The Spotty Dogs
The Spotty Dogs were one of the countless hundreds of bands influenced by Punk to take up guitars like a call to arms but destined for obscurity. Well there were some accolades!
The unofficial worst band (seems there were quite a few like this lol) to play the ROXY CLUB – Kevin St John – so disgusted – once rushed downstairs in a fit – to unplug the amps whilst we were still playing!
But like others bands stories, it’s the act of trying to make a noise and their adventures that often gives a true taste of the times.
This is the account of The Spotty Dogs by guitarist Justin Semmens.
When the Punk explosion came I was at college. My art class contained Nina and Bookie from Muvvers Pride – a germ was growing inside us all and the blue touch paper was being lit…..
We totally believed and lived the philosophical anarchy of Punk and thought that we could contribute some ironic humour to the mix by putting on a ‘show’ rather than conform to the stereotypical band. Hence playing our instruments was secondary (check out the attachment). I feel sorry for today’s young generation who don’t seem to have the wit or intelligence to create their own 21st century ideology – my 20 year old son went to see the Damned and the Pistols last year!
People forget that it was quite dangerous back then – the street battles with the rockers down the Kings Rd. I often got spat on or stones thrown at me – just for looking a right idiot wearing home made bin liner clothing etc… Oh and never spray your hair with silver car spray – when it sets rock hard it fucking hurts like hell!
So in 1977 three unemployed 17 year old Camden Town school friends with no experience whatsoever formed a band.
Wot No Singer?
Yep! That’s right – we had the lyrics written out on sheets of paper and asked the audience if anyone would give it a go ( sort of early X factor ).
- Lynn where are you? This girl was brilliant – she belted out the lyrics whilst drinking a bottle of tomato sauce – one gig and we never saw her again.
- Dan Knight our bass player and lyricist once pretended to be blind – resplendent in National Health dark glasses and a white stick he fooled everyone. People felt sorry for him – bought him drinks all night – even helped him with his bass guitar – Brilliant!
- Anthony Gregston on drums – well someone has to be. Went to live in a van in darkest Cornwall – the best place for him after enduring those awful paradiddles
- Ben was an earlier bassist who hid behind the speakers at a gig and refused to come on stage – the chicken!
- Gary Orange can’t remember exactly what he did.
- Phoenix wrote some terrible lyrics about love – so we chucked him out.
The Gigs
The Spotty Dogs supported Madness at their first gig! It was in a shop in Camden Lock called, “Blind Alley” – Bizarre!
The time when once we were lugging our gear back from a Roxy gig, when we discovered a 13 amp socket on the northbound Northern Line platform at Tottenham Court Rd tube Stn. We promptly started to play an impromptu set to startled passengers. We only once had a car to move the gear – when our drummer borrowed his mum’s Morris Minor Traveller. We were driving down Oxford St when it started to snow. The windscreen wipers packed up so he had to drive with his head out of the window!
We were regulars down at the Roxy when one of us dared to ask the manager (a bit of a Soho gangster if I remember) if we could play – He said yes and gave us a residency! surprising really coz he hated the din we made.
Our most pleasing accolade was to come from either Kevin St John or Jock Mc Donald – can’t remember which. Whist playing our set at the Roxy one of them – in a fit of rage and disgust – rushed downstairs and pulled out all the plugs on the amps – I still to this day don’t know how we got a residency there.
God the Roxy was a shit hole – we loved it. I get it a bit mixed up with the Vortex – but recollections include the feeling of being amongst our own kind – a good night down here was judged by how many cuts and bruises we sustained pogoing. Don’t remember meeting any foreigners – ever so often some one from out of town – who had heard about the place – would turn up. It was common to end up going off to someone’s squat after. Too many brilliant gigs to discuss – like Johnny Moped when Slimey Toad started chucking little plastic frogs at the audience. God there was some energy down there and you could quite often end up on stage with the band! If there’s not a blue plaque on the wall of 41/43 Neal St – there ought to be. Didn’t really know Kev St John – his reputation as a Soho gangster proceeded him.
I have a dim recollection of other venues we could have played. An Anti Racism gig, 100 Club, Hope and Anchor. Etc…
I seem to remember the clipping (left) was from the “Jaws” section of SOUNDS (8.4.78). It was a blatant lie sent in by one member of the band to garner some publicity for the Roxy gigs. We never had a manager or made a single. I suppose we just wanted to see the name The Spotty Dogs printed somewhere – how sad is that?
The Demise
We split up due to irreconcilable differences as to the colour we should choose for our Rolls Royce’s!
Acknowledgments – I was about 16 and was child-minding for an actress called Patricia Quinn (she was “Magenta” in the Rocky Horror Picture Show) She was living the high life and needed someone to take care of her son in the evenings. She was an incredible woman who confided in me a lot. It was her ex husband who came round one day and asked me if I wanted to go and see a great band (I think he was somehow involved in the music industry).
It was Adam and the Ants. I think at the Roxy or The Vortex. I went wearing an old school blazer with the words “The Ants” formed by loads of metal studs on the back. Got on really well with the band who had never seen anyone with their name on a piece of clothing. It was their suggestion that I was to be the first name on every guest list. I was Adam and the Ants #1 fan and in love with Jordan – she gave me her Vivienne Westwood “Venus” T shirt! I was chuffed. We used to go so mad at their gigs that someone once told me that people come to see the audience more than the band!
I used to hang around with Andy (bassist) when he lived in a great flat opposite the Science Museum. I remember one party – possibly Derek Jarman’s? It was in a type of warehouse apartment with a toilet with no walls! I was too shy to have a dump with everyone being able to see – there were others who were not so. What really stuck in mind was Andy getting electric shocks from his bass strings (no earthing!). He had to play with leather gloves!
As a band we the Spotty Dogs owe respect to our mentors; The Ramones, Talking Heads, Johnny Moped (Slimy Toad hasn’t got one ), Menace, The Lurkers, Skrewdriver (nice lads), The Slits, Muvvers Pride, Gloria Mundi, Augustus Pablo, to name just a few……….
If you were there – you know what it was like.
Justin Semmens (Spotty Dog Guitarist) 2008
(The bloke who spray-painted, “Sign the Banshees” in Wardour St. The Banshees were holding out for ages to sign for a record label, far too long in my humble opinion – we were getting really pissed off that there were no records. One night after a gig a gang of us decided to make our feelings known. I guess we were blaming the industry for not recognizing such a brilliant band.)
September 2008
TalkPunk
Post comments, images & videos - Posts are checked and offensive or irrelevant ones will be removed
