SPED-WEB

 

The Tearaways  (1981)

All through 1981 I was playing football but as the year went on the fitness level dropped and I started missing matches. I loved football but there was plenty else going on out there in the big world that was just as stimulating.

John F rang in January to say he’d found a drummer and another guitarist for the Tearaway Squad. We later found a guy called Mr G working in the carpet section at Knees in Trowbridge. We did a sort of audition in my bedroom and we were a 3 piece. John promptly went off to America for a while so the band went into limbo. I kept on writing song lyrics and poems so when John eventually reappeared there would be enough for an album (he he)

I also got a call from Sue of Chippenham, apologising for her behaviour months ago. I was trying to get off with girl called Jackie though! the teenage lifestyle......

Without the lure of Crewkerne I had to make do with Melksham. I met up with Laurie from the Tarts in the International Supermarket  following a chat with Mitch who worked there too. I showed him the photos I’d taken of the Tarts. He liked them and invited me out to the Bear, which was becoming my local. I did not exactly fit in wearing combat trousers (a la "Apocalypse Now" chic that had sprung up around the teardrop and Bunnymen following) and army surplus stuff in a rockers pub, but nobody hassled me so that was cool. Laurie, Mitch and girl called Kate and me went off to GEC to some sort of disco, and then to Leigh Delamere services after the pubs shut. I am not sure why we went to the service area but like most things it seemed like a good idea at the time. I think we ordered a plate of chips between us and took about 150 packets of salt vinegar, sauce, salt, pepper and any other bits and bobs that we could fit in our pockets. Quite what we were going to do them I have no idea. Kate reckoned she knew where Kate Bush lived so directed us from Leigh Delamere along the M4, down the A46 and into the back lanes north of Bath in the early hours of the morning. We ended up outside a small cottage, ummed and arred and pinched the milk off of the doorstep. Was it really Kate Bush’s milk?? Dunno, but Laurie drank the lot.

A few days late Laurie left for Cornwall with the Tarts photos saying he would be back in a couple of weeks. We did the Leigh Delamere trip a few times, with or without Laurie, each time trying to pinch as much as possible (all crappy stuff) and trying to do something interesting until dawn came up. On one occasion the rain was coming down like sheets and the floor of the mini filled up with water, so much so that Bobby Sprules who was sat in the front had to lift his feet off the floor.

As the spring came I started to cultivate my Julian Cope look, growing my hair and trying to make it look like a haystack. I had all the ex-army stuff, combat jacket and trousers, and even a piece of netting to use as a headband. I was going out with Jackie who was from Trowbridge College, again, this never lasted! The next in line was Catherine, a girl I met at Kate’s 18th birthday party, she was another great girl. All of these girls I got on with really really well until I wanted to start a relationship. such is life.

By mid February John was back from the States and Laurie was back from Cornwall. John came up to Trowbridge so I took him down the Bear for a pint. It was not really our scene at the time but we bumped into Laurie, who was chatting with Jeff my brother who since moving south had taken on the mantle of “Jock” allegedly because he was from up north. Some of his mates called me Big Jock!

SS and John's place in Crewkerne

I went down to Crewkerne with Laurie on Feb 26th and Laurie took his guitar down. He was awesome on the guitar but John did not know this yet. I was crap on the bass, everyone knew that though. We met up at John's house and decided to plays some tunes. John had brought along a guy called Gerry who played keyboards and the flute. Plus a couple of 15/16 year old girls called Alison and Louise. Laurie immediately got off with Louise; all the girls loved Laurie who could charm all of them. I could make ‘em laugh and talk for England and that was about it. Alison was real cute though so I kept that thought in the back of my mind!!. We tried out a few songs as John had booked a studio the following day in Sherborne. Most of the stuff failed and I just had to sit back and watch, as I was the one without the musical talent. I could ramble till the cows came home and that’s how it turned out the next day.

