SHAM 69
Sham 69 are an English punk rock band that were formed in Hersham in 1976. The band was uniquely successful in the United Kingdom, being the only punk rock band to release five singles making the country’s Top 20 charts. The original unit broke up in 1979, with front man Jimmy Pursey moving on to pursue a solo career. In 1987 Pursey and guitarist David Parsons reformed the band, joined by new personnel. Although subsequently going through a number of lineup changes, Sham 69 remained active and was still playing shows as of 2014. (More from Wikipedia)
The Wanderers (briefly called the Allies) were born when frontman Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys essentially replaced Jimmy Pursey as the front man and lead singer in Sham 69, which broke up in the summer of 1980. Besides Stiv Bators, the other bandmembers were from Sham 69: Dave Tregunna (bassist), Dave Parsons (guitarist), and Mark Goldstein (drums). Unlike many of the other first-wave punk bands in Britain, Sham 69 had genuine proletariat roots and eventually attracted very rowdy crowds. Despite considerable success, the Dead Boys and Sham 69 had both been somewhat under-appreciated in their home countries.
Many rock critics were not ready for a “concept album” from a punk rock band, and the Wanderers were often dismissed as “the Sham Boys” or “Stiv 69”, though they did get some favorable notices (from Trouser Press, among others). Today, the original Wanderers album is almost impossible to find, but a reissue in 2000 on Captain Oi! Records has brought the album to a wider audience. (“Oi” refers to a working-class subgenre of British punk rock; Sham 69 was one of the first such bands).
(February 2011)
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Due to our recent escape from the projected end of the world on December 21, 2012, the apocalyptic album by the Wanderers is an appropriate Flashback for this month. Stiv Bators, the frontman of one of the best American punk rock bands, the Dead Boys teamed up with the remains of one of Britain’s best punk bands, Sham 69. Stiv Bators would found his next punk rock band, the Lords of the New Church, with one of the members of the Wanderers, Dave Tregunna.
(February 2013)
