Punk memories

[Lee Drury]

Hello Terry, back in blighty feeling jet lagged. New York City is full of fags with french bulldogs and seriously affected people with trout pouts and gary glitter eyebrows! They have lost the plot completely. We (MissPrint) were there for the ICFF show (not a wham hooligan reunion!) at the Javitts centre in NYC. On the next stand to us was an english guy who had played bass for Iggy on a world tour, back in the day. Unfortunately his brain exploded 10 years ago and he can no longer look after himself, let alone remember anything. After meeting him I realised that some of our old friends have done well to get over similar incidents. There was a californian on another stand, who's band had supported Motorhead but our paths never crossed!
Jethro Tull were doing an acoustic show and Green Day were playing NY while we were there but they are massive now and ive never been one to go to stadium gigs. Beccy saw them on their first tour of London when she was a kid so we didnt feel the need. I dragged her up to 53rd & 3rd for a spot of Ramones nostalgia and a photo.
Looking forward to getting back in the studio with Jeff.
See ya soon,
Lee.

[Lee Drury]

Back in 78 Darren, Martin and me went to see the Lurkers play at the Lyceum or somewhere similar. I was really into them then and we went right down the front. I was waiting for them to do 'Shadow' as this was my cue to go nuts!
Darren and Martin decided to go to the toilet and as the band were getting ready for the next song about 4  skinheads came and stood right in front of me. As the opening strains of Shadow rang out the skins set upon a little punk bloke who was with his girlfriend right at the front. They began battering them against the stage and I wondered what I should do. Everyone else backed off and I decided that it was out of order and waded in. As they had their backs to me they didnt know what was coming and I gave them a good few knees in the ribs and a couple of right hooks and elbows to the sides of their heads. They quickly ran to the side of the stage and as the bouncers turned up so did Darren and Martin!
They had missed it all but I told them what was happening. A few people pointed out the skins who had regrouped and were now about 8 strong. The bouncers had a word with them and went away! The skins started pointing at me so Martin started to sing 'We are the punks, we are the punks, we are, we are, we are the punks' I thought this was a bit silly but it seemed to work as everybody down the front joined in and it felt like we would be fine as the skins couldnt take us all on. They kept on pointing at me and began to make their way over to us. We stood there and fronted them but as they got closer we realised that everyone else was doing the three steps backwards routine!
Just as the three of us nearly had to fight for our lives the bouncers came back and threw the skins out.
That was that or so I thought.
A couple of weeks later the Tickets were playing somewhere right over the other side of London and everyone was meeting up at the boleyn to travel to the gig.
I didnt bother meeting up as I liked travelling on my own and in doing this I missed Ken, who came along to the Boleyn to tell everyone that the gig was off.
I got there and didnt know anybody in the whole place. I propped up the bar and wondered what to do when a great big, sharply dressed skin came over to me and we began talking. He was really into the history and music of the original movement and we were getting on really well.
He asked me what I thought about skins that caused trouble at punk gigs and I mentioned that I had had some trouble recently at a Lurkers gig.
He began to laugh and he said that I had cracked someones ribs and had hurt someones ear so badly that he was still moaning about it two weeks later! He asked me to tell him more and as I described what had happened he mentioned names - Jasper, Boothie, Spiderman or something and he looked at me funny and laughed some more. I thought it was the laugh of the executioner and asked him if I was in trouble?
He said that he knew the blokes and the skins I had hit were still in pain and they had told everybody that they had been jumped by a gang of blokes. Someone else had said that a great big rockabilly had beat them up on his own.
I had my hair greased up the night at the Lyceum and I was the big rockabilly!
I thought that I wouldnt be going home but the big skin shook my hand and bought me a few beers. He said that the blokes who started the fight were a pain in the arse and that he would have done the same if he was there. His name was Cliff and he introduced me to some of his friends and I think they were along the lines of our ICF boys but from the other side of town.
I ended up going home late feeling very lucky but proud of myself but it made me aware that punks were not to be relied on. 8 skins ran hundreds of punks that night at the Lyceum.
In the early days of 76 and 77 we were always at least 10 strong and we all knew that if you stuck together nothing could go wrong, but as the years went by our little gang decreased in size untill 79, when it was just me on my own.
Then the Rejects started and we were all thrown back together again!
Lee.

