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| THE PISH BETWEEN TWO SHITTYS PART TWO |
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| In 1982, the SKROTEEZ became the first Livi punk band with a record released. Their 3 track 'Overspill' EP wasn't the best punk record of 82 but it was also far from the worst - got a decent review in 'Sounds' punk section.[are they the only band ever to incorporate the 'death march' into a song??? - see intro and riff to 'Livi punkz'] classic! They got some gigs down south cos of this release and supported THE BUSINESS at skunx in London. The gig was a disaster though as Hendo [singer] had drank a bottle of whisky before he went onstage - halfway through the first song he passed out, fell off the stage and didn't get back up 'gig over! [I think ON PAROLE played at skunx too.] At Drifters in Manchester, the SKROTEEZ were supporting the UK SUBS when a riot broke out between the Livi punkz who'd went down to the gig, and the Manchester punks - huge glass ashtrays thrown at each other. |
| Strange but true-some of the Livi stormtroopers and the Manchester mob who were beating each other senseless became good mates and still are to this day!!!! One of them, Keith Willocks was best man at my wedding in 2003! I have to mention Livi punk, Bomber, who had a huge CLASH -'Give Em Enough Rope' picture painted on his bedroom wall - he died in the 80's after he missed just one of his jags for being a diabetic. R.I.P. Big guy. |
| Tables and chairs used as weapons. Pint glasses thrown - real intense violence! The cops showed up, took one look in the door, closed them and fucked off! - priceless! The SUBS didn't get to play as the place was trashed.Strange but true-some of the Livi storm troopers and the Manchester mob who were beating each other senseless became good mates and still are to this day!!!! One of them, Keith Willocks was best man at my wedding in 2003! I have to mention Livi punk, Bomber, who had a huge CLASH -'Give Em Enough Rope' picture painted on his bedroom wall - he died in the 80's after he missed just one of his jags for being a diabetic. R.I.P. Big guy. Some of the characters worth mentioning from the early 80's Livingston punk scene were: Coco - his 'Union Jack' hair will never be forgotten! [by me anyway!] / Boris - Sid Vicious clone turned total Crass clone - he covered the town in Crass stencils spraypaint!/and gogo again - I saw him in Rainbow Records wearing kids plastic sunglasses [like captain sensible] with a chain going from the sunglasses to his earring which had a tea bag hanging off it, to top that he had 'I Don't Care' written on his back in huge letters! Superb! It was a pleasure to work with him in SWINE FLU. Fifteen years later and the same with Billy in SWINE FLU and EXTERNAL MENACE. The biggest gig in Livi happened in 1989 with THE STRANGLERS playing at the Forum [now demolished] the whole town turned up and coach loads came from all over. The gig was sold out and brilliant. The violence had all but stopped by the late 80's. The UK punk scene was really struggling at this point and although Livi has always been a punk stronghold, it took it's toll here too. A lot of the original punks had drifted off the scene, nearly all the bands had dried up. But the new breed (like me!) were coming through. By now 99% of the hooligans had gone but we still had to deal with the stigma of being 'Llivi punkz' and were rarely given the benefit of the doubt even though we had nothing to do with the earlier years. Violence and ignorance. Gigs and records were getting less and less - it was lean times for us punks! By 1990 I managed to get a band going [although it only lasted a few months of rehearsals] and knew this was what I had always wanted to do with my life - to be the singer in a punk rock band [well, I couldn't play any instruments or I'd gladly have settled for that]. In Livingston by this time there was only one punk band left, MOLOTOV COCKTAIL, in contrast to a few years before when there was shitloads! Late 1990 and I joined another band. We ended up being called NOTHING TO SAY? - crap name but we were ok for a bunch of young punks in their first proper band. Did one demo and played 7 gigs. One with UK SUBS and two with JETT RINK [ex - EXTERNAL MENACE] before we crashed and burned. Late 1991 and some of N.T.S? became SWINE FLU. We were together 4 years [with a few line up changes, made some records and comp; stuff [see list] and played all over the UK [but not enough!] and supported loads of our punk rock heroes! SWINE FLU were the first Livi punk band to play in Europe - two tours, '94 & '95. Fuckin brilliant. I'll never forget our first gig in Europe, in Hamburg November '94 - [supporting SCHWARTZENEGGAR] watching from the stage as Steve Ignorant and Ben were pogoing to us!!! What a vision......When SWINE FLU started happening it seemed to kick start the punk scene in Livingston again and soon there was loads more punks again and [shortly] more bands. This also had a knock on effect in Edinburgh as we played loads of gigs there and always went to other gigs and clubs in the capital. BODY COUNT [supported by THE EXPLOITED!!!!] played at the Forum in 1993 but it