Stormtrooper + Trash + Social Security
Hope and Anchor207 Upper Street, Islington
Sat 3 Oct · 19:30 · £15.40
About this event
3 of the original 1970s punk bands come together for one night only! STORMTROOPER Formed at the legendary Marquee club in January 1975. Lead singer Nigel Hutchings worked there running the bars, Jeff Piccinini and Mike Lee were over from San Francisco hoping to form a band. So where better to find musicians than the Marquee, home of the Who, the Stones, and many more. After recruiting John Pilka on guitar, and rehearsing in a shabby Kings road basement studio, the band started to take shape - as did Motorhead in the next studio. Corruption Management took them on, and a recording studio in Covent Garden was booked for one day - that's all money they could afford. Four tracks were recorded including It’s Not Me, and I’m a Mess - which everyone thought was a ripper. A gig at Bath Pavilion was booked, and, although not a massive turnout, went down really well. However, within weeks they had imploded, with Jeff joining punk upstarts Chelsea, and Nigel becoming assistant manager at the Marquee. Early in 1976, Nigel witnessed a thunderbolt at the Club, the Sex Pistols supported Eddie and the Hot Rods - and punk was born! So later that year Jeff and Nigel decided to try and release I’m a Mess on a private label - Solent Records. A few thousand copies were pressed, and hand delivered to every record shop they could find in London. And a number were shipped abroad. Melody Maker, Sounds and New Musical Express reviewed I’m a Mess, with appropriate razor sharp comments - which the band loved. To help promote it, they gave away a free badge/pin, screaming the legend, I’m a Mess. The badge proved very popular with all sorts of people including, famously, Sid Vicious. In 1977, the band, with Maurice Bacon - formerly of Love Affair - on drums, went back into the studio to record Coming My Way and I’m on Fire. These were never released, however, Chelsea covered I’m on Fire, as Jeff was in the band.