Vice Creems

The Vice Creems, originally the Aylesbury Bucks, formed in Aylesbury in around mid / late 1977. They were basically the vehicle for Zig-Zag Magazine editor (and former teenage president of the Mott The Hoople fanclub) Kris Needs (vocals), his best mate Colin Keinch (guitar) and assorted mates from the pub. Following sparodic gigging throughout late 77 / early 78, they made their vinyl debut with a fairly typical punky track "No Passion" on the 'Aylesbury Goes Flaccid' local compilation LP. 

 
Shortly afterwards (June 78) they recorded two tracks "01-01-212" and "Won't You Be My Girl" on studio down-time during a Flaming Groovies album tracking session (obviously due to Needs' connections) which was released shortly afterwards as their debut 45 on Tiger Records (the sleeve lists the line up, in addition to Needs and Keinch, as Nigel Birchall, guitar, Chris Lugmayer, bass, and Martin Godfrey, drums). 

 
Following more gigs (including dates with The Adverts and The Lurkers), on the eve of returning to the studio to record a Mick Jones produced second single, Birchall, Lugmayer and Godfrey quit the band. Jones said "don't worry" and offered to get Needs and Keinch a band for the session, which he did: The Clash's Topper Headon on drums, Generation X's Tony James on bass and Jones himself on guitar (and apparently Billy Idol is in there on backing vocals too). The recordings materialized as a single 'Danger Love / 'Like A Tiger' on ZigZag Records shortly afterwards, with (for legal reasons) Jones credited as "Michael Blair", Headon as "Nicholas Kahn" and James as "Anthony Ross".

 
The Vice Creems were never able to find a steady line up, and called it a day shortly afterwards but not before a prestigious support slot to The Clash and Ian Dury & The Blockheads at Aylesbury Friars. In all the singles were fairly well received though Needs and the band were never viewed as serious contenders more a journalist playing at being a rockstar. 

 
After quitting Zig-Zag Magazine in the early 80's, and following several years in New York (along with picking up a heavy heroin habit), Needs cleaned up, returned to the UK in the early 90's and has since become a major figure in the UK underground dance scene, both as a DJ and as a recording artist. [SOURCE: PUNK 77]