Open Sore

Barry O’Connor – Bass : Dave Arnold – Drums
Holly Channer (Jenny Rate) – Backing Vocals
Barry Benn – Drums
The outrageous fashion and music of the punk rock cult has finally come to Slough. Slough Observer article on Open Sore 2.12.77
Ask anyone who has heard the Farewell To The Roxy album or even the bands themselves who played on it whose was the best song and its odds on that Open Sore’s Vertigo will be the the song they all say.
Bob and Sean were in a Genesis sounding band called Paradox

Sean “…I only joined Paradox cos they were better players and I wanted to learn. I saw The Stranglers and Vibrators as support. I loved the Vibrators and that was it for me.”
Indeed Sean then suggested to Bob that they start a punk band which Bob took very literally when he came to rehearsal next time
Sean “… he just come in (previously he had long blonde hair like Ian Gillan) with bright carrot orange hair and a chain round his neck with a big padlock on it. He had gone down the Oxfam shop and bought some Eton tails , cut the arms off.”
Bob was going to be the singer so it was a suprise when he turned up with Holly Channa.
Sean “What the fuck do we want her for when we got you I asked? She does look good he replied. Good point!”
Following a visit to the Roxy Club in Sep/Oct 1977 the duo blagged a gig there with Kevin St John.
“I saw St John I’m in a punk band and we want to play here. We’re brilliant. ( just the two of us) You’ll have to do audition night in six weeks time he said. And we did. First gig we did we did 20 minutes as a support on a Wednesday.” (Sean)
They played the Roxy fairly frequently and built up a set of originals and covers including the Stooges Search And Destroy and No Fun, Cliff Richard’s The Young Ones and originals Open Sore, Eyes on You and Vertigo.
“..we got a fairly regular following…never got paid…we were young men… it wasn’t about that” (Sean)


It was playing at the Roxy that got them their recording break and a chance to appear on the Farewell To The Roxy album. The recording was also the debut of Barry Benn who had been brought in after Dave Arnold decided he didn’t want to become famous! “That was his first gig and he finished late on Vertigo but fakes it.” (Sean)
Vertigo their song on the album was favourably commented on in a bunch of generally unfavourable reviews for the album, but it got them nowhere and no record deal.
Sean “Kevin St John… He was no good. Everyone got stitched. We got paid £10 for the gig. We had publishing from it. The band got £2.50 each. We didn’t really care about the money then. We had such a short life.
I fell out with St John after a Punk Fancy dress party at Richmond Rugby Club. We played and he gave us £10 instead of £60. We split up because of St John. At the time we were the best band down the Roxy. I was gutted. I thought we would get another singer…instead I joined Tubeway Army.”


The band reformed for the ‘Farewell To The Roxy’ tour playing 3-4 dates in Scotland but with a different guitarist and drummer. “I didn’t do the tour. It was an old folk player on guitar.” (Sean).
“I got a drummer from a previous band and a guitarist and Barry O’Connor and me knocked them into shape and then we went off and did it.” (Bob)
The tour was marked by equipment being stolen on the last night in Edinburgh. On their return the band split again. This time for good.
Sean continued with Gary Numan’s Tubeway Army before joining Jayne County’s band. Barry Connor would do the same.


Open Sore Facebook Page
TalkPunk
Post comments, images & videos - Posts are checked and offensive or irrelevant ones will be removed