Spitfire Boys

Spitfire Boys formed some 6 weeks after meeting The Heartbreakers and finding they needed a support band for an upcoming gig. Originally called The Blackmailers their new name came courtesy of Wayne County. 

 

Part of the Liverpool scene based around Eric's night club -along with bands like Big In Japan, The Mutants and Berlin-, The Spitfire Boys were without doubt Liverpool's finest punk band and produced its finest slice of punk vinyl -'British Refugee / Mein Kampf'. Playing London venues like The Vortex, supporting their friends The Slits and the releasing of British Refugee meant nothing without strong management and sadly the band folded. One more single followed (over a year later) -'Funtime'- with David Littler (Jones) being the only original Spitfire Boy present and that was it. The classic line up was Maggot (Paul Rutherford, vocals), Blister (Peter Clarke, drums), Jones (David Littler, guitar), and Zero (Peter Griffiths, bass). 

 

However fame was to come at a later date albeit in a different form for some members of the band. Blister was better known as Budgie, later to join The Slits and Siouxsie & The Banshees; Maggot, as Paul Rutherford, later became famous as backing singer / dancer in Frankie Goes To Hollywood. David Littler was co writer with Steve Strange of songs as "Mind Of A Toy" and "Tar" which Mr. Strange would eventually use for Visage. The Spitfire Boys influence perhaps goes a lot further than that. Friends of the band at the time included Pete Burns, Julian Cope, Ian Broudie and Pete Wylie, all of whom were to play an important part in the Liverpool scene of the early eighties. [SOURCE: PUNK 77]