The Dictators

The Dictators emerged from early-1970s New York City at a moment when rock music was starting to splinter into new, more aggressive forms. While bands like The Stooges and MC5 were already pushing raw energy and rebellion, The Dictators added something different: humor, irony, and a deep love of lowbrow pop culture. Their sound blended hard rock riffs with a deliberately unpolished attitude, helping lay the groundwork for what would soon be recognized as punk rock, even if the label didn’t fully exist yet. 

The group was built around core members such as Andy Shernoff, Ross “The Boss” Friedman, and Scott Kempner, later joined by the charismatic frontman Handsome Dick Manitoba. Together, they crafted songs that were loud and fast but also playful and self-aware. Their lyrics stood out in particular, drawing on references to wrestling, fast food, and comic books -elements that felt intentionally trashy at a time when rock often took itself very seriously. This mix of humor and aggression became a defining trait, influencing how punk would later embrace both rebellion and satire.

 
Their debut album, 'The Dictators Go Girl Crazy!', arrived in 1975 and is now widely viewed as a key proto-punk release. At the time, however, it didn’t achieve major commercial success. The band occupied an awkward space: too unconventional for mainstream audiences, yet slightly ahead of the punk explosion that would soon take shape in venues like CBGB. Subsequent records such as 'Manifest Destiny' and 'Bloodbrothers' refined their approach, leaning into tighter songwriting and a more polished sound without losing their edge. 

Although widespread fame remained elusive, their influence grew steadily over time. As the New York punk scene developed in the mid-to-late 1970s, The Dictators were increasingly recognized as a crucial bridge between earlier garage and hard rock acts and the emerging punk movement. Later bands would adopt not just their sonic intensity, but also their irreverent attitude and willingness to embrace cultural absurdity. 

The band’s history includes multiple lineup changes, breakups, and reunions, reflecting the turbulent nature of long-running rock acts. Despite these shifts, they have continued to perform and release music in various forms over the decades, maintaining a loyal cult following. Their legacy rests less on chart success and more on their role in shaping a style and attitude that became central to punk rock’s identity. 

The Dead Boys

A crucially important band in the early years of American punk rock, The Dead Boys titled their classic debut album 'Young Loud and Snotty', and they devoted their career to living up to that slogan. Following the example of the 'Raw Power'-era Iggy & the Stooges, The Dead Boys had an unapologetically raw and ferocious attack, though they delivered their sonic blows with taut precision, and they eagerly challenged their audience with obnoxious lyrics, a bad attitude, and the self-destructive theatrics of lead singer Stiv Bators. 'Young Loud and Snotty' was too extreme for mainstream audiences in 1977, but it would become an enduring cult classic, and their reputation as an incendiary live act was documented on 'Return of the Living Dead Boys 1986', taken from a mid-'80s reunion show. 

Originally hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, the roots of The Dead Boys lay in the fabled proto-punk band Rocket from the Tombs, led by future Pere Ubu founders Peter Laughner and David Thomas. In 1974, guitarist Gene O'Connor and drummer John Madansky were added to the band's flexible lineup, and in August 1975, during one of their infrequent live appearances, O'Connor brought his friend Steve Bators up to the stage to sing a few songs. Since Thomas was RFTT's lead singer and Laughner would sometimes take the vocal mike, Bators' presence wasn't welcomed by the rest of the band, and their disagreement would factor into their breakup. It didn't help that O'Connor and Bators preferred the more aggressive sounds of bands like The Stooges, the New York Dolls, and Alice Cooper over the artier approach favored by Thomas and Laughner, so they took the opportunity to start a band of their own that would deliver a harder punch. With the addition of Bators, guitarist William Wilden and bassist Jeff Halmagy, they formed a group called Frankenstein, and they recorded a demo tape in October 1975. Frankenstein had trouble getting gigs, and in early 1976, they called it quits. However, O'Connor and Bators began hearing about the new underground rock scene that was taking shape in the Bowery in New York City at a club called CBGB, and when the Ramones played a show in Cleveland, they befriended the visitors. Joey Ramone was particularly impressed with their style and daring, and he helped arrange an audition at CBGB for Frankenstein. Bators, O'Connor, Wilden, and Madansky made the trip to New York. After hearing them play a short set, CBGB owner Hilly Kristal immediately arranged a gig for the group, and he would soon become their manager. 

