to make sense to me but I was excited by it.   

Tuesday March 15^th This evening Roger and Paul came round and we had a jam. I was on drums, Paul played guitar and Roger did some vocals. It was bloody disgusting we had written songs about shagging women whilst on the blob, catching a dose of crabs, anal sex and blow jobs. We christened the band Dee Generate and the VD Scabs. (My parents were out that evening).

Eater were playing the Roxy on Thursday March 17^th and we weren’t going to miss this for anything. Paul, for some reason opted not to go and stayed at the Bullen’s house whilst we all drove up in two cars to see the gig. Roger’s brother Bob, Flynny Chris and me in one car and Roger’s mum (Helen), Charlie (Helen’s boyfriend) and Roger’s younger sister) Caroline in another.

The smell of beer, hairspray, cheap perfume, burning lights, sweat and dope along with the images of  blatant sex-on-display and the seemingly irrelevant Jamaican Dub reggae being ripped through the PA system all mixed together to form a cocktail of the forbidden. It took a while to take it all in. I was a self-conscious observer for much of the evening. Eater’s manager invited us into the small narrow dressing room at the side of the stage where we chatted with the band members. Andy Blade appeared dressed in black and every inch the star as did Dee. In contrast, Brain Chevette didn’t say much and Ian Woodcock appeared surprisingly normal, the Glen Matlock of the band.

We were told that the support band hadn’t turned up and was asked if we would like to play a set. Two unbelievable moments occurred. The first was me thinking, were going up on that stage in front of all these people, ‘let’s go for it’. A split second later Flynny calmly reminds me we haven’t got a bass player and declines. Ian Woodcock in true rock ‘n’ roll tradition offers to stand in without ever hearing our set (most of it were covers anyway) but Flynny feels it wouldn’t be right. My heart plummets back down to the floor once again.

Eater playing No Brains at The Roxy Club – from Don Letts’ Punk Rock Movie

So Eater played two sets and ran through their usual set including Waiting For The Man, Sweet Jane, Fifteen, Outside View, I Don’t Need It and You. I remember watching Brian Chevette playing his Les Paul and using open chords (not barre or power chords) at blistering high volume – just open D’s C’s and G’s. It didn’t smack of rock but it was full of attitude. This coupled with Andy’s rasping, angry vocal and Dee’s solid drumming and theatrics like gobbing blood capsules over everyone, these three were the epitome of young rebellious bad attitude.

Ian’s bass was somewhat over-tuneful but it added a touch of clarity to what was otherwise a wall of noise. I later learned that the night had been recorded for a Roxy compilation album. To confirm this I remembered Andy Blade’s outburst on stage “What about you at the back then eh? D’ya come ‘ere to pose? You’re not hip if you pose at the Roxy any more’ which later appeared on the record.

We finally persuaded our school de Stafford to allow us to play a set at one of their ‘Disco’ nights. It wasn’t ideal but it meant we finally got to play in public. It was 8pm on Friday March 18^th that we eventually walked on stage and played the Stafford Hall set. From the opening chords of Suffragette City, via our versions of the Pistols, Damned and Ramones songs, we had done it and the young new wave fanatics in the audience had got their first taste of live punk rock. I had felt a mixture of terror and euphoria. The nervous energy combined with every song played at break-neck tempo resulted in me feeling shattered but ecstatic after the set.  I remember thinking to myself on stage, I’d never be up here now, actually playing a gig if it hadn’t been for the media explosion after the Pistols.

I was only 17 then and just accepted what was happening without question, as if it was all meant to happen the way it did. On reflection and with cynicism of a bloke in his mid-forties, punk rock could easily have stayed underground and been no more in the mainstream arena than the Teddy Boy revival. The Damned would have been the stars of the pubs and clubs, The Clash were always going to achieve world-wide public acceptance with their music and become the superstars they deservedly became. But the Pistols, with McLaren’s game plan, dragged the whole scene out into the open. It no longer belonged in the clubs of London and Manchester but in the homes and streets all over the UK. I had played my first ever gig because our music had suddenly become fashionable. If I had waited for the day when I was as musically astute as Wishbone Ash, I would still, to this day be a bedroom musician.

Saturday March 26^th The Damned were on Supersonic this morning. Fuckin’ excellent! Sensible made a prat of himself by falling arse over tit at the end.

April 1977

Thursday April 7^th Rehearsal at Flynny’s. Good one. Some new girls turned up Rita and Tina (twins) I reckon one of them fancies me but I can’t work out which one’s which.

