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THE WORST PUNK ROCK BAND 1977 - 1979
BAND CONCEPT
No 'Image'. They play not as though their life depends on it, but because it does.

"The disillusionment came when one by one the bands signed up with the big record companies, it was signing away the control. They took one look at the size of the cheque and went into the music machine, the very thing we thought punk was trying to get away from."

 

IAN HODGES - Evening Post, 1986

10 year Punk retospective

 

The Worst..."they stand for all the freedoms that can be imagined. They voice brutal imaginations of blurred everyday themes urban alienation, distortion, depersonalisation and their style is, by liberal intellectual standards which are destructive and anti-social"

"We tried to teach him the notes but he didn't have the rhythm - so we didn't plug him in when we were on stage. The poor lad was playing his heart out but there was no noise."

 

 

THE WORST on Woody on bass

The WORST were the epitome of the punk-rock era in all that it stood for - basically a "were not gonna take this any more" of the music establishment that controlled what we listened to and 'what was good for us'. Countless promises of record contracts were told to "shove it" and rather than, what we regarded as at the time, "selling out to the establishment" like so many of our contemporaries with similar ideals.

"IT ONLY TAKES THREE OR FOUR WEEKS TO LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR, BUT APPARENTLY FOR THE WORST, THIS WAS TOO LONG TO WAIT"
Joe Strummer - The Clash
GIG HISTORY
This is an incomplete inventory. As and when more info becomes available, then we will fill in the gaps. If you were lucky/unfortunate (delete as appropriate) to be present at one of our gigs and you know the date and venue if not listed here, please contact us...

THE SQUAT

Stuff the Jubilee Festival

June 3rd 1977

Drones/Warsaw /Fall WORST/Negatives

 

THE SQUAT

June 25th 1977

Warsaw / WORST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELECTRIC CIRCUS

September 25th 1977

Slits / WORST / Prefects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ERICS LIVERPOOL

July 3rd 1977

Buzzcocks / WORST

 

BBC Brass Tacks

Aug 6th 1977

BBC Manchester studios -

Talk show on Punk Rock

 

BARBERELLAS BIRMINGHAM

Sept 6th 1977

Buzzcocks / WORST/Fall

 

MARQUEE LONDON

21st, 22nd Nov 1977

Buzzcocks / WORST /The Flies

ELECTRIC CIRCUS

October 1st/2nd 1977

Last night of the Electric Circus

Steel Pulse / Warsaw /  WORST / Fall / Negatives / Magazine / John the Postman / John Cooper Clarke / Buzzcocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KATIES NOTTINGHAM

Oct 20th 1977

Fall/WORST /Slugs

 

FOXES CROYDON

Sept 4th 1977

Buzzcocks/WORST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STRETFORD CIVIC CENTRE

Sept 21st 1977

Fall/WORST/John Cooper Clarke

 

TIFFANYS SHREWSBURY

Nov 21st 1977

WORST / Prefects

STRETFORD CIVIC THEATRE

23rd December 1977

John Cooper Clarke / WORST/

The Fall / Militant Frank

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Republic of IRELAND TOUR

27th-29th Jan. 1978

Trinity College,

Dublin 28th Jan.

Savoy, Limerick

29th Jan.

Buzzcocks / WORST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROUNDHOUSE LONDON

December 1977

Buzzcocks / Souixsie and the Banshees / Penetration /  WORST

 

Mr GEORGES COVENTRY

Sometime in 1978

WORST / Specials

IMAGES of the WORST (and friends)
reviews

JOHN PEEL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds - August  1977

 

 "that if the music of the worst was as effective as thier spokesmen were on bbc's "brass tacks" then i was anxious to here them. and i meant every word. At Barbarellas only one band genuinely shone out as being different, fresh, the WORST. The WORST's alarming aural minimalism - a sandpapered hybrid of bleached Hawkwind and "case history" Kevin Coyne - and a total lack of orthadox techniques provoke immediate alienation and scorn. But it works because it as so totally unpretentious and spontaneous possessing absolutely no pose, and these lads mean it. Not one of the other bands touched any nerves. They were either entertaining or pretentious or hypocritical or ludicrous or all 4. The Worst just were. NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS At one point the lead "singer" turned his back to us and played the notes A and B twice in a row. It was a solo. TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN GIG one things for sure, if you THINK you actually saw the worst and can't remember. YOU DIDN'T. here's a list of some of the bands they played with over the couple of years they lasted. BUZZCOCKS who they supported many times, THE FALL and  THE PREFECTS (kindrid spirits) WARSAW (joy division) SIOUXSIE and the BANSHEES, GANG OF FOUR, MAGAZINE, THE SLITS,ADAM and the ANTS,THE KILLJOYS, THE DRONES, MANICURED NOISE, STEEL PULSE, PENETRATION, JOHN COOPER CLARKE, THE SPECIALS and last but not least JON THE  POSTMANS PURILE. and not one of these bands would be sat in the dressing room while they were on.