The band settled in New York City, and soon made some changes. They changed their handle from Frankenstein to The Dead Boys, inspired by a line from the RFTT song "Down in Flames," and the members adopted new stage names. Steve Bators became Stiv Bators, Gene O'Connor became Cheetah Chrome, William Wilden became Jimmy Zero, and John Madansky became Johnny Blitz. The band caused an immediate splash in their newly adopted hometown, thanks to Bators' Iggy Pop-esque, audience-baiting antics (he would writhe on the stage, stab his chest with broken glass, and mock-hang himself with his microphone cable), and the group's intense three-chord punk assault. Kristal helped The Dead Boys strike a deal with Sire Records, the label most closely connected with the CBGB scene, and former Goldie & the Gingerbreads singer Genya Ravan was tapped to produce their debut album. With future star producer Bob Clearmountain playing bass on the sessions, The Dead Boys' 'Young Loud and Snotty' was released in October 1977, and for subsequent touring, Jeff Halmagy returned as their bassist, renaming himself Jeff Magnum. 

In addition to barnstorming clubs, The Dead Boys landed a tour opening for their hero Iggy Pop in the United States, and flew to England to play a string of shows with The Damned. Though the album received good reviews in publications sympathetic to punk, The Dead Boys soon discovered that outside a few major cities, most American rock fans weren't accepting of punk in general, or them in particular. While the album would go on to be celebrated as a classic, initial sales proved disappointing, and Sire was not happy with the red ink it added to their balance sheet. (The band wasn't entirely happy with Ravan's mix, and the band leaked tapes of rough mixes they preferred that would pop up on bootleg releases.) The group set their sights on their sophomore effort, which was originally to be produced by Lou Reed, with a working title of "Down to Kill". But at the insistence of their record company, eager to convince the band to soften up their sound a bit to produce a breakthrough hit, the group settled on former Cream producer (and bassist for early-'70s Cream disciples Mountain) Felix Pappalardi. The match didn't prove to be a fit, as the former hippie was puzzled by the band's sonic onslaught, and Chrome called former Iggy & the Stooges guitarist James Williamson, begging him to take over the project. Williamson declined, and Pappalardi's mix of 'We Have Come for Your Children' arrived in June 1978. The album spawned another punk classic in "Ain't It Fun" (written by Peter Laughner during his days in Rocket from the Tombs), but the disc sold even fewer copies than its predecessor, pleasing neither critics nor fans. To add insult to injury, the group had to cancel a major tour when Blitz was almost killed after being attacked by muggers in New York City. A series of Blitz Benefit concerts were held at CBGB's to raise money for the drummer's medical bills, and featured appearances by John Belushi and Divine, as well as members of Blondie, the Ramones, and former Alice Cooper guitarist Glen Buxton.

 
With their record company still pressuring them to dramatically soften their sound and look, The Dead Boys split up in 1979. However, Sire insisted they honor their contract and deliver a third album. The band agreed to a compromise, reuniting to record a live album at CBGB. Bators, making no effort to disguise his contempt for Sire, purposely sang off-mike for the whole show, resulting in an unusable recording. Sire rejected the album; Bomp Records obtained the rights, and after Bators recut his vocals in a studio, the LP was issued in 1981 under the title 'Night of the Living Dead Boys'. Bators arranged a tour to run from late 1979 into early 1980, but the rest of the band chose not to participate, and he assembled a group to fulfill the dates. He would use the same musicians to record much of his solo debut, 1980's 'Disconnected'. The Dead Boys would reunite for the odd show here and there throughout the '80s; a show at the Ritz in New York City on Halloween 1986 was recorded and belatedly released as a live album, 1993's 'Live at the Ritz 1986'; an expanded version would be released by Cleopatra Records in 2024 as 'Return of the Living Dead Boys 1986'. 