Saturday April 9^th Me and Chris write a new song for the band ‘S.O.S For The SS’. It’s a Ramones type song. Can’t wait to play it to Flynny.

Eater played a blinder tonight much better than the Roxy. The support band was not punk and had a set of congas on stage. These were pushed to the side of the stage for Eater’s performance. There was no way Dee Generate was going to do a gig with Congas on stage. “Get those off now, get them off the fuckin stage.”  He gets up from behind his kit and pushes them into the crowd. After the gig Paul and I chatted with Ian Woodcock. He really isn’t a punk and he was far too musical for Eater. He did tell us that we should be playing at every opportunity. I couldn’t agree more. Tonight got me focused on wanting to be a part of this. We must get gigging now!

Tuesday April 5^th The Stranglers are on the Old Grey Whistle Test. Filmed live at the Hope And Anchor and playing ‘Peasant In The Big Shitty’ and ‘Hanging Around’.

Wednesday April 13^th  Also got my Damned Disciples songbook that I sent away for. It’s got a picture of Caroline (Roger’s Sister) accompanying the ‘Stretcher Case’ lyric. We knew the song was about her.

On Saturday April 16^th we all went off to the de Stafford sixth form disco in Coulsdon. We heard the DJ spin the Pistols, Damned, Clash and the Stranglers. All perfectly acceptable, all part of the suburban scene. Punk was now dead in the clubs and had already reached school discos within four months of the Pistols ‘ground zero’. Even my long-haired and flared older brother Kevin was half dancing, half pogoing to New Rose and White Riot. Kevin’s favourite band was Supertramp. What on Earth was happening?

When Rat bought his white kit his old black set was sold to Dee Generate. This too was of similar layout, with a tom stand and no toms on the bass drum. By the end of April, my bashed up old kit had been covered in white sticky-back plastic. I bought myself a tom tom stand and attached my two toms. Drum rolls around the kit had to be relearned to combat the huge distance between the snare drum and the two hanging toms.

The look of the kit was more important than being able to play it. To me, only the Damned, Eater and Nuffin had a drum kit set up like that and that really meant something. When we finally played the Roxy we had to share a kit with the much more established Bears but I insisted the Bears drummer remove his toms from his bass drum so that I could use my tom stand. The TV footage from the ‘Year Of The Punk’ that was filmed that night clearly shows The Bears, Clutch Plates and Nuffin all using those white hanging toms.

Flynny was inspired to write some amazingly original and intelligent guitar riffs that perfectly complimented Chris Brown’s social commentary. Our set grew with more and more self-penned material. Flynny was a perfectionist and despite the fact that punk was about getting up there and doing it regardless of talent, Flynny wanted to rise above the hundreds of unknown bands and wanted Nuffin to have a little more substance. Chris was an excellent lyricist and was now churning out some superb material, some of it had social and political relevance ‘Centre Point Anywhere’ ‘Crowd Control’ ‘Out Of Action’ others were about girls ‘Red Day Blues’ and ‘Mandy Tuesday Wendy’. It was because of this quest for perfection that we we would rehearse sometimes twice a week without any gigs on the horizon, Flynny even turned down a Roxy gig in April because he thought we weren’t ready. I kept my disappointment to myself, after all, the Pistols weren’t gigging and it wasn’t doing them any harm.

We still had local star status purely because of our association with Rat, Dee and Slimey. We had done a gig, been banned and got our names in the press.

Friends of friends would come knocking asking for drum lessons (like I was that good!). My brother Kevin and his mates were interested in the singles I was buying, most of them didn’t hit the charts and they were fascinated how I knew all these ‘unknown’ punk bands. I had got a job in the centre of London and it allowed me to try all the privately owned record shops. My punk Mecca was a small shop down Cannon Street called James Asman. Their entire shop window was dedicated to the latest punk releases. I would visit every week and make sure I bought everything that had been released that week.

With Don Letts’ influences, I also discovered records by Lee Perry and the Upsetters, Dillinger, Creation and Bob Marley. My education was furthered with US  acts New York Dolls, Iggy & The Stooges, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground. TV and Radio played Patti Smith, Television and MC5. It all seemed to blend together so naturally and it all belonged in my life right there and then. I suddenly found myself as some kind of punk knowledge. People were saying “If there was a new band Neil probably had either heard of them or had bought their record already”. In actual fact the knowledge I passed on was probably only days old as I was on a voyage of discovery of my own.

Friday April 22^nd Bought Sounds and read up on The Damned in America. They’ve played CBGB’s in New York. They are gonna be big I’m sure of it.