We did three songs “Rub a dub dub dub” which was Frank Zappa on speed, with me doing constant talking that was speeded up. Listening to it 20 years later was interesting!! Many years later I was able to transfer the tape recording to computer and then slow the song down and play it backwards to see what I was actually talking about. John did some chat as did Ali and Louise and John also played a bit of rhythm guitar while Laurie and Gerry did solo stuff. Weird shit in deed. The second track was a rather boring instrumental called Canister Dreams, loosely based on the Passions guitar sound of  “I’m in love with a German film star”, with added flute and heavy handed rhythm guitar. The third track was the only real tune of the three. John had written the basic melody on guitar and I sat on the stairs thinking about Alison who did not seem to be interested in me in the least.  I came up with some words but they never made it to the final cut for some reason. I never even got the chance to sing them. They were good though. The session ended as a virtual instrumental called Clare’s Bum in honour of a girl I went out with the previous year from college who John thought had a nice bum. My only contribution were some weird ramblings played backwards, “ I like giggling girls”. Laurie and me hit the road later that day and headed back to Wiltshire.

A week or so late John rang up to say that Louise wanted to see Laurie again, not only that but Ali wanted to see me. The following week, after a Friday night down the Bear and off to Leigh Delamere services Laurie and me drove down to Crewkerne. This was 1981 and new romantic stuff was raring it's head although we stayed clear of the Spandau sect. We were well into The Cure and their ilk who did have a bit of eyeliner on We spent the morning being made up by the girls and the afternoon posing around Yeovil and Sherborne plastered in eyeliner and mascara. It was the eighties and new romantics were in full swing.

The International Tearaway Squad pose for the camera!!

Although the “band” had done the demo it still was not really what you’d call a band. It was just me and John who talked a good band and various folk who nearly came and nearly joined. Mr G from Trowbridge had managed one rehearsal. I then found a lesbian called Helen Wilson who lived at Winsley near Bradford on Avon. I took her down to Crewkerne for a rehearsal at least twice. Nothing came of that though. Once we managed John, Laurie, Helen who wanted to sing, a guy called Pete who could actually place the bass, Gerry on his keyboard and me. I am not sure what my role in the set up was now but I am sure I was useful somehow! Following that night of practicing I had to take a few of the guys home in the Somerset villages. While driving through Crewkerne I was stopped by the police. The car was searched for drugs top to bottom.  They even took all the seats out. There was nothing in the car so I just stood back and said, “Sure search it”. When I got back to John’s place I told him about it. He totally freaked out! . 

John was coming up to Trowbridge quite regularly which was fine but I missed the girls in Crewkerne, if not the sh*t hole that john lived in. We did spend a great day down in Somerset in late April. We jammed in the afternoon then went off into a field covered in light snow and Gerry took some pictures of the three piece band posing. The evening included a trip to Taunton to see the Cure a great gig when they were in their really glum stage with the release of the Faith album. I still love that album and have my original tape of it with Carnage Visors on the backside of the tape. Two days later we were all in Bristol watching Echo and The Bunnymen. Another great gig which John managed to bullshit his and our way backstage and chat with the band. They were a cool bunch of dudes but the guy we got on well with was Jake a roadie who later played with the band. John talked about the aborted Teardrop’s gig a year earlier in Yeovil. Jake was there too hauling kit. We shared a smoke together and somehow got the band to promise us free tickets for the up and coming show at the Hammersmith Odeon. Another two days on and just me and Laurie were up in London to watch George Thorogood and the Destroyers. From the now sound of the Bunnymen and the Cure we were now back in retro-land. Truly awesome it was too. Despite my love for the Bunnymen and all things new there was no denying the destroyers could blow them from here to the end of the world. I still rate this as at least joint number one gig in the world. Some gig photos are on this site here