Bators tried his hand at an acting career, appearing the films "Polyester" and "Tapeheads", before joining forces with ex-members of Sham 69 in the group The Wanderers (who issued a lone album, 1981's 'Only Lovers Left Alive'), and ex-Damned guitarist Brian James in the goth-punk outfit Lords of the New Church, who released several albums between 1982 and 1988. Having relocated to Paris, France, Bators attempted to assemble a punk supergroup, which was to have included Johnny Thunders and Dee Dee Ramone, but it fizzled out before any recording could get under way. On June 4, 1990, Bators died from injuries sustained after being hit by a car in Paris. Meanwhile, Cheetah Chrome recorded with Jeff Dahl of the Angry Samoans, played in a short-lived group with Mike Metoff of The Pagans called the Ghetto Dogs, and teamed with Sonny Vincent of the Testors and Bob Stinson of The Replacements in the group Shotgun Rationale. He also participated in a Rocket from the Tombs reunion, co-founded The Batusis with Sylvain Sylvain of the New York Dolls, and released an album, 'Solo', in 2013.

 
After Bators' death, a bounty of Dead Boys compilations, live sets, and rarities collections appeared, including such titles as 'Twistin' on the Devil's Fork: Live at CBGB's', 'Magnificent Chaos', 'Down in Flames', 'All This & More', and 'Liver Than You'll Ever Be', in addition to releases by Rocket from the Tombs ('The Day the Earth Met the Rocket from the Tombs') and Frankenstein ('Eve of the Dead Boys: October 1975'). The Dead Boys' influence on subsequent rock bands continued unabated, as such acclaimed groups as Guns N' Roses and Pearl Jam covered their songs in the '90s and 2000s. In 2017, Cheetah Chrome and Johnny Blitz staged a Canadian tour to honor the 40th anniversary of the release of 'Young Loud and Snotty'. The touring band included guitarist Jason "Ginchy" Kottwitz, bassist Ricky Rat, and lead singer Jake Hout, and after coming off the road, the band headed into the studio. Credited to The Dead Boys, their 2017 album 'Still Snotty: Young Loud and Snotty at 40' featured fresh recordings of the nine original songs from the 1977 debut LP. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

The Flys

 

The Flys enjoyed their day in the sun during the first wave of British punk, but like more than a few bands on the scene, they had been incubating for quite some time before the Sex Pistols changed the game in the U.K. music scene. The Flys were less interested in the fast and loud template that would soon become de rigueur among the new groups; instead, their music was moody but melodic with a faint dash of psychedelia and a touch of glam, while owing no small influence to the Mod sounds of the '60s. If they sounded smarter and more polished than their peers in the punk community, their swagger and willingness to play with an impact that hit harder than an ordinary pop band gave them their bona fides as part of the New Wave. A lack of chart success kept The Flys from making a major impact during their four-year lifespan, but the singles "Love and a Molotov Cocktail," "Fun City," and "Today Belongs to Me" would belatedly be regarded as lost classics of early U.K. punk, and their sophomore album, 1979's 'Own', is often cited by fans and critics as their finest work. 

 

Hailing from Coventry in the West Midlands of England, The Flys evolved from a band called Midnight Circus, who specialized in a blend of hard rock and prog. The group was founded by guitarist Neil O'Connor, who wanted to start a band after returning from several months of exploring Europe. O'Connor was studying yoga when his instructor introduced him to her son, David Freeman, who was eager to learn the guitar. Freeman brought along his friend Joe Hughes, and with O'Connor's tutoring, Freeman became proficient on guitar, while Hughes found his niche playing bass. After going through a number of part-time drummers, Midnight Circus found the percussionist they needed when Paul Angelopoulos, originally from Florida, joined the group. Angelopoulos developed a drug habit, however, and a few months after he left the band he died of a drug overdose. Midnight Circus was pondering their next move when O'Connor saw The Clash and was inspired to take their music in a different direction. With Pete King (the brother of the band's manager, Chris King) behind the drums, the band changed their name to The Flys and stripped down their melodies while boosting their on-stage energy. While trying to drum up record company interest, the group booked time at London's Pathway Studios, an affordable eight-track studio where The Damned and Elvis Costello had cut their debut albums. After committing 14 originals to tape, they cherrypicked the best tunes and brought out their debut EP, 'A Bunch of Fives', that was issued by Chris King on his independent Zama Records label in late 1977. 