Saturday April 30^th Rehearsal at Flynny’s. Tried to record it as a demo to send out to labels. It was shit.

May-July 1977

Thursday May 5^th Went over to Paul’s place. We discussed equipment, songs, gigs, and people. Let’s fuckin gig for Christ’s sake!! Came home watched Election Special. Callaghan’s an old wanker. It all seems Conservative to me now. Paul Weller thinks so.

Friday May 6^th Roy wants to borrow my Damned album. He’s into Led Zeppelin. Maybe he wants to belong.

Saturday May 7^th Band rehearsal. Best one for ages.

First up were The Prefects. We’re better than them. Subway Sect were good in places. Vic Goddard is a good frontman. The Buzzcocks were brilliant. That sawn off guitar sounds like a hoover on drugs. They played Boredom and Love Battery. Must get the EP. The Jam were so professional. Everything was black and white. The lights were just white – very mod Their suits and gear were black and white. Just Weller and Foxton, two blokes making the Rainbow stage look very small.

Finally The Clash come on stage. The backdrop looks great (riot scenes). The Clash play their entire album and I am totally awe-struck. This band is so professional. Its 100% punk but it is also pure ageless rock n roll. I have rarely seen such an event. Punk bands play clubs and pubs, the Clash were ready for bigger things. I was thinking Springsteen fans in the US would accept them. Stones fans in the UK and around the world will embrace them but they still belonged to London.

Joe Strummer was god that night. I have not been moved by so much musical passion and intensity ever since. I do not know why I felt like I did that night. The Clash had injected the ultimate fix into my very existence. I want to be them.  Front row seats were ripped out and thrown about the venue. It was everything plus more. I wish I understood it all. If I did, it may not be so magical. I won’t sleep tonight. Stopped off at a chippy on the way home.

What else has 1977 got to offer apart from the Jubilee?

Tuesday May 10^th Paul Locky and Me were invited round to Roger Smith’s place. (Roger – went to the Pistols gig at 100 Club – is an old friend from school and he was probably the first person I knew who could play guitar. He would spend break time at School going back as far as 1973. He would jam with other de Stafford musicians and we would look through the window into the music room from the playground and think, I wish I could do that. Roger had been playing for quite a while and was into Alice Cooper).

Roger’s younger brother Graham was on drums. Fuckin’ ‘ell he shits all over me. However, they weren’t punk, despite their attempts at angling their music in that direction. They were once called something pretentiously French like ‘je’taime nob plois’ (Roger will want to correct me on this and state it was ‘Gitane’ but I wont let him ‘cos I am the author) and now they were called Satan’s Vampires. Roger had the words ‘The Count’ written on his Les Paul copy. Pity he can’t spell). They played a tough number entitled ‘Trinity’.

I knew that these guys were good but they hadn’t yet quite got the message. It was ten months since Roger saw the raw Pistols. I was still wet from the Clash gig. They had a very good singer in Roland Skilton but he seemed from another age. Me and Paul laughed but we were both silently impressed. If these real musicians wanted a slice of the Caterham punk scene we would have to step up our profile and do some gigs.

Thursday May 19^th The Jam were on TOTPs

Tuesday May 24^th Nuffin Rehearsal here. Tried out Flynny’s four new songs. They were all brilliant.That’s10 of our own songs now:

BoneyAC Grise TrackPigs Can’t FlyOut Of ActionMandy Tuesday WendyCrowd ControlCentre Point AnywhereRed Day BluesPunk EmenySOS For The SS

Thursday May 26^th The Stranglers were on TOTPs.

Saturday May 28^th Rehearsal at Paul’s was OK but Kevin crashed his bike so we cut it short to go to Redhill General. Also found out that Roger has left (or been) kicked out of Eater. Just before going to America as well.

Saturday June 4^th Rehearsal At Flynny’s. Very good. There’s a rumour that our support band for Chaldon is Rat Scabies – Guitar, Captain Sensible – Bass Roger on Vocal’s and Johnny Moped’s drummer – Dave Berk – actually drumming.

Thursday June 9^th Rehearsal here. Sounded good.

Friday June 10^th Rehearsal at Paul’s. Discovered Goodness Records (in Caterham Valley) now has a new wave box of singles on the counter. Will have to check that out on a regular basis.

A bloke called Chris runs goodness Records. He eventually sets up a record label as he is friends with Slimey Toad and wants to release a Toad solo single. Chris calls the label Toadstool Records.

