The Warm
Rui De Castro and his band The Warm is one of those strange surreal stories of the punk time we cover,
Rui De Castro’s (aka Rudi Penetrator) first mention (and the punk band Penetration’s) in the music papers was in April 1977 in a feature in Sounds that reported that he’d heard a demo of the band Penetration, loved it, and wanted to do a live single.
Though the bad showed no interest a contract appeared in the post which apparently was a photocopy of The Adverts one (whom he managed at the time) with Stiff Records but with their name crossed out! Unsurprisingly the band didn’t sign.
However, Rui did offer them a gig at the Roxy Club and supporting The Adverts and his own band at a place called Bonham Carter Hall. It turned out that the latter was a Portuguese wedding and according to Rui, the band ate all the food, insulted the Portuguese flag and produced a knife.
Sounds reported that post this …”organiser” Rui De Castro (aka Castrator) moving spirit of the band called Warm, Warm Records and the so called fanzine F***P*** then sent out a press release to all the music papers saying Penetration were too awful to record or even play gigs and that he was severing all connections with them.
NME had a bigger feature and a little more detail that he wanted to record their set at the Roxy Club and that he’d asked Andy Czezowski who was recording bands there if he could use whatever Andy didn’t use for the proposed Roxy live album. Andy refused both counts. In the NME feature Rui is described as The Adverts manager which if true didn’t last too long. The trouble maker is reported as Jon Moss ex of The Clash and now in the band London who was helping The Warm out on drums!
The Warm and Warm Records are a strange beast. The Warm appear to be Rui De Castro and Leo Pennant aka Jah Shumba on vocals and singles cover design. Rui’s wife Marie Harrisson-Goudie who lived with him did the photography for the sleeves and Rui’s brother on drums. They were an independent label releasing their own tracks so there were two singles in 1976 with nothing to do with punk. Apparently, her dad unknowingly financed the first 2 singles.
They released one suitably strange 4 track single Floosie in 1978 of which 2 tracks were written by Leo Pennant/ Jah Shumba and the single is endearingly lo-fi in sound, cover and design. Who the market for this single was is a mystery.
Chewing Gum Sue
They also seemed to do some random covers like Peter Tosh’s Legalize it which is actually very good and the Kinks Tired of Waiting (not so good) and The Ramones Pinhead (inspired). They also appear as The Beat Brothers doing the 1927 song – Ain’t She Sweet which again is endearingly lo-fi punk. These were collected on a compilation.
You would think that was it and a footnote in punk but fuck me the buggers appear again on October 7th Sounds 1978 in yet another feature.
This time it concerns Public Image Ltd’s first single. Turns out he lived on the same road as one John Lydon and his post keeps being put through Rui’s letter box. That is why he ends up with three advance copies of the Public Image single which he despatches to Portugal. Dave Crowe (one of the directors of Public Image Ltd) is sent to get the singles back but Rui just gives him one and says Lydon would have to collect the other one himself which he never does.
Rui meanwhile has repeatedly called at the house to interview Lydon who refused even sending Ari Up of the Slits to talk to Rui and ignoring him when they meet in their local shop.
He left a calling card which Lydon ripped up and wrote “Don’t come around again” and posted through their letterbox. Rui wanted to license the single but Virgin were having nothing of it.
Warm Records and their sister label MHG also randomly licensed Psykik Volts single Totally Useless and the Scottish band The Exile’s song Fascist DJ. The latter appeared on their compilation of bands they were involved in.
Later Warm Records would license The Runaways & Dead Kennedys to Portugal and in the early eighties Rui would do a pirate rap song and other occasional forays into music.
Punk77 salutes this madcap spirit and unlikely combo!
TalkPunk
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