'A Bunch of Fives' attracted the attention of EMI Records (one of many labels that had passed on Midnight Circus' demos), and in January 1978, the label signed The Flys, and a track from the EP, "Love and a Molotov Cocktail," was chosen to be their first major-label single. After touring with the Buzzcocks, the Rich Kids, and John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett, and recording a BBC radio session for John Peel's influential radio show, The Flys set out to make their first album. With Mike Finesilver as producer, 'Waikiki Beach Refugees' was released in October 1978; while the production muffled some of the band's energy, reviews were positive, but "Fun City" and the title track failed to make an impression as singles, and their failure to crack the charts, coupled with extensive touring, led to frequent quarreling between O'Connor and Freeman. 

EMI opted to let The Flys cut a second album, but sessions began after Pete King left the group (his brother would also part company with The Flys as their manager). Graham Deakin, who had previously played in John Entwistle's side project Ox and Frankie Miller's Full House, took over on drums, and this time O'Connor and Freeman produced under the collective handle Two Boys Talking. Sounding brighter and more adventurous than the debut, 'Own', which came out in October 1979, was more to The Flys' liking, but while they hit the road in support, EMI chose not to release any singles from the LP, though an odds-and-ends EP, 'Four from the Square', was released the following February to little notice. Like the debut, EMI opted not to release 'Own' in the United States, though the Canadian branch of EMI imprint Harvest Records did release a 1980 compilation called 'The Flys' that featured highlights from both albums. With EMI losing interest in the group and no commercial breakthrough in sight, The Flys disbanded in mid-1980. 

Neil O'Connor would go on to play guitar for his sister Hazel O'Connor, who enjoyed chart success in the '80s and starred in the film "Breaking Glass"; Neil would later shift into production work and relocate to Canada. David Freeman and Joe Hughes would team up in the combo The Lover Speaks, and their 1986 single "No More 'I Love You's'" would later be covered by Annie Lennox. Pete King's career was cut short by cancer; he died when he was only 26. With the passage of time, a cult following rose around The Flys' small but impressive body of work; German funny-punks Die Toten Hosen covered "Love and a Molotov Cocktail" on their 1992 album 'Learning English: Lesson One' (with a guest appearance from Neil O'Connor), and Superchunk recorded a version of "Night Creatures" that appeared on the B-side of their "Slack Motherfucker" single, as well as the compilation set 'Tossing Seeds (Singles 89-91)'. In 2019, Cherry Red Records released 'Today Belongs to Me: The Complete Recordings 1977-1980', a definitive collection of their recorded repertoire. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

Larry Wallis

The guiding fire behind the latter-day Pink Fairies, a founding member of Motörhead, and a house producer during Stiff Records' first flash of maverick brilliance, Larry Wallis is one of the legends of the British rock underground, an astonishing guitarist, and author, too, of one of the classic singles of the punk era, "Police Car." He was one quarter of the Takeaways supergroup (alongside Nick Lowe, Sean Tyla, and Dave Edmunds); he blazed across Mick Farren and the Deviants' seminal 'Screwed Up' EP; and he was single-handedly responsible for proving to the punk rock cognoscenti that long hair (Wallis' reached past his armpits) wasn't necessarily a sign of old-fart redundancy. In an age when Angry Young Man-style guitar was valued above any other musical attribute, Wallis played angrier (and younger) than virtually anyone you can name. 

Wallis' pedigree reaches back to the early '70s, and a roll call of bands that included free-festival favorites the Entire Sioux Nation, former T. Rex percussionist Steve Took's Shagrat, Blodwyn Pig, Lancaster's Bomber, and, briefly, metal heroes UFO, before he joined the Pink Fairies in time for their third (and possibly finest) album, 'Kings of Oblivion'. The band broke up following its release and, in 1975, Wallis reappeared in Motörhead -a move that the guitarist unhesitatingly describes as preordained: "It was just as if the serendipity fairy had arrived, Lemmy had been 'imprisoned in Hawkwind,' and was now flexing his leathern wings.... It just had to be."

