Their first major gig was in November 1976, at Fulham Town Hall in London a week after an early gig by The Clash. Various personnel changes ensued, with Jak Stafford leaving to join prominent punk band X-Ray Spex, as Jak Airport. A brief tenure with guitarist Eric Electroid (aka Kenny) saw them move on to pastures new, with the recruitment of band member Anthony Keen on synthesizer and keyboards.
In October 1977 they released the single "Mucky Pup"/"Can't Rock & Roll (In a Council Flat)", the first release (Small One) for the Small Wonder Records label, based in Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London. 2,000 copies of the single sold out, prompting Small Wonder Records to press another 1,000 singles. "Mucky Pup" gained much airplay at various punk gigs throughout 1977, and the B-side, "Can't Rock & Roll (In a Council Flat)" was played on the BBC Radio 1John Peel Show. They continued to play various gigs around London, notably at the punk club The Roxy in Covent Garden, supporting The Wasps and The Man In The Moon in Kings Road, Chelsea, supporting The Fruit Eating Bears. They continued gigging until January 1978, culminating in their farewell gig on 20 January 1978 at the Basement Club in Covent Garden, London.
Like so many other English punk singles of the time, original copies of the Puncture single now sell for up to £30.
"Mucky Pup" is available on the Small Wonder Vol. 1: Punk Singles Collection and on PUNK 45 Vol. 2. "Can't Rock N Roll (In A Council Flat)" is on Small Wonder Vol.2: Punk Singles Collectioncompilation albums.
Further reading
Punk Diary: Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock 1970-1982, by George Gimarc.
X-Ray Spex were an English punk rock band formed in 1976 in London.
The Adverts were an English punk band who formed in 1976 and broke up in late 1979. They were one of the first punk bands to enjoy chart success in the UK; their 1977 single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" reached No. 18 in the UK Singles Chart. The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music described bassist Gaye Advert as the "first female punk star".
The Heartbreakers, sometimes referred to as Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers, were an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1975. The band spearheaded the first wave of punk rock.
Angelic Upstarts are an English punk rock / Oi! band formed in South Shields in 1977. AllMusic calls them "one of the period's most politically charged and thought-provoking groups". The band espouse an anti-fascist and socialist working class philosophy, and have been associated with the punk and skinhead subcultures.
The Roxy was a fashionable nightclub located at 41–43 Neal Street in London's Covent Garden, known for hosting the flowering British punk music scene in its infancy.
Abrasive Wheels are a punk rock band of the late 1970s – early 1980s. They hailed from Leeds, England and were seldom out of the Independent charts between 1980 and 1984 when the band split. The band were Shonna Rzonca – vocals, Dave Ryan – guitar, Harry Harrison – bass, Nev Nevison – drums. In 2002 the singer Rzonca reformed the band with new members.
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HenryPadovani is a French musician, noted for being the original guitarist of English rock band The Police. He was a member of the band from January 1977 to August 1977 and was replaced by Andy Summers, who had originally been part of the band as a second guitarist. Following his departure from the band, Padovani was handed the rhythm guitar spot with Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, before forming his own band, The Flying Padovanis.
U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first hardcore punk bands.
Punks Not Dead is the first studio album by the Scottish punk rock band The Exploited, released in April 1981 on Secret Records. Working class and loyal to the first impulses of the 1970s punk movement, the album was a reaction to critics who believed the punk rock genre was dead, and went against popular trends such as new wave and post-punk. It contains the double A side singles "Army Life/Fuck the Mods" and the later follow up "I Believe in Anarchy". "Army Life" details the experiences of Wattie Buchan when he was a 17-year-old squaddie on a tour of duty in Belfast in the 1970s.
The Nips are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976 as The Nipple Erectors by punk artist Shanne Bradley. They were Shane MacGowan's first musical group.
Towers of London are an English punk rock band, who formed in 2004. Their music mixes elements of rock and glam metal music with 1977 style British punk. The band have divided the opinions of the British music press since their emergence in early 2004, gaining positive reviews from some music news media and extremely negative reviews from others.
Murphy's Law is an American hardcore punk band from New York City, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Gestapo remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of numerous musicians who have performed with a diverse selection of musical acts across multiple genres, such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi Rocks, Agnostic Front, Warzone, Cro-Mags, D Generation, New York Dolls, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, The Slackers, Thursday, Skavoovie and the Epitones, and Glen Campbell.
Crass were an English art collective and punk rock band formed in Epping, Essex in 1977, who promoted anarchism as a political ideology, a way of life, and a resistance movement. Crass popularised the anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, advocating direct action, animal rights, feminism, anti-fascism, and environmentalism. The band used and advocated a DIY ethic approach to its albums, sound collages, leaflets, and films.
Small Wonder Records was a British independent record label owned and managed by Pete and Mari Stennett, that specialised in releasing records by punk rock and post-punk bands. It operated out of a record shop of the same name at 162 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London. Artists to have released on the label include Bauhaus, Crass, The Cure, The Cravats, Patrik Fitzgerald, Puncture, Cockney Rejects, The Carpettes, Poison Girls and Angelic Upstarts.
The Plague are an English punk rock band. Formed in South East London during 1976, the band were initially in existence until 1981. They re-formed in 2005. Their original line-up was:
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Jak Airport was the guitarist of 1970s punk band X-Ray Spex and new wave band Classix Nouveaux, before retiring from music and working for Vision Video and the BBC.
"Garageland" is a song by English punk rock band The Clash featured as the final track for their 1977 debut album The Clash.
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