Wednesday June 15^th Roger came round to borrow my amp for a rehearsal with his new band ‘Dirty Works’.

The encore included a pie fight with real chocolate cake and Lemon Meringue. We completely messed up the stage, the gear and the first five rows of people. Everyone loved it. Took ages to clear up after.

Thursday July 14^th Sex Pistols doing Pretty Vacant on TOTPs. About bloody time too. It was excellent entertainment.

Friday July 15^th Went round Roger’s. Had a load of beers to celebrate Lenny resigning from his job. (I think he worked in a bank). He told them he was bored. Helen cut my hair. I showed Helen the picture of Wayne Barrett (Slaughter) on the Roxy album cover and wanted it cut like that. Helen obliged.

Saturday July 16^th Had a rehearsal here. Went well. First time we’ve played since the gig. It sounded really fresh. Tonight I stayed in and recorded ‘Johnny Rotten – The Punk and his music’ off the Radio. It was a two hour interview with Tommy Vance interspersed with music from Rotten’s collection. I was amazed at Rotten’s calmness on the show. Very laid back. He certainly opened my ears to music that I did not think he would ever have in his collection. There was stuff by Captain Beefheart, Creation, John Cale, Doc Alimantado amongst others.

Sunday 24^th July  Helen’s got us a gig at the Roxy in a couple of weeks. Charlie’s gonna hire a big van so we can get all the gear and a load of friends in the back.

August 1977

Mid afternoon we loaded up the van and everyone piled in. Charlie driving, Helen and Caroline (in the front,, me, Melanie, Julie, Claire, Flynny, Chris, Paul, Michael R, Lenny, Clive and two of his mates. Fifteen of us. It’s a good job we all love each other. Arrive about five-ish. Funny, the place looks less daunting in daylight and empty. Some bloke greets us at the door and says that a film crew from London Weekend Television are here tonight and would like to record us and interview us. He asked us to sign an agreement. We all agreed!!!

Took the gear through to the club area. There were TV sound guys two cameramen a director and Janet Street Porter in there. They ignored us whilst we waited for our soundcheck. We were told to use the Bears’ backline. I didn’t like the idea of using their kit. I had to have my toms and stand, I didn’t want a normal looking kit! The Bears went through their check. They made some awesome noises on guitar. Loads of echo and distortion.

As soon as we get off stage Janet Street Porter and the crew approached us. They ask us to sit on the stage and she commenced her questions. Janet explained that they were recording a London Weekend Show Special entitled The Year Of Punk and they wanted to cover the Roxy. They decided it would be good to film the Roxy’s audition night. Janet fired the first question to Flynny, “Why did you decide to form a band?” Flynny started a piss take saying that we were all in it for the women. Nothing else just as much shagging as possible. This line of questioning didn’t make the director very happy. He cut the filming and said ‘Janet if we are going to get any sense out of this lot we’ll have to film in the dressing room away from their mates.

So we all marched into the small dressing room. This time Janet asked me why we wanted to play the Roxy. I said that it was still hard to find good gigs when you’re unknown. I said that I thought the Roxy wasn’t a bad place to play. Janet asked Chris if this was what we wanted to do for a living. Chris came back with “Well not yet two of us are off to University, He’s (Flynny) studying physics and I’m doing British Constitution. I thought ‘That’s blown it – not very punk rock was it?” This time the director seemed quite happy and thanked us.

The place started filling up. It wasn’t like the last time. The punks from months ago were gone and we were looking at a much more designer look. I mean, our girls looked the part but I know they had bought it all in Croydon earlier. There were a few hardcore originals there tonight but it certainly was not their venue anymore. It wasn’t as packed as the Eater night, after all we were all unknown.

We went on at about 9 pm for what turned out to be about a half hour set.

Rosalyn
Red Day Blues
Out Of Action
Crowd Control
Mandy Tuesday
Pigs Can’t Fly
Centre Point Anywhere

We played OK but the sound was a bit too distorted for our sound and I couldn’t hear the vocals in the monitors. Also, the extra TV lighting meant it was blinding on stage. We went down well and that was the most important thing.

We started watching the Clutch Plates. I really liked them. Nice bunch of blokes as well. About two or three songs in and I noticed that we were all slowly drifting upstairs to the other bar. I discovered that the film crew had shifted their focus from the Clutch Plates and gone upstairs to film an interview with Roger. They asked him to sit on the bar and the filming started. This is when I realised I was standing near Siouxsie. She was listening intently to every reply Roger was giving which was full of expletives and put-downs. He slagged off our school, his hometown and everything in general.