 
Together, Wallis and Lemmy alchemized one of the hardest-hitting bands of the entire pre-punk era, and the handful of shows that the group played during this period was nothing short of the absolute revision of all that had taken place before. Certainly their label of the time, UA, was absolutely baffled by the band, sending them into the studio first with Edmunds, then with former beat boom survivor Fritz Fryer, before deciding that nothing the band did was actually marketable. They were dropped from the label and the tapes were buried in a lead-lined box, figuratively if not literally. And they remained there until -surprise, surprise- Motörhead became late-'70s superstars, and suddenly anything with their name attached seemed eminently saleable indeed. 'On Parole', titled for one of Wallis' own compositions, was released in 1978 and has been available ever since.

 
Wallis departed Motörhead around the same time as they were dropped and, through early 1976, he led a revitalized Pink Fairies lineup around the London club scene as it lurched from pub rock to punk. By late summer, the Fairies had signed with Stiff Records and released the single "Between the Lines," the label's second-ever release. They also appeared at the first Mont de Marsen Punk Festival that August, a gathering of the clans that pitched the likes of Nick Lowe, Little Bob Story, and Eddie & the Hot Rods into the middle of rock's latest firestorm. Of them all, the Fairies came out on top, but with a sense of timing that they had long since perfected, the group announced that this moment of absolute triumph was the ideal time to break up. 

Wallis remained with Stiff, recording "Police Car" with Hot Rods bassist Paul Gray and drummer Steve Nicol for release in spring 1977. He also produced the first two singles by the Adverts, including the Top 20 hit "Gary Gilmore's Eyes," and became a star turn on the autumn 1977 Live Stiffs tour of Britain. Billed alongside Ian Dury, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, and Wreckless Eric, he took the stage with an all-star band dubbed The Psychedelic Rowdies; the Live Stiffs album includes an absolutely incendiary "Police Car." 

Wallis began work on a solo album in early 1978, recording with Deke Leonard, Big George Webley, and Pete Thomas; unfortunately, record company politics saw the record shelved (it remains unreleased) and Wallis moved on. Further stints alongside Mick Farren were interspersed by gigs with Wayne Kramer and a decade-long songwriting career with Dr. Feelgood. A mid-'80s Pink Fairies reunion was bookended by Wallis' own bands, The Death Commandos of Love and The Redbirds, while Wallis finally released a solo album, 'Death in the Guitarfternoon' in 2001. While Wallis played occasional live gigs, he steered clear of the recording studio, though his back catalog continued to be reworked for his fans. Shagrat's 'Lone Star' album was reissued in 2016, while 'Death in the Guitarfternoon' returned in an expanded edition in 2017. 2017 also saw the release of 'Sound of Speed', a collection of rare and unreleased Wallis tracks. Larry Wallis died on September 19, 2019; he was 70 years old. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Radio Stars

Following the end of their underachieving glam supergroup Jet in 1976, the Radio Stars were formed by ex-John's Children vocalist Andy Ellison, Sparks exile Martin Gordon (bass, songwriting), and Ian MacLeod (guitar) in 1977. Later adding Steve Perry on drums, the group signed to Chiswick Records and released its debut album, 'Songs for Swinging Lovers', in 1977. On the fringes of both the punk and new wave scene, the Radio Stars were at heart a quirky rock band built around Gordon's songs and Ellison's enthusiastic vocals. Adding Trevor White (who was also in both Sparks and Jet) in 1978 they put out their second, somewhat disappointing record, 'Holiday Album'. Gordon left soon after the record tanked, effectively ending the band, though Ellison attempted to revive the band's name to little success in the '80s. The group's recordings have been anthologized twice, first on 1982's 'Two Minutes Mr. Smith' by the tiny Moonlight label, then on 1992's 'Somewhere There's a Place for Us' by Ace. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Riff Raff

A poppy punk band that formed in London, England in 1975, Riff Raff didn't gain much attention until they relocated to Peterborough during the first half of 1978. Thanks to constant gigging around the area, the group became rather popular, culminating in a support slot at a gig with The Stranglers. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Billy Bragg, bassist Ruan O'Lochlainn (ex-Bees Make Honey), guitarist Philipp Wigg, drummer Robert Handley, and keyboardist S.D.R. Gol'fish, Riff Raff debuted in June of 1978 on Chiswick with the 'I Wanna Be a Cosmonaut' single. The follow-up single, 'Barking Park Lane', followed on Albion in 1979. In October of 1980, the band issued four singles on their own label (Geezer) on the same day -'New Home Town', 'Kitten', 'Every Girl', and 'Little Girls Know'. The band splintered soon after that. Bragg spent a little time in the Army, literally bought his way out, and began doing one-man shows under the name Spy V. Spy; eventually performing and recording under his own name, Bragg spearheaded the anti-folk movement and became a prolific and influential singer/songwriter. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Notsensibles