Two days late I woke up to find my beloved red mini had gone. The driveway at my parents home was empty. Stolen…B*****ds. The following day we had tickets to go up to Bristol to see the Cure. Damn and Blast or worse words!. We eventually decided that we (Laurie, his new girl Sue and me) would go but it have to be on the train, which meant probably missing that last part of the set. Still a great gig though.  If that was not enough the following day I was back in Bristol (this time with Gini) on the train to go back a little in time to watch stiff Little Fingers. Oh no not another great gig? Oh yes, and an encore that included the most soul destroying version of Teenage Kicks ever. Some gig photos are on this site here

The month ended with the Bunnymen gig in London. When we eventually got the gig we found we had no right of entry. Nobody had reserved anything. Time for John to spring into action. He chatted up a big dude outside the backstage area who we both recognised by the driver of the truck that delivered the Teardrop’s kit to and from Yeovil all those months ago and he was now on tour with the Bunnymen.  After much grovelling we got some tickets for the gig but right at the back. Oh well we were in anyway and the music was truly great, again. So much so that the following day I had no voice to chat up my latest female desire, Sheila.

Shelia was friend of Sue, Laurie’s lady friend. I met Shelia again about a week later at Simon F’s party. There were two memorable incidents at the party and one lead to the other. Simon was a heavy smoker but not a bit of  tobacco man. During the evening we sampled some Columbian substances. And what a wig-out. Before the evening was out I was outside waffling in an hallucinating haze and staring at the sky watching all sorts of imaginary things. Quite what Shelia made of this I didn’t know but needless to say she must have been amused and agreed to see me again. A party about a week later, after Sue had chopped all my hair off and given me white highlights she fixed up a date with Sheila and Me. I drove Sheila home and we sat outside her house from 11pm until 3pm just talking, no drugs, no stimulants, no smut  just raw verbal energy. Stunning stuff. . I asked her out over the phone from work. I had promised her that night if “If I give you me a buzz tonight will you give me a ring tomorrow”. Of course, this was me and there was no way the relationship would last. Within three weeks it was all over.

The rest of the early summer was mostly spent in Wiltshire with Laurie and friends. We travelled down to a place called Tellisford at weekends to bathe in the river sliding down the flume (Sue did fall in once though). We wandered upto London to see the Teardrop Explodes at Hammersmith but the band had lost their sparkle. Julian was still a live wire but the success of the singles had attracted the under 15 girls who screamed all the way through. It was like watching the Bay City Rollers. Of course John F was there so we were backstage where I met the neo-legendary Bill Drummond and David Balfe who both signed my treasured Big in Japan EP. I taken it with me for this sole purpose, and succeeded.

Cricket, The only Sport in 1981

Early July came and I went up to London to the test match on the coach. this was Boycott's 100th test match and I wanted to see the mighty Dennis Lillee before he retired. The test match was Ok but the journey back was unforgettable ................I got sick on the way back and spent the next three weeks at home eating through a straw with a very bad case of Tonsillitis. No doubt brought on by swimming in the river at Tellisford. While I was off  work he Specials’ Ghost town rose to number one in the charts as Britain lurched with inner city riots. On the sporting front Ian “Beefy” Botham lifted the nation with one-man heroics at Headingly and he “single-handedly” stuffed the Aussies out of site. I saw all this from my cocoon under the blankets in the living room at Semington.

When I was fit again I discovered that Laurie played cricket. We messed around at Melksham Park and were soon asked to join up with The Cavaliers, a West Indian bunch. I was asked along because I had bowled their star player Fitzy out first bowl in the park. We played several matches with the Cavaliers, which were great fun. No hung up English attitude to the old game. We just went out, bowled as quickly as possible and slogged as much as we could. Well most did. Laurie and me could bowl but were not the best batters around.  On the 16th August we played at Stockton on a pitch in Warminster. The nothing much to speak of but while we were playing England were playing Australia. I did not bat and did not bowl, but while our team were batting we listened to the test match. When we went out to field England were struggling, Tavare was hanging in there but everyone else was getting out 