was only half full. SWINE FLU split late '95 after one to many line up changes and I joined the re-formed EXTERNAL MENACE on vocals. A dream come true as they were always my fave punk band from the 80's, along with GBH. We played all over the UK and Captain Oi! records released the 'Pure Punk Rock' CD [14 old songs from the 80's and 6 new ones) late 95. A few line up changes later and it's 1997. Sneddy [E.M. guitarist and only original member has moved in to my humble abode and we've recruited Billy and Stu [ex-DENTS/ SKROTEEZ/ EXPLOITED/ SWINE FLU] so now EXTERNAL MENACE is based in Livi. [only Jobe didn't come from the town]. We brought out the first EXTERNAL MENACE record in 13 years, then another then the first ever proper album [see list by the band. ,, It had taken 18 years!!! |
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| Sneddy had originally formed EXTERNAL MENACE in Coatbridge [near Glasgow] in 1979!! We also made it over to mainland Europe to play 4 tours in 2 years.[E.M. had never been over before], took part in the first 2 ' Holidays In The Sun' punk festivals in Blackpool in '96 and Morecambe '97 playing to our biggest crowds and went down well. Early '98 and another split single is released [see list) then a line up change before a UK tour and a gig in Glasgow supporting SNUFF before a summer European tour. Disaster struck in Den Haag, Holland [one hour before we were due onstage at a Punk festival) on July 4th '98. I went to help 2 'mates' who were getting attacked in the street by dutch football hooligans - I got a metal baseball bat in the face as the 2 'mates' ran off!! (Sounds familiar - PDC) Broken nose, fractured eye socket and upper jawbone smashed into a hundred pieces - I was lucky to survive I looked like a purple football! The Dutch surgeon said if the blow was 2cm higher, my nose would have entered my brain and of course I'd be dead! i now have 4 metal plates in my face [under the skin] holding it all together - the bastardo who did it got 5 years but was probably out in two. That was the end of my time in EXTERNAL MENACE and being at the forefront of the Livi punk scene as it took me at least 2 years to recover from all that shit, where were the Livi bootboys when I needed them???!!! WELSHY - EX-EXTERNAL MENACE/SWINEFLU |
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| "LIVI PUNK BANDS-1978 TO PRESENT" I] ON PAROLE.{78-83?} [demos and a few gigs,one in London] 2] THE DENTS.{79} [rehearsals only] 3] Skewer/ANOTHER YOUTH.{79-83?} [demos and a few gigs] 4] SKROTEEZ. {79-83} [3 track 'Overspill' EP 1982. Square Anarchy Records. A few gigs, some in England] 5] JUVENILE DELINQUENTS {79-82?} [some gigs] 6] GLASGOW SS {79-83?} [demos and a few gigs] 7] BELSEN REJECTS. {79?} [rehearsals only] 8] HORROR SHOW.{80-83?} [some gigs] . 9] UGEN KAMPF{80-83?} [demos and a few gigs] 10] Red Alert/Anti-Social/BAYONET BABIES. {80-87?} [demos, lots of gigs and one track on the 'Jello Aid' comp: album, 1986?] II] ABUSE. {81 ?} [couple of gigs] 12] 1ST OFFENCE.{81-84?} [3 track ' The Night The Punks Turned Ugly' EP 1983. Chaos Records. A few gigs] 13] DISGUST.{82?} [couple of gigs] 14] END RESULT.{83?} [rehearsals only] ' 15] ABORT THE SYSTEM. {83?} [one gig] 16] UK ANARCHISTS.{84-86?} [demo and a few gigs] 17] INTERNAL DIMENSIONS.{84-87?} [demo and some gigs] 18] BARBED WIRE.{83-88?} [one track on 'Bullshit Detector' volume 2.1983? Crass Records, 10 track album,'The Age That Didnt Care'. 1986. Oi! Records, 5 track split album, 1987?, 0i! Records, a few gigs, some in England.] 19] ANNIHILATE.{84?} [one gig] 20] IMPALED.{85} [rehearsals only] 21] SACRO SANCT.{86} [one gig] 22] MOLOTOV COCKTAIL {88-92?] [demos and a few gigs] 23] TSI CHARNA.{89?} [couple of gigs] 24] FLYING SAUCER NEWS. {90} [rehearsals only] 25] NOTHlNG TO SAY?{90-91} [demo and 7 gigs] 26] SWINE FLU. {92-95} ['Killing Time/Lost Innocence' single. 1994.Stranded Records, 2 tracks on split single with Wat Tyler and Loadkings, 1997. Potential Ashtray records. Tracks on various comp tapes. Cd's. Loads of gigs in UK and Europe] 27] CHINESE BURN.{92-present} [CD album and a few gigs, some in England] 28] CRITlKILL.{96-present] {4 track ' Our Way' EP.1999. Negative Records. A few gigs, 3 in France] 29] EXTERNAL MENACE. {79-presentl} [originally started in Coatbridge, 1979.relocated to Livingston after gaining some Livi punkz as members in 1997. Releases in that time - 5 track 'Seize The Day' EP. 1997.Negative records, one track split single with Rectify. 1997. Suspect Device records, two track split single with Recharge. 1998, Epistrophy records. 15 track album/ 'The Process Of Elimination'. 1997.Negative records - CD only/ same album. 1998. Epistrophy records - vinyl only/same album. 2000. 'Rock n Roller Records - cassette only/ same album. 2004. Dr Strangerecords - cd only with 7 extra tracks. Various tracks on comp: tapes and cds, loads of gigs in the UK and Europe.] 30] THE ASSASINS.{96-present} [demos and some gigs] 31] OVERSPILL {98-present} [one single and a few gigs.some in England.] Ok, hope I haven't forgotten anyone and all the info is correct, we!l, I did my best lads.........Welshy. |
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