The Notsensibles were one of those brilliantly oddball bands that came out of the late ’70s UK punk explosion, but far away from the usual London spotlight. They formed in Burnley, Lancashire in 1978, right when punk was spreading across the country and inspiring kids everywhere to pick up instruments and just go for it. Like a lot of regional bands, they had that raw DIY energy, but what really set them apart was their sense of humour -they never took themselves too seriously, and that became a huge part of their identity. 

 
While many punk bands of the time leaned heavily into anger and politics, Notsensibles went in a different direction. Their music was still fast and scrappy, but it came wrapped in satire, absurdity, and a kind of playful stupidity that felt intentional rather than careless. They were known for doing “silly gigs” and making “silly records,” which, in the context of punk’s often intense atmosphere, made them stand out in a really refreshing way. 

 
Their best-known release is probably “I’m in Love with Margaret Thatcher,” a track that perfectly captures their tongue-in-cheek style. It wasn’t a straightforward political statement so much as a provocation -funny, confusing, and just a bit cheeky. The song did surprisingly well on the UK Indie Chart and has stuck around as a cult classic ever since. Before that, they’d already made a splash with “Death to Disco,” which tapped into the punk vs. disco tension of the era, again with their trademark wink. 

 
In 1980 they released their only album, 'Instant Classic', which pretty much sums up their attitude right there in the title. It pulled together their mix of fast punk, oddball lyrics, and irreverent charm, and while it didn’t make them huge stars, it cemented their place in the underground scene. 

 
Like a lot of bands from that first wave of punk, their initial run didn’t last that long. By March 1982, they’d called it a day. Still, their influence and reputation didn’t disappear. Over the years, they’ve built up a loyal cult following, and they’ve popped back up for reunions here and there, proving that their mix of humour and punk still connects. 

 

Rudi

Rudi were one of the very first punk bands to come out of Belfast, forming back in 1975 -right at the moment when punk was starting to explode across the UK. They’re often credited as the band that kicked off the Belfast punk scene, and even though they never became huge commercially, their influence runs deep in Northern Irish music history. 

The band started out like a lot of others at the time, playing glam rock and rock ’n’ roll covers before punk came along and changed everything. Once they caught that wave, they quickly developed a sound that stood out from the pack. Instead of going full-on aggressive or political, Rudi leaned into something more melodic -fast, catchy songs with strong hooks and a bit of a power-pop feel. It gave them a slightly different edge compared to some of their tougher contemporaries. 

What really made Rudi special, though, was the environment they were playing in. Belfast in the late ’70s was deep in the middle of the Troubles, and most aspects of life were divided along sectarian lines. Punk gigs -Rudi’s included- became rare spaces where young people from both sides could come together. That alone made the band more than just a musical act; they were part of something bigger culturally.

 
Their 1978 single “Big Time” is a big deal historically, often considered the first proper punk release from Northern Ireland. It came out on the Good Vibrations label, which itself became legendary, and that moment helped cement Rudi’s place at the heart of the local scene. They followed it up with releases like the 'I Spy' EP and a handful of other singles, all keeping that same punchy, melodic energy. 

Live, they had a reputation for being loud, fast, and full of attitude -everything you’d want from an early punk band. They weren’t afraid to stir things up either, with songs that reflected the tension of the time. That rawness helped build their following, even if it didn’t translate into mainstream success.

In the end, Rudi are one of those bands people love to call “underrated.” They never quite broke through in the way some of their peers did, but they were absolutely crucial in shaping the Belfast punk scene. If you’re digging into the roots of UK or Irish punk, they’re one of those names you can’t really skip. 

The Wasps

The Wasps emerged as part of Britain's 1977 punk wave alongside bands like The Cortinas, Drones, and Suburban Studs. In their early days, the quartet issued two singles -"Teenage Treats" and "Can't Wait 'Til '78"- and appeared on numerous compilations. After signing with the majors in 1979, they released "Rubber Cars" before abruptly splitting up. Revived in 2019, the re-formed band penned a full-length album, 2021's 'Punk Prayer'. 

