S.O.S!

Nigel Swift: Vocals, Terry Lean: Bass, James (Jez) Alan: Guitar & Various drummers

S.O.S! was formed in Leeds 1977 and was the cities first (100% home-grown) punk band.

Jez Alan tells the story…

“Nigel & Terry (brothers Swift) met Jez Alan at a Stranglers gig at Leeds Polytechnic in April 1977. An ‘audition’ was arranged but Jez changed his mind (he thought, like Marco Pirroni, at this time) that punk was finished, however when he later heard that Nige’ and Terry were “gonna kick ‘is ‘ead in” for wasting their time he quickly changed his mind and S.O.S! were born.

The band played around the North for about 15 months, regulars at promoter John Keenan’s variously located ‘F Club’ (Leeds premier punk venue – so called as he was always, eventually, told by the venue owners to ‘F-off’). Very much in the style of The Clash & The Buzzcocks. ‘S.O.S!’s 3 chord anthems, including ’19’, ‘Live Wire’, ‘Noise’, ‘Brainwashed’, S.O.S! and ‘No Time‘, showed that Leeds could ‘cut it’ punk-wise!

’19’ by S.O.S! (fragment)
‘time is creeping up on me, it’s leaning on my shoulder,
It’s 1977 and I don’t wanna get no older,
n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n nineteen (nineteen), n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n nineteen (nineteen),
n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n…NINETEEN!’

The band were championed by ‘New Pose’ (Leeds’ first fanzine) and their first feature and last interview are below. Clearly disenchanted with punk and what it became, their lack of success (i.e. not getting a single out) and the absence of a vibrant Leeds scene the band talk about moving in a different direction with songs like ‘Suburban Complex’, ‘I Got A Crush On You’ and ‘I’m A Fantasy.’

A couple of younger kids attended their last gig – it was the first time they had seen them Inspired by the band, they went on to form ‘Abrasive Wheels’ (great ‘Proto-Oi’ band – best track ‘BBC’).

From the ashes of S.O.S! arose ‘The Butterfies’ – so-named to deliberately annoy punters- the ‘post-punk’ atonal experimentation was an attempted challenge to the post-punk complacent morass. The Butterfies soon evolved into ‘Girls At Our Best! (still featuring ‘S.O.S!’s Terry Lean (now Gerrard Swift) and James Alan) – seminal indie-pop band (later fans included John Peel, Elastica and Adam Ant!).

In the 1980’s James (Jez) Alan played guitar for The Tall Boys (formed by ex-Meteors Nigel Lewis & Mark Robertson) and wrote their single ‘Brand New Gun’.”



TalkPunk

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