[Lee Drury]

One night in 1980 after a good night out at the bridge Yvonne, loopy lynn and me were waiting at the bus stop outside the sea mans mission to go back to east ham. The no 5 came along and I got on and paid the driver.
As I turned there was a commotion and Lynn screamed out my name. I looked back and Yvonne was lying in the middle of the barking road, flat on her back in the head lights of the bus. I wondered what had happened and jumped off the bus to help.
Lynn pointed at a bloke running along the road and said that he had done it. I asked Yvonne if she was ok then set off after this fella. I was catching him fast and as we passed the garage on the left he was in my sights. I told him what I was going to do and he said that his mate would help him out. I hadnt seen anyone else and kept on running.
When he knew he couldnt get away he turned and pulled a blade. I was going full pelt and figured that I would keep going, hit him like a train with a drop kick and the little knife wouldnt be a problem. Then he said "do im arry". I wondered if there was a harry and looked over my shoulder. I saw another scumbag coming up behind with something shiny in his hand and thought better of it.
By now I was on top of the first bloke and tried to sell him a rugby dummy. It seemed to work as I managed to miss him and his knife. Then I fell over! I was wearing a pair of creepers that Johnny Butler had pinched off of a particularly big ted a few years earlier and was now regretting my choice of footwear for the evening.
 As I fell the creepers came off and I landed in the gutter of the barking road. As I tried to get up one of them ran up to me and laughed crazily whilst waving his knife. I rolled into the road to avoid getting stabbed but as he bent down all he did was knick my shoe and run off!
I got up and they were both running down the side street so I threw my other shoe at them. I limped back to the bus stop with torn jeans, a bleeding knee and no shoes. The bus was still there and as I got back everyone was asking what was going on.
I thanked everyone for helping me (not) and then Lynn ran up the road and came back with one shoe! It seems that as Yvonne was boarding the bus the local handbag thieves  had tried to get her bag. As it was a strong leather bag and over her shoulder the strap didnt break. Instead it dragged Yvonne off of the bus backwards and she ended up in the middle of the road after a bit of a struggle.
I missed all this and only saw her flat on her back. I was feeling a bit silly to have no shoes and a bit lucky to not have been stabbed. In the end the only person who lost anything was me and my shoe! Yvonne was fine and the whole thing was over in a flash.
Lee.

[GeoffCoke]

I've been living in Northern Ireland for a good few years but was checking out sites relating to the old manor when I came across this. I started going to the Bridge in 1976 and was soon doing a couple of nights a week as a potman (lots of rdb and warm jets gigs I seem to remember). I gave up the glass collecting in 77 after I started work with the post office and began using the Bridge for an early drink at the weekend before heading off to the Music Machine in Camden (especially when the Subs were playing) normally with the late and sadly missed Paul Spicer. I recall Billy Idol giving it the big I am one night in the circle bar at the machine, which was a converted cinema, and getting knocked down a flight of stairs for his pains. Several people who were nearby said Lee had administered the well earned slap although I was never able to confirm that. I was at school with Steve Pear and it would be nice to know how he's getting on these days. My biggest memory of the Bridge was the 'so-called' secret gig by Sham 69, masquerading for a night as 'Harry's Heroes'. I say so-called because I can't remember a night before or after when the place was so jam packed with punters.

[Lee Drury]

It wasnt me guv, honest! At last someone else is contributing as any little thing can jog someones memory. Micky Geggus kicked mr Idol up the arse once for being a prat.
Have you got any photos from back in the day Geoff so we can have a look?
Steve Pear has moved near to his beloved Arsenal and is happily married with two young sons. He hasnt touched a guitar in a long time and has his own IT company. If you want to see some old punk era B/House photos go to www.myspace.com/leedrurymusic  
Lets have some more memories please as I am running out.
Lee.