Formed in East London in February 1976, the original Wasps lineup included guitarist Gary Wellman, vocalist Jesse Lynn-Dean, drummer John Rich, and bassist Steve Wollaston, who hailed from the capital city's less glamorous borough of Walthamstow. However, they were teenage regulars at the Roxy and were inspired enough by the scene to get their own band together. Fourplay Records issued The Wasps' debut effort in November 1977; "She Made Magic"/"Teenage Treats" is generally rated as a classic one-off single of the era. The Wasps next appeared on December 1977's 'Live at the Vortex' compilation, which followed similar affairs taped at the Roxy and CBGB's. The group contributed a breathless original, "Can't Wait 'Til '78," and a suitably jittery romp through the Velvet Underground's "Waiting for My Man," which became an obligatory cover. (Eater, Slaughter & the Dogs, and the U.K. Subs quickly followed with their own versions.) 

Soon thereafter, The Wasps recruited new management and a fresh look, signing with RCA in February 1979 and issuing the single "Rubber Cars"/"This Time." By then, only Wellman and Lynn-Dean remained from the 1977 era, while lead guitarist Neil Fitch, drummer Tiam Grant, and bassist David Owen completed the lineup. Despite it being one of RCA's fastest-selling singles the week of release, the band split up due to managerial disputes.

 
Bootleggers filled the gaps until Overground's long-awaited 'Punkryonics' reissue appeared in the summer of 2003. After another extended hiatus, Lynn-Dean revived The Wasps name in late 2019. Now based in Spain, she wrote a new album, 'Punk Prayer', which was released that December. 

 

Slaughter And The Dogs

Formed during the initial onslaught of U.K. punk in 1976, Manchester's Slaughter & the Dogs were the first group to release a single (the overlooked classic "Cranked Up Really High") on trailblazing hometown independent label Rabid Records. Clearly influenced by the more raucous end of glam rock -the band's name was drawn from the albums 'Slaughter on 10th Avenue' by Mick Ronson and 'Diamond Dogs' by David Bowie- the group's lineup consisted of vocalist Wayne Barrett, guitarist Mick Rossi, bassist Howard Bates, and drummer Mad Muffet.

 
Gigs at the noted London punk mecca the Roxy Club led to the band's inclusion in filmmaker Don Letts' documentary of that scene, "The Punk Rock Movie", and they eventually received a contract from Decca Records. Further top-notch singles followed in "Where Have All the Bootboys Gone" and "You're Ready Now," and they recorded their debut album, 'Do It Dog Style', in 1978. However, disagreements with Decca and the departure of vocalist Barrett, a key to the group's sound, combined to sabotage a promising career. Guitarist Billy Duffy was added, and future Smiths leader Morrissey was briefly considered as a vocalist before the group decided to continue with Rossi singing. This arrangement lasted only briefly, though, and Rossi, Bates, and Duffy re-christened themselves, first as Slaughter and then as the Studio Sweethearts. After this unit's breakup in the summer of 1979, there was a Slaughter reunion late in the year with Barrett making a token appearance before being replaced by former Nosebleeds singer Ed Banger (born Eddie Garrity). This aggregation released the album 'Bite Back' (under the name Slaughter) in 1980 to no avail and broke up permanently in 1981. 

Duffy went on to co-found Theatre of Hate and later found success in The Cult. In 1991, Wayne Barrett and Mick Rossi began writing songs together again, and the two cut an album called 'Shocking', credited to Slaughter & the Dogs. In 1996, Barrett and Rossi assembled a new edition of Slaughter & the Dogs to perform at Blackpool's vintage punk festival Holidays in the Sun, with Nigel Mead on bass and Noel Kay on drums. (Their set was later released on the album 'Cranked Up Really High in Blackpool 1996'.) Jean Pierre Thollet would later replace Mead on bass, and the group would record a studio album in 2001, 'Beware Of…' In 2016, the original lineup of Slaughter & the Dogs reunited for a brief tour, while Barrett and Rossi announced they were at work on a new studio album. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]