Boycott 37, Gooch 5, Gower 1, Gatting 11, Brearley 3. Botham came in just as we went onto the field. When we came back at having finished our stint Tavare was still in but only had about 50 or 60. What on earth was going on? We assumed that England was sliding into defeat and Tavare had held fort. Hmmm. Then Botham was mentioned. What Botham still in? Had it rained? What was going on? Soon all was revealed. Botham was about to be out for 118 including 6’ sixes and 13 4’s. What a mix. Botham had scored the fasted test match 100 by an England player for many years. At the other end Tavare had scored the third slowest 50 ever. England eventually was all out for 404 with Knott and Embury chipping in with 50’s. Extraordinary.

The day after England won the test and we went down the park to celebrate with a game of cricket. Unfortunately I failed to connect with rising delivery from Tim Hyde and edged it onto my nose. Splat! Fitzy took me off to hospital and rang my Mum and Dad who were to celebrate 21 years together that evening.

Mixing with these cricketing guys lead to a meeting with a dalring of a girl Violet. Violet was the black Bo Derek, a head be-dangled with beads and a body beautiful. I had seen her hanging around the park where we practiced cricket. We finally met at the Bear on the day of the Royal wedding of Charles and Diana. An event which saw the Swanny Roadshow blasting the Melksham streets with right royal racket.

Very soon Violet and me were an item and spending all day together. She was still at school doing A levels. As soon as I finished work I would meet her at the Park and we go out for a drive and a cuddle.

Ali was still sort of in touch but my real love was still Violet. 9 Weeks and going strong. This was the longest I had been with a girl and it was great. I did try and drive down to Crewkerne with Laurie in early October but we faltered in Bruton when I took a corner too fast, skidded on some mud and wiped out a fence and ended up in a field totally shocked and car-less. I wrote a poem for the occasion entitled “The snake road”.

The death of the car started the winter off and a series of changes. Early November I had new wheels; a Morris Marina (NHU 450L) a snip at £440 from Ken V at work who acquired from his father. The Tearaway Squad died too. The football season began. The trips to Crewkerne slowly tailed off. By the end of October my relationship with Violet was suffering for unknown reasons and on the 8th November we ceased to be a pair.

Torn away (1981-82) with added Max Headroom power.

Laurie had started a new band; Max Headroom and the Carparks. They first gigged at the Bear in Melksham. My now very frequent hideout amongst the rockers fraternity. The Canberra club in Melksham quickly followed this.  The band was Mick Ruck on vocals, Ade Gullis drums, Fred Legg, Bass, John Carter rhythm guitar and Laurie Garbe lead guitar.

I was soon driving the car-less Laurie to rehearsals in Radstock and for my help Laurie had informed the band of my song writing skills. I was put to the test on 7th November when I sat down and wrote the words to a tune they were jamming to. The song was called She-Cat but when someone asked what it was called, the question was misheard and the reply was quarter to four. The song was forever known as Quarter to Four. The band were basically a 60’s/70’s rock based drug band apart from Mick the singer who didn’t smoke but did not mind the passive air of his musical druggie mates. My second contribution was to change the words to “Scare Me”, a Mick Ruck lyric that was entrenched in the Bad Company/Free world that Mick roamed like a sorcerer or rocking Eagle of death. The words shifted from inane drivel to a song about east-west cold war scare mongering. I could not get rid of the hooky chorus, so “Scare me” became “Shock Me”. The set for the next gig was:

Black Magic Woman, Cocaine, Scare Me/Shock me, Quarter to Four, Red House, Hey Joe, Brown sugar, Tiger Lady, Can’t get enough of your love, Johnny B Goode, Evening Song

Hey Joe was one of the best covers I have ever heard. The band just gelled as a unit and Laurie would take the lead and just play with the audience. Truly Awesome.