[GeoffCoke]

Couple of things spring to mind. First is that there was a nasty undercurrent of violence in the East End punk scene at that time, whether it was because we were punks or where we were raised I leave for you to decide. On one occassion I recall a lad being snatched off the street by a gang of teds who took him out to a bar further to the east that they used as a base - I can't recall exactly where but probably Ilford/Romford or some such. A decision was taken to go and rescue the guy and everybody piled into a transit van with a motley assortment of blunt instruments and we set off. The victim was recovered but I can't claim any credit having hovered around nervously by the van cos I'm a devout coward. The other event I recall clearly is heading down to the Bridge with a couple of girls on a Sunday afternoon in 79 for a couple of liveners and collapsing in Barking Road up by the Royal Oak. I awoke laid on one of the bench seats in The Bridge but Terry, who seemed to think that I was doped to the eyeballs, was not at all pleased and ushered me out as soon as I was able to get to my feet. It took me a good while to negotiate my way home, only about half a mile but I was still very groggy, and later that year I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I wasn't one bit amused at the time but find the whole episode bloody hilarious in retrospect. What was the name of the other pub in East India Dock Road where The Tickets played a couple of gigs?

[GeoffCoke]

No need to answer that, have sussed that it was the Iron Bridge Tavern. Actually it was Corvettes/Dead Flowers poster on Lee's MySpace site that answered the question, cheers dude.

[Lee Drury]

Nice one Geoff, I remember the punk vs teddy boy aggro.
In the early days we were easy pickings as we were all very young and there were not that many of us. In mid 77 we would all go down the Kings Rd to have it with the teds and it all got very nasty. Paul Spicer was accosted in central park east ham, and they hung him from the railings by his biker jacket collar!
All the local teds were big bastards called big Cliff, rebel Eddie, big John and so on. They were much older than us and took liberties. I got chased home one night and only just got away. They had a go at me in the record shop up the high st. Then one saturday night I spotted the one who had mouthed off with all his mates. He was coming down the Barking Rd in all his gear.
I was going to go over and have it with him when Martin said that he would go and ask him the time and we could see what he did. We all hid and Martin crossed the road and called out to him. He walked up to Martin, took his massive belt off and attacked Martin with it! Martin started screaming out for help and all the others just laughed, so I ran after the bloke. He legged it but I was catching him. At the corner of Katherine rd he turned to hit me with the belt, I got him with a big right hander and the belt slapped my face and the buckle hit my back. He went down and I ran to kick him but missed and went right up in the air! As I was trying to get up Johhny Butler came to the rescue and knocked the ted off of me. Then the sirens arrived and we all stopped.
Just before all this we were in the chinky next to the Central pub when some local lads known to me came in. They didnt know Martin or John and began taking the piss out of our appearance. I tried to smooth it over but the others took offence and one of the lads started on Martin. Martin wasnt doing too good so Butler hit the bloke and he went thru the window! I went out to see if he was ok and he wasnt cut or dying so I said sorry and we legged it.
Now we have been stopped by the old bill who were on their way to the earlier incident in the chinese!
I know they are stupid but they soon put two and two together and we were all knicked.
The next day I had a pain in my back and discovered a hole in my leather as if I had been stabbed with a pencil. It was from one of the sharpened horns on the teds bulls head belt.
We all had to go to stratford magistrates and all got fined £30 each. Nearly two weeks wages in 77/78. I paid my fine on the day. Butler asked for time and had to pay £1 a week. Less than a fortnight later the court house caught fire and all records were lost! Butler only paid about £2!!! Jammy git.
By now Martin had moved to Hornchurch or Upminster or somewhere. It seemed like he had left the planet to us back then! He would come back on the bus every night and every thursday on his way home, he would get loads of agg from the Teds outside the three rabbits in Manor Park, as this was their stronghold. They had grabbed him from the bus and paraded him around the pub, spitting and abusing him as he went.
This seemed to be getting out of hand and one boring thursday night at the bridge (sorry Terry but there were a few!) we all started wondering what to do or where else to go.
I stupidly suggested that we go to the Rabbits and sort the teds out. Everyone agreed and out we went to get into Vinces (Sham 69s) van. There were about 10 of us including some of the ICF boys and we laughed and joked as we drove down the Romford Rd. We parked opposite and waited untill a crew came out of the pub. We just came from all directions and gave them a spanking. We ran back to the van and returned to the bridge all pumped and full of it. Thats when we realised that Martin and Dave were missing. It was too risky to go back and no mobile phone luxury then so we kept our fingers crossed.
Martin had jumped onto a bus as it was all going off and a great big ted had followed him on. Luckily for Martin Dave had seen this and had ran after the bus. He caught it at the next stop and ran up the stairs to see the ted had Martin on his back on the top deck and was raining down punches onto him. As soon as Dave showed up the ted got a pasting and we all got home unscathed.
That night seemed to change everything as we never got any more trouble and they never came back to our house (the Bridge) for seconds. This coincided with some of the old VLF boys giving big Cliff a going over with small club hammers at West Ham supporters club.
I dont know if it was because of all what had happened or just a sign of the times, but the Teds dwindled away and we forgot about them.
Lee.

