continued
It is easy to think that punk was a movement formed by people new to the music
scene but many of the first new wave acts were older 'pub rock' bands disillusioned
with knocking out the old standards to unappreciative audiences. Amongst these
proto-punk groups Eddie and the Hotrods, the Vibrators,the Hammersmith Gorillas
and Johnny Moped managed to carve out a following with their solid R&B
sound and energetic live performances.Only the Vibrators really got wholeheartedly
on the bandwagon, adopting punk dress and writing specifically new wave lyrics
but the audience
appreciated the manic energy and action packed gigs on offer.In the early
copies of Sniffin Glue, Mark P is full of praise for these bands , frequently
reviewing their gigs and records before the punk scene 'proper' had got off
the ground.
Perhaps the most unique band to be included under the punk rock banner were
the Stranglers, originally formed in 1974 on the same pub rock cicuit. Unlike
the high energy R&B common to the others, the Stranglers had got their
own sound:" it's like the Doors, but it's got more life." said one
review.
Playing with bands such as the Ramones, the Stranglers developed their sound
and material and soon began headlining.A mixture of good musicianship and
an outrageous disregard for both the old and new wave rules attracted one
of the most loyal groups of fans to this day. By the release of their album,
'Rattus Norvegicus' in 1977 they had moved on from Doors sound-a-likes with
a more gritty sound and lyrics to match.
Although they had top ten hits with 'Peaches', 'No More Heroes', and 'Nice
and Sleazy' the mainstream press seethed with accusations of misogyny and
tales of violence involving band member Jean-Jaques Burnel. Despite this they
continued to produce some unique original material and survived long after
many other of the original pioneers of punk had burnt out or sold out.