Went back downstairs the crew was setting up for the Bears. Their set was good. I was just amazed by this guitarist. He knows his stuff. The singer came over a bit arrogant but they were shit hot compared to us.

Sunday August 7^th Roger is in the News Of The World. We all go out and buy copies and read it. The angle is that a mother was encouraging her 15 year old boy to bunk off school, have sex with girls, take drugs and get drunk. It also mentioned how he hated Caterham and everything it stood for. The local press picked up on it as well. Now let’s wait for the shit to come into contact with the fan. Despite the possibility of another local punk backlash we decided to push on with more gigs. Helen will help us get another Roxy date plus St Peter’s In Croydon, Redhill Tech and Woldingham. Mum handed me a note from Diane today (my 12 year old cousin). She wants me to do a compilation tape of punk singles so she can play them to her schoolmates.

Tuesday August 9^th Nuffin rehearsal at Tim’s (Nye) place. We’ve speeded up the tempo a bit. Sounds better.

Saturday August 13^th Nuffin rehearsal at Flynny’s. We played So Messed Up, See Her Tonite and Pretty Vacant. Good laugh.

Monday August 22^nd Was interviewed on the phone by Sandy Harrod of the Croydon Advertiser. Told her about the Roxy and the TV appearance, also let her know that we were planning some more gigs and weren’t put off by what has happened since Roger’s New of The World episode. (Roger’s house has been under siege from neighbours, bricks through windows, hate mail, you know, the usual stuff.    

Thursday August 25^th Boomtown Rats and The Adverts on TOTPs. (Fantastic)

Friday August 26^th Bought both New York Dolls albums as a double repackage. Fuckin superb. Personality Crisis, Jet Boy, Showdown all top shit.

Monday August 29^th Had a Lenny And The Lemons rehearsal today. Lenny on guitar, Paul on bass, me on guitar, Andy (Cook) on drums (Phil) Pacey on vocals.

Saturday August 30^th Had a party here. Went on until about 2am. I wanted to carry on so I jumped on the moped and shot up to Roger’s where he, Lenny and Paul were having their own party. Carried on until 10am. rode home went to bed.

September – December 1977

Saturday September 3^rd Rehearsal here. Lenny turned up, Clive Melanie and Mandy.

Saturday September 10^th Rehearsal at Flynny’s. Sounded Ok. Rita and Tina did backing vocals, couldn’t really hear them but I‘d shag ‘em. (preferably at the same time).

Monday September 12^th Bought Stooges album today. 1969, I Wanna Be Your Dog. Fuckin’ great. 

Thursday September 15^th Generation X on TOTPs 

Saturday September 17^th Nuffin rehearsal at Paul’s. Rita and Tina turn up with a friend plus Marcos (who keeps looking at my fingers) and Martin Parrot (Martin features prominently in later bands). These rehearsals are like mini gigs. You always play better when girls you want to shag are watching you.

Saturday September 24^th Lenny And The Lemons rehearsal.

We wrote our first song. We wrote a line each:

Lenny:         I’m on a ghost train

Paul:            With a girl

Andy:           With stockings on

Pacey:          I’m scared, so scared

Me:              But not of the ghosts

Tuesday September 27^th Bought The Boys LP. There’s not a duff track on it. First Time is a lot less poppy than the single version.

Sunday October 2^nd Generation X gig at the Greyhound (Croydon). Bouncers wouldn’t let me in. Fucking wankers. Came home to find out that we are playing Woldingham on October 21^st.

Tuesday October 11^th Found out the owners of Woldingham Hall have refused us the gig. They don’t want punk bands. We have been refused or turned down more gigs than we have actually played! We were to play de Stafford again but that’s been cancelled as well!

Saturday October 15^th Had rehearsal here. We weren’t going to have a jam today because we lent our equipment to Rat, Toad and Moped, who were in the area and wanted some gear to jam on. They cancelled so we went ahead. It was shit at first but we got better towards the end. John Otway & Wild Willie Barrett were on ‘So It Goes’ (with Tony Wilson) tonight.

Tuesday October 18^th John Otway & Wild Willie Barrett were on Old Grey Whistle Test. Found out that we can do a set at de Stafford (in the drama hall this Friday afternoon for the sixth formers)

Wednesday October 19^th Went along to a Cert X rehearsal with Paul. Their set is getting more new wave now.