[Dagenham Dave]

It was  a strange old time back then with all the "tribal" aggro that was going on. Since I was into bikes and my only transport was a 250 Ducati most people considered me a biker but I was mates with various punks, skins, teds and hippys as well so I saw it form all angles. I sometimes used to go to the Rabbits with my biker mates and never got any grief from the teds other than some comments about the safety pins that were holding my leather together but I think I would have got alot more than that if they'd known that I also went to punk gigs.
It seemed to be a thing that teds would get along with bikers although there was some friction between the older teds and the younger rockabillys. Around Dagenham it also seemed to be that bikers and punks got along but while the punks were ok with the skins the skins didn't really didn't like bikers much and I think it was only the bikers who got along with the hippys. This did vary immensely when we travelled off our manor though and we did get into one very scary situation one night down in Kent. One of my mates was an old school rocker well into his bike but always sporting a D.A., studded leather and white socks turned down over his bike boots and one of his workmates had suggested visiting a rock and Roll pub in Gravesend. About 10 of us went and we just strolled into this pub but hadn't even reached the bar before some big ted chucked his pint over my mate and we were suddenly surrounded by about 100 of them and had no chance of reaching the door. Fortunately my rocker mates workmate was well respected there and came over to defuse the situation-it turned out that down there the teds hated all bikers too! On another occasion I went to a night out on Canvey Island with a bunch of about 50 bikers but we weren't allowed in anywhere so ended up just sat on the beach drinking. Two of the girls with us had moved up onto the sea wall and were sat chatting when six punks came along and started giving them grief so they ran down to where the rest of us were. Being pretty dark the punks chased them and got to within twenty feet before realising it wasn't really a good idea so they turned and legged it while we were just sat there wondering what it had all been about totally baffled why they had been shouting at the girls! We didn't bother chasing them though as we figured they'd probably learnt a valuable lesson that night 

[Lee Drury]

It certainly was much more violent back in the 70s. Not as many stabbings maybe but you were much more likely to get a right hander just for what you looked like, then than you are now.
By 78 Darren, Martin and me could no longer go to West Ham games as it is impossible to know everyone, and there would always be some little firm that wanted to tear our heads off! It wasnt fair on our (normal) friends who had to keep coming to the rescue so we stopped and went down the music road instead. The first time I went out in punk gear I got hit over the head with a lump of wood and kicked in the bollocks as I was on the floor, by people I had never seen before. This was in my old school grounds!
Second time was when Darren, Rocco and me went to the Clash gig in Chelmsford which I have mentioned before. I nearly gave it all up before it had really got going. Being a punk in the east end in 77 was like walking down the Old Kent Road in a West Ham shirt (dangerous!)
As Dave says, it was very tribal.
Lee.

[GeoffCoke]

I was lucky enough in that respect, I was always floating about in a battered old leather bomber and bondage trousers but never caught a slap because of it. I think folks in Canning Town were generally less bothered about us than people in East Ham/Manor Park. When I wasn't in The Bridge or trolling around Camden chances were I'd be in Seven Sisters, I had a brief thing going with a punkette up there and there was also a late blues off the high street where I'd go and listen to some dub (and was probably the only white guy in the place). I only gave that up after some tosser tried to remove my watch whilst I was half asleep on blow. Lee, you ought to give some thought to playing a couple of gigs over here, thriving music scene in the town at weekends but I'm heartily sick of student thrash metal!

