SOULKISS

Its now Summer 1977 I'm on the 'rock n roll '- I've outgrown Northern Soul & drifted naturally from the Roxy/Bowie scene - looking for something new, angry punks on TV and in the newspaper and think this is for meeeeeee!!

I recalled in my diary in Jan an incident where we wanted to go to a punk club but the crowd we were with in Manchester chickened out. This is my first entry about Punk, on route to The Ritz northern soul all dayer. A local young man called Mel Bartlety is responsible for getting us into the scene in a round about way as he directed us to the band Deaf School who were on the fringes of punk in Liverpool. He appeared to be the 'only gay in the village' at the time and set a lot of tongues wagging in 1976. Sadly he had now passed away.

The first gig we attended was at Wigan Casino punk/Alternative nights on Wednesdays. We took ourselves into Wigan dressed to kill to a Stranglers gig in the Summer of '77 - the atmosphere was electric, spitting and lots of noise.

We venture around the hall to reminisce about our nights of soul and sit outside Mr M's door, a roadie came out and asks "do you want to meet the band". Even though we were young and somewhat naive we knew exactly what this meant, besides they all seemed like old men. "No thanks" we said. From this point onwards there was no looking back. We were 'Punk Rockers' and damn well proud.

I recently found out that the 'Sex pistols' who were due to play at Wigan as 'Spots' and didn't turn up, they were actually there all along in Mr M's drinking but for some reason didn't play according to another Wigan lad Stuart Maconie in his book 'Cider with Roadies'. We were also there ...will find out what the date was !! be back

Punk nights at Wigan Casino on Wed, Haydock Conservative club nights, Liverpool - The Grapes (famous pub in Matthew Street), The swinging apple, in Liverpool.

Eric's, Mathew Street, Liverpool L2 - Close to the site of the legendary Cavern. Eric's usually had a Saturday matinee at 5pm for those under 18, followed by the evening performance. The club closed in 1980. (Photos sat on the stage at Eric's, Generation X gig 77 and on the way home)

The Russell Club, Royce Road, Hulme, M15 - The site of Tony Wilson's club The Factory, where Joy Division (and other Factory bands) played on several occasions it had been taken over on Friday nights for gigs organised by Tony Wilson and friends. They called this venue The Factory.

Apollo Theatre, Stockport Road, Ardwick, M12 - The building, described as an "Art Moderne palace", dates from 1938 and has been used as a cinema as well as a concert venue.

Erics - The most famous pub club in the North West - The list of groups who played Eric’s reads like a Who’s Who of punk/rock music. The Sex Pistols played Eric’s on their way to stardom, with The Stranglers featuring on Eric’s opening night. In 76-78 it was the place to be !! Scarey and intimidating but at the same time exciting and wild.

Eric’s was dark and sweaty and small, I recall a twisting staircase going down into the club,  the air was filled with excitement, the music blasting out was reggae and some hard punk tunes. A big jukebox filled one corner as you came down the stairs and the dressing room was to the right of the stairs. The toilets were a  graffiti shared affair, swimming with water by the end of the night, the mirrors steamed up with the heat. When it was packed it was really full and claustrophobic, the walls seems to ooze water. I remember a small café at the end of the dance room where the small stage was also. We would sit in there and pool our money together and see what we could buy to eat.We felt we had stumbled on something unique and couldn't wait until next time.

I recall the first time at Eric's, feeling a little out of place, we had gone down on the train both of us wearing school girl outfits with the shortest skirts we could find. We were warmly welcomed by Roger Eagle who was the manager of Eric's, who let us in an hour early as we had arrived on the train eager to get in and avoid the crowds.

Photo in my old school tie taken in the toilets at The first night @Eric's July 16th 1977 - Spitfire Boys gig with Radio Blank. The other images show me trying hard to recreate the 'Debbie harry' look, my heroine throughout the late 70's and indeed still today.

We found ourselves mixing with the most weirdest guys and gals. In the crowd of weirdos were Holly Johnson wearing weird and wonderful outfits ranging from nappy to ball gowns, Paul Rutherford of The spitfire boys and more famously Frankie Goes To Hollywood fame (he became our ally and friend), Pete Burns of Dead or Alive - long before his plastic surgery mistakes and his girlfriend Lynne (both tried to make you feel somewhat inferior and stared intently) A girl called Jayne Casey (cloakroom attendant) who was in a band called Big in Japan and  is now head of communications for Cream. Also we rubbed shoulders with Dave Balfe latter of Teardrop Explodes and producer of many bands, Pete Wylie of Wah Heat ! I remember the night he came backstage to meet the Clash with us and saw him many years later playing in Mick Jones band on TV. Budgie of Siouxsie and the Banshees and later became the husband of Siouxsie. Julian Cope of Teardrop Explodes and Ian Brodie of The Lightning seeds.The scene was so hot it had burnt itself out by 1979 .Eric's closed it's door in 1980 - a book is about to be published and I have sent a piece to be included with photos - so watch this space!

We were both on the dole, and not keen to look for work as who would employ us looking the way we did, and we weren’t prepared at the time to compromise. I think looking back we had our heads in the clouds. My parents weren’t too keen on the look and this new style I had adopted, ‘God save the Queen’ was banned from being played in the house and I was strongly advised about the clothes I was wearing were sending out the wrong signals. My dad said to me on many occasions ‘you look like summat off Lime St’. I had strict instructions to be home on time or I’d be in trouble, the old line of ‘Its my house and while you live under my roof you will abide by my rules’. Many a night I had to sneak out of the house with a big long coat on to hide what I wasn’t wearing underneath. I recall my Mum asking me what I was wearing under the coat; I would rush down the stairs and shout something along the lines of ‘haven’t got time to stop with miss the train’. Alas sometimes we didn’t get home either on time or at all and Vanessa was usually to blame for ‘leading me astray’, although it wasn’t the case.

Here's where it all began or ended dependant on what you want to believe. The Bill Grundy Show (I actually remember 'so it goes' with Tony Wilson) think this was the first time on TV. The North West hits a first again !!

Gigs in no particular order  - go view my other page >