BrummieDave wrote:A good old song if ever there was one DE.
WRT punk musicians "couldn't play their instruments" I've always thought there were two reasons for this to be put about in the late 70s: firstly because Punk did encourage lots of youngsters to form bands and play live prior to learning how to play to any decent standard and so, in some examples of local and regional bands it was true, and secondly because it was part of the marketing of Punk to emphasize the anti-establishment nature of the movement, and to ensure it remained diametrically opposed to the perceived pomposity of Arthurian legend concept prog rockers with their twin necked guitars and multi keyboard organs. All good fun!
Agreed. It was like a rebasing of 'real' away from Emerson, Lake + Palmer and their 45 minute concept tracks, or Mike Oldfield's w--k-fest opus's on 10,001 different boring musical instruments, solely for the purpose of jerking off that he could play all those instruments. [[apparently Oldfield was one of Richard Branson's first signings BTW].
Punk was in that sense about 'reclaiming music', and passion figured up there with prowess and skill.
BrummieDave wrote:In reality of course, many of the early movers in the Punk scene of '77 had been gigging since the early '70s as part of the pub rock/Hope and Anchor/Brinsley Schwarz era and who were more than familiar with both their instruments and how to perform live. The more accomplished musicians were paired with newer performers, most famously Jones and Cook who'd played together for years before being put alongside Vicious and Rotten (and Matlock previously of course), and The Guildford Stranglers being another example.
Interesting point re: Jones and Cook. And being paired up with the way-ward gobby Vicious [pliable naive fool] and Rotten.
What was the thing with the Guidford Stranglers > Stranglers? IIRC in an early incarnation they had one or more Swedes in the group. Was Hugh Cornwell the odd-one/late-one in, IDR now. ISTR he was solidly their front-man by '77.
re: psychic TV. Wow, I don't think I heard those before. [Currently playing in the background].
Maybe spotting early punk is like trying to spot early blues>rock and roll cross-over, it's not always at all clear