The band kept my brain in check but I had lost my girl so was back in the flirty world again. Debbie P appeared from work and quickly disappeared. She was very sweet but ended it with me. How come they all ended with me? OK sometimes I did not have the nerve to say "this is the end" and would force them to quit me by being just plain weird but that couldn’t account for all of them.

Next was a blind date. My first and last. Nicky S worked with Gini in Chippenham who I was still in contact with. We met and went off to the cinema and generally had a nice time until 3.00am but got upto nothing saucy. “She talks nearly as much as I do” was my only comment in my diary.

Then it was eyes for Paula, and Melanie before I met a girl who loved the Doors. At first I had no idea who she was. I chatted to her down the Bear and we shared a real love of Jim Morrison and the Doors. I soon found out her name: Gill, the younger sister of a girl in the sixth form when I was at George Ward School. At first we just had a good old chat, as I was chasing Paula.  I wrote a spontaneous poem for her called "Monday the threadbare teddy bear". I told her I could write to order so she gave me the title and I made the verse up on the spot. Predictably the Paula thing fell through. What would 1982 bring?

1982

The year started with snow everywhere, several inches that started while I was on the way back from a Max Headroom rehearsal. The next morning it was everywhere and everything was at a standstill. I chose to have a day off so missed the chaos on the roads. I found Gill again and started my latest love adventure. I started to read the Morrison biography “No-one hear gets out alive” on Gill’s recommendation. Probably the first book I’d read since Catch 22 the previous autumn.  

Max Headroom was now in full flow and had a full set of originals mostly lyrics by me. They kept the old favourites like Hey Joe and Johnny B Goode though. While all this was going on I was getting fit from my football. 5 a side every week and eleven a side at the weekends, plus the occasion training session too. Max entered a couple of Battle of the Band competitions, which involved trips to bath Uni (Ali and Louise came to watch that one), and Bristol. They eventually won the Bristol comp and we ended up going off to Radio Bristol to do and interview live on air. John Carter had left the band by this stage and they looked for a replacement and got Chris Pullen who played the keyboard. The group was drifting though and Laurie left in early June to join another local band Bronz. He did do a few gigs with both bands but Max was now looking for a new guitar.  Before they did however they made a single “Soldier” c/w "For the want of a four letter word”, both sets of words penned by me. There were aspirations of chat topping success though, not on Bandwagon records pressed in Melksham.

I started to have bouts of depression and hatred. I didn’t know what was going on but it made me write some very deep if somewhat weird poems and prose. My dreams were also coming alive in my brain and the whole reality-dreamland thing was a blur. I took a girl called Phillipa out behind Gill’s back. She was Gill’s best friend to. I was having illusions of "stardom" too and I was seeing Laurie’s ex Kate too but this was plutonic. But try telling that to a girlfriend. The relationship with Gill finally snapped in late April 1982  I tried to get back with Ali from Crewkerne but we only seemed to be able to get on for one day at a time. One Day one was heaven; day two was hell and sent me into depressions again. Violet briefly re-appeared too. I did not know who I was supposed to like and was hiding myself in a smoky haze down the Bear. By September 1982 I would be rescued though.

John Friend briefly appeared from the Middle East and drove Laurie, Gerry and me up to London see Frank Zappa at the Hammersmith Odeon in June. A gig memorable for  three reasons, firstly, that it was musically fantastic, secondly I fell asleep in the middle of one the instrumental tracks and finally the fact that John never came in. I had tickets for two but John and Gerry were hoping for something from the touts. It was way out of his cash league though and so John and Gerry drove away reluctantly back down to darkest Somerset. How the hell were Laurie and Me going to get back? Talk about coincidence, about 3 rows back from us in the balcony was John Carter! Wow a lift back to Wiltshire. I still cannot believe this. After the Zappa concert I had few days off so I could go down to the “illegal” Stonehenge festival and get well blasted.

Marti Close to the Sweetest Girl (1982-3) is the next chapter. one day I'll write it when I get the time

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