[Lee Drury]

Play in Northern Ireland? I cant get my sh*t together to play in East London! Maybe one day something might happen. If so, and we fancy a weekend away I will drop you a line.
In 79 me and Charlie started going to the dub/reggae nights at the 100 club every thursday night. We were always the only white people in the club apart from the girls that were with us. After about 3 months I had the whole B/H punk and W/Y crowd coming as well. It was a great laid back night, I never knew when the band had come on as they were very professional, tight and sounded like the records!. The atmosphere was heavily laced with you know what and there was never any trouble. I always seemed to either fall asleep in the street outside the old Virgin record shop whilst waiting for the night bus, or get myself arrested. Twice in one week they nicked me.
I fell asleep once and woke in the morning to find men with umbrellas stepping over me, as I had rolled into the middle of the pavement!
Talking of good nights out me and Steve Fisher went to see the New York Dolls play on friday night. It was VERY loud but the guy on the mixing desk had an off night as the sound balance wasnt very good. Everything else was great and they put on a good show.
Steves mates were in the support band whose name unfortunately I cant remember. They were good too and im sure Steve will let us know.
Lee.
P.S. I have uploaded two new songs onto myspace that me and Jeff recorded at easter and added the lyrics to the other songs. Could 'Wasted Train' be the only song that mentions Canning Town?

[Lee Drury]

Metins funeral today and im stuck in Paris. Will raise a glass later in his memory. He was a good mate or a pain in the arse depending on if he liked you or not! If he got a bee in his bonnet, god forgive you because he would not stop. I have already mentioned a lot of the things we used to get up to.
He was one of the few people who used to get more out of it than me! We were both regulars in Bow St magistrates court and Metin ended up with his own police taxi service as they simply got fed up with charging him with D&D, and began to take him home instead. Chetin would let him in and promise to put him in bed!
In 79 Metin began to dress like ali babar with big jeanie style trousers and he got right into the Tubeway Army thing and started going to the New Romantic clubs. He went out with Shirley (Pepsi & Shirley) who were in the Wham videos and had a brief pop career. She ended up marrying Steve Kemp from Spandau Ballet and Eastenders. Metin would drive them mad as he would turn up at their gigs and drink all the bands free backstage beer as they were performing, and taunt Steve that he was drinking his beer, and having his misses!
The Erazerhead crew regularly went on summer holidays, Metin included (I didnt go as I already had children) and one year Trigger dived into the pool on the first day and lost his plate with his two front teeth. He had knocked them out when he was a kid. Metin found the plate and hid it for the rest of the fortnight, only giving it back on the last day!
On one such holiday Metin got into an argument at a bar with three blokes and got badly beaten by them.
The next day he spotted one of them on the beach with a girl. He went over and gave the bloke a pasting. A couple of days later they caught him and done him over again. The day after he caught another one on his own and gave him what for. This went on for the whole of the first week. In the end the three blokes found him again but this time said we want to call a truce. You are spoiling our holiday! You have won, they told him. He would not give in.
God bless you Metin,
Lee.

[Lee Drury]

Come on somebody, jog my memory.
I remember doing all the supports when we (the Corvettes) were starting out. Most of the time we only needed our guitars. We would turn up on nights when there was no support booked. Wonder how we knew about that? Most of the headline bands would let us plug into their amps, and even use their drum kit.
One particular night the main band were hairy, pretentious and wouldnt even let us use the stage, as they were all set up and we were embarrassing them.
Terry would always let us use Chris Thompsons spare gear which lived in the old dance hall upstairs so up we went, down it all came and we set up on the floor in front of the stage. I dedicated every song that night to the sad gits who wouldnt share a stage with us. We had all our mates down to see us and when we went off so did all the people.
The Spinal Tap type band went on and they were ignored! It was very satisfying for us young lads and I hope the other lot learned a lesson.
Lee.

[TerryMurphy]

Yes Lee it looks like you have become the godfather of punk,on our forum at least.
they may not be answering or competing with you,but you have plenty of readers,
Jeff read the statistics and your stories are the most read.and i agree they are original interesting stories of your young life,while growing up ,in and around Canning town Kings Cross,west end ,,and i have heard a few stories about Oxford?all right i will not mention them,,do you want to confess,or just keep stum ,Regards And thanks Terry M