| FLYING BODIES AT G.B.H. GIG March 1982 Flying bodies with spikey hair and leather studded jackets were the order of the day as Birmingham based punk band GBH played to Wolverhampton's "Exile" venue then being based at the Connaught Hotel, at the end of March. The damage report included one stolen guitar, one smashed guitar, a couple of damaged amps and four or five people with cuts and 'bruises. Only one person had to go to hospital to receive fifteen stitches. He returned later to the gig.Apart from that most of the 150 plus crowd who paid �1.75p to see gig enjoyed themselves, one way or another. I arrived early at about six hoping to catch GBH for an interview. I was annoyed,because my bodyguard had failed to show up, in the event I was assured by Jane Plimmer,"one of the promoters that "they're a very nice bunch of lads." GBH comes from Birmingham. They consist of Colin who sings and plays guitar, Wilf on drums, Jock on guitar and Russ who plays bass. They have recently had a single well up in the independent charts called "No survivors," It is on the Potteries based "Clay Records." They do not want to be described as a punk, revival band. "We're recording an album at the moment which should be out at the beginning of May, then we're going to promote it and go on a national tour," says "Colin. "Before he started with the GBH Colin used to make rings in a Jewellers Shop. He wore a leather studded jacket and had long - spikey blonde - hair. He thinks the music scene as a whole is dire at the moment. "You get bands like Tight Fit. They're cunts, there's no other word for it. They're tinny and insipid doing old cover versions, Any old fool could do it. You could just pick anyone out, and stick 'em in a loincloth and put them on Top Of The Pops, and let them sing songs. There's nothing behind it." The second mishap was when someone came running out saying that GBH's guitar had been nicked and some speakers damaged. People started moving around trying to find out who had the guitar. I was on the door talking to one of the promoters, Andy Carley when someone came running out of the crowd inside and said, "There's fighting broken out everywhere inside." The bloke who had been glue-sniffing earlier went off to investigate. Some said that "Anarchy Sid" was in trouble. Andy Carley turned to me and said "Street Promotions takes no responsibility for this," in an authoritiive manner. Just as I was preparing to make an exit before the police arrived the trouble seemed to clear up. I met a few bands who seemed to have turned up spontaeneously in the hope of doing support shows. They were hopes that grew thinner as Stench continued to hog the stage. One was called SPG, "It's nothing to do with, the police, It stands for Skinhead Punk Group," they said. They consist of Andy, Darren, Lee and Paul who can be contacted on 021 556 1605, "There's ..only a 'few places you can play.' The GBH lead guitarist was sitting on the steps of the Hotel next door trying to become used to a guitar he had borrowed from "Pulex Irritans" (Latin for fleas). It was not until about 10:l5 that Stench came off having wrung the final groans from their equipment, and GBH, despite everything went on. The crowd consisted mainly of punks with leather studded jacket. So there were plenty of spikey hairs and also a fair smattering of skins, I would call them "skunks." When GBH started playing a fast and driving bass dominated sound to start their set the crowd quite suddenly jerked into being a violently pulsating mass who seemed to be jumping on each other, I clung to the back wall. They played for about half an hour and the crowd then left, many stumbling. People seemed happy enough and nobody asked for their money back. The guy who had been walking around most of the evening with a bloodstained hankerchief over one eye wandered off into the night and GBH left with their �100. This should provide a bit towards replacing their lost �200 guitar. Just as what was left of the equipment was being cleared away I encountered someone from Stench.'"Give us a mention," he said, "Tell 'em we've got nowhere to play." (DAVE TOKE (local Rock Journo) taken from his review in a local music rag) |
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| 'THE EXILE' was a shortlived Wolverhampton punk club named after a line in 'Anti' one of our songs and promoted by our management duo. NEWS EXTRACTS FROM LOCAL PAPERS... "A new venue in the area for alternative music and live entertainment 'has It's opening night on Friday March 12th from' 8pm.The Exile, on Tettenhall Road, next to the Connaught, will stage punk bands Stench and, Pulex Irritans (Latin for Fleas) plus music from the early punk bands and artists in the indie charts." "Another new music venue that is thriving, is the Punk revival venue called the Exile next to the Connaught Hotel on the Tettenhall Road where punk bands play every Friday, About 150 punks have turned up to see Iocal outfits like "Stench" as well as better known bands such as "GBH" in the last few weeks." |
| "Avril Lavigne. When i look at you i feel sick, really sick you disgust me......Stench (the Wolverhampton punk band) at the Connaught hotel showed me how punk rawk should be played, its a biological experience. The audience was a mixture of Men about town, skinheads, glue boys and Wolves casuals easy peasy violence served up with nasty riffs. Scary as anything i've ever done attending that gig. Blood flew that much it was like a spray in the air and when i came out of the gig (ok i ran away) the blood dried and stuck my hair flat to my head like a rampant Mr Bean. I asked Pete O'Shit lead singer with the band about Henry Rollins (my current fave band was Black Flag)......"Henry fucking Rollins?" he said." (Annonymous witness ?) |
| Here's one of our popular live performances from March 1982, which was caught at all angles from disgruntled rock reviewers to young kids sprayed with blood.... |
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