The Scabs

The Scabs were all university students in Exeter with with very varying degrees of musical ability but but that wasn't the point. They only lasted about 18 months and apart from a few support slots (including The Members) and a final tour in the summer of 79, the 'EP', their only recording, was the highlight. All four tracks were recorded and mixed in four hours in a shed of a studio in West London as part of one of those all-in recording & pressing deals and released on the studio's own Clubland label. The first pressing was issued with a red and blue cover, this quickly sold out and there were two further pressings of 500 each, but with red and black covers. It sold quite well outside Exeter after some favourable music press coverage, although Melody Maker were very sniffy, dismissing us as being merely "college punks". Rough Trade and Virgin picked up on it for distribution and one or two of the tracks have ended up on numerous punk compilations. Live they were always a quartet, although on the 'EP' they roped in a sax player. They didn't play much outside of Exeter, apart from their swansong tour of places such as Bradford and Bicester. They had about 10 of their own songs and also covered "I'm A Believer" (The Monkees), "Let's Dance" (Chris Montez) and "Swallow My Pride" (The Ramones). Drummer Patrick Cunningham and bassist Steve Pardoe went on to form a ska-pop band called The M5's. [SOURCE: BORED TEENAGERS]