The Front

It’s no surprise that the origins and members of The Front started much earlier as many of Rock’s journeymen turned their hand to punk adopting pseudonyms and tried their luck. One of them was Ben Brierley (aka Ben Bryan aka Tommy Trouble) who had started off in a band called Streak circa 1973 that played in a New York Dolls/Hollywood Brats stylee.

The Front were another of Dave Goodman’s signings and production for his own label. He describes the band in his book:

…They were our other punk band on The Label. They were formed by Andrew ‘Drew Blood’ Lipscom, ho In first met in 1974 when he was driving ‘soul divas’ , The Flirtations, for s shhort spell. We”, I bumped into him somewhere and happened to mention this great new scene happening down the Roxy Club. He came, he saw and was converted. He anted to start his own punk band and begged me for help…Now a punk, he got himself a guitar and afew musicians…He had Ben Brierley…Then he added John Porter who played in Clapton’s band…and my old drummer Graham Broad.

Dave Goodman – My Amazing Adventures With The Sex Pistols

The name might have given them problems (as in National Front) but actually these songs aren’t that bad just fail to convince. The single System / Queens Mafia (1977 The Label) sounds like it’s going to be punky as do the names of the band. System though is more rocky and would have been ok without the slide (?!) guitar. The b side is much better.

Ben Brierley would marry Marianne Faithfull in 1978, develop a drug habit with her, join the Vibrators, Play on the Nazis Against Fascism single, play on his wife’s albums and then disappear. It must have been catching as both Ben and Drew Blood played in the Blood Poets and Drew ended up marrying Angie Bowie.

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