 The Worst..."they stand for all the freedoms that can be imagined. They voice brutal imaginations of blurred everyday themes - urban alienation, distortion, depersonalisation - and their style is, by liberal intellectual standards, destructive and anti-social" The WORST were the epitome of the punk-rock era in all that it stood for - basically a "were not gonna take this any more" of the music establishment that controlled what we listened to and 'what was good for us'. Countless promises of record contracts were told to "shove it" and rather than, what we regarded as at the time, "selling out to the establishment" like so many of our contemporaries with similar ideals. The disillusionment came when one by one the bands signed up with the big record companies, it was signing away the control. They took one look at the size of the cheque and went into the music machine, the very thing we thought punk was trying to get away from BAND CONCEPT No 'Image'. They play not as though their life depends on it, but because it does.

THE PREFECTS (kindrid spirits) WARSAW (joy division) SIOUXSIE and the BANSHEES, GANG OF FOUR, MAGAZINE, THE SLITS,ADAM and the ANTS,THE KILLJOYS, THE DRONES, MANICURED NOISE, STEEL PULSE, PENETRATION, JOHN COOPER CLARKE, THE SPECIALS and last but not least JON THE POSTMANS PURILE. and not one of these bands would be sat in the dressing room while they were on. The Worst..."they stand for all the freedoms that can be imagined. They voice brutal imaginations of blurred everyday themes - urban alienation, distortion, depersonalisation - and their style is, by liberal intellectual standards, destructive and anti-social" The WORST were the epitome of the punk-rock era in all that it stood for - basically a "were not

gonna take this any more" of the music establishment that controlled what we listened to and 'what was good for us'. Countless promises of record contracts were told to "shove it" and rather than, what we

 regarded as at the time, "selling out to the establishment" like so many of our contemporaries with similar ideals. The disillusionment".The WORST are a little confused by their success. They are having hesistant talks with New Hormones about putting out a record. But arn't sure about how they should go about it. They're thinking of using a cassette recording of a gig in Birmingham for a record because they didn't realise they were being recorded, so they didn't pander accordingly. But in the end it doesn't really matter whether they make a record or not The Worst know that, so they've got nothing to lose...and all the time in the world."

 

NEW MANCHESTER REVIEW

23rd Sept 1977

 

 

 

 

At Barbarellas only one band genuinely shone out as being different, fresh, the WORST. The WORST's alarming aural minimalism - a sandpapered hybrid of bleached Hawkwind and "case history" Kevin Coyne - and a total lack of orthadox techniques provoke immediate alienation and scorn. But it works because it as so totally unpretentious and spontaneous possessing absolutely no pose, and these lads mean it. Not one of the other bands touched any nerves. They were either entertaining or pretentious or hypocritical or ludicrous or all 4. The Worst just were.

 

NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS

 

 

 

At one point the lead "singer" turned his back to us and played the notes A and B twice in a row. It was a solo.

(Read the review)

 

TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN GIG

Paul Morley and Anthony Wilson in conversation at Urbis, Manchester 20/07/05. Part of the 'Punk' exhibition.

Granada TV 'Brass Tacks' discussion exploring the 'NEW' Punk Rock phenomenon v. the establishment featuring Alan Deaves and Odgie of The Worst

Even by the lax standards of the time, they were terrible musicians (hence the name) and only had two songs, “Pass The Vaseline” and “Fast Breeder.” While the band never recorded, the handful of gigs they played left an indelible mark on anybody who ever saw them perform. Local music critic Paul Morley proclaimed, “They make the Clash seem like Rush.” Booze, Blood and Noise: The Violent Roots of Manchester Punk By Frank Owen
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