Friday October 21^st Nuffin did the de Stafford gig. Quite good. It was part of their social studies group, you know, politics and music. With this in mind we played:

Out Of Action
Pigs Can’t Fly
Crowd Control
Centre Point Anywhere
Anarchy For The UK 

Then Chris announced we would like to do a couple of songs about another subject we’re fond of: girls. We then proceeded to play So Messed Up and Red Day Blues. Ha Ha!

Apparently the old Tor band are thinking of reforming and have said they want to support us!

Tuesday October 25^th Bought Stooges’ Fun House album. Didn’t realise there was so much good US punk about. And they’ve been playing this stuff a lot longer than the UK. If only I could have discovered this music sooner, I wouldn’t have wasted years trying to sound like Ritchie Blackmore and getting so depressed.

Wednesday October 26^th Bought the new Stranglers album ‘No More Heroes’ and finally The Sex Pistols. Thought it would never come out. Well worth the wait. Sound like Matlock all the way through. Don’t think Vicious is playing any bass on the album which proves it was recorded yonks ago.

Friday November 4^th Bought the John Otway and Wild Willie Barrett album. It’s really free. Ha Ha. You cant beat lyrics like ‘You ought to see Louisa ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ and a ridin’ on an ‘orse’. Pure class.

Tuesday November 8^th The Tubes and Johnny Thunders on Old Grey Whistle Test. Didn’t think the Tubes were punk, but they are now.

Saturday November 12^th Nuffin rehearsal at Paul’s. Flynny has written a new song and Chris has already done lyrics. ‘We’re Plastic’ is a song about Cert X. Chris seems to think their punk stance is pretentious. I must admit, they are shit hot musicians and now they are pretending they can only play three chords. Anyway, ‘We’re Plastic’ is without doubt our best song so far. It’s an epic with its theatrical type soundtrack. We will have to do a demo and get this song recorded.

Tuesday November 15^th Rehearsal at Flynny’s. Chris smashed the light (not with his voice). We’re Plastic is sounding brilliant. Tonight ‘Play For Today’ on BBC was based around punk rock – ‘Nipper’. It included music by The Damned, Jam, Pistols and Stranglers.

Play for Today – Nipper (1977) by Barrie Keeffe & Brian Farnham

Saturday November 26^th Rehearsal at Flynny’s. We’ve got another new song called ‘No Firemen’. Very topical. Still think ‘We’re Plastic’ is the best. Tonight the Pistols, XTC, London, and the Banshees were on So It Goes. Wonder if the Banshees will ever release a record.

Tuesday December 6^th Rehearsal here. We’re playing the Caterham British Legion on Friday so we thought we would have a quick run through.

Friday December 9^th At last Nuffin finally do a gig in Caterham a year after the Grundy affair and Caterham allows us to play in public. Naturally we were scorned upon by the regulars. After a couple of songs we were asked to turn it down. We did a little bit. After six songs we were asked to turn it down some more. We refused. The manager said if we didn’t turn down we would have to stop playing. So we decided to stop. Crowd were annoyed and had a go at the manager. We decided to get pissed instead and started to drink pints of Gold Label Barley Wine. We then asked the DJ to put on God Save The Queen and proceeded to pogo around the Legion like a bunch of prats.

Don’t think we’ll be back in a hurry.

1978

Sunday January 1^st

What a great way to start the year by being on the telly. We all watched it here. Mum and Dad (who didn’t really comment, I know they are not proud of my association with punk), The girls plus the band came round to watch the show. It was on at midnight for an hour. The clips of Nuffin were of me and Chris being interviewed, close ups of all of us, Helen in the audience.

The song they used was ‘Red Day Blues’. There was quite a bit of Roger’s interview. I suspect the Bullen’s will get another backlash from this now that it has been aired. Roger really makes it quite clear what he thinks of Caterham. Maybe it’ll be harder than ever to get gigs from now on. I wish we had a video machine so that we could have recorded it.

Although 1977 was a year of discovery and hard work with endless rehearsals, the gigs were few and far between. At least what we did do turned out to have a lasting impact. 1977 was the most memorable year as it allowed me to start achieving my list of things to do in music. My ambitions for 1977 were to:

1. Form a regular band with a permanent line-up.
   2. Do some gigs

I can proudly say I achieved this plus we got filmed for TV thrown in for good measure. I don’t know how 1978 will pan out because Flynny and Chris have got their A levels in spring so they will be hard studying. If they get their University placings at the end of that I would imagine that’ll be the end of Nuffin. I guess Me and Paul will have to look around for either a new band or put together another band whilst Nuffin are laid up.