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Formed
in Great Yarmouth East Anglia in 1974 and known as Cosmic Love and
then Teezer, The Crabs were vocalist/guitarist Tony Diggines, guitarist
Ronnie Rocker, drummer Ricci Titcombe and bassist William Kimbling. They
supported the likes of X-Ray Spex,The Lurkers, Sham 69, The Jam &
Siouxsie & The Banshees and many others and regularly played famous
punk venues venues like The Roxy & Vortex. Also known as The
Fulham Furies for a side project. After The Crabs members became the
backing band for Gary Holton and played with Max Splodge. During the
eighties Ronnie Rocker played with The Angelic Upstarts and The
Godfathers. |
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| Its a sad fact but like so many bands
at the time The Crabs never got
the breaks nor the recordings out they deserved. Quality songs like Lullabies
Lie show a
tuneful quality while Victim shows them as punk
rock as the next. Their sole recording
output is a solitary live track Lullabies Lie on the mixed
bag that was the Farewell To The Roxy
album. They signed to Lightning in
February 1978, home of the flotsam & jetsam of punk like The Mirrors,
Cane & Horrorcomic who were going nowhere. Allegedly a single exists
- Victim
/Blue Unction/ My Skin
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but probably was never released
as noone has ever seen a copy. Tracks in their set at
the time included
Dull Kid, C.R.A.B.S, For Us
&
Wartime Memories.
They got very little publicity except when Ricci was charged with intent
to commit GBH in February 1978. Tired of beer glasses being thrown at
him he threw one back and ... hit his girlfriend... and got arrested
despite her not wanting to press charges!!! Mind you their 'Catch The
Crabs slogan' was catchy! |
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So what went wrong for The Crabs? Simply bad luck and the fact that they were
a tuneful above ordinary punk band just as Punk started to harden into a more
hardcore form. Record companies just weren't interested anymore and The Crabs
were at the fag end of the Roxy. How many of those bands were signed compared to
the first Roxy live album? And that's where they sit, perennial
supports at The Vortex & Roxy. Peelie obviously recognised they were
above ordinary and gave them a session in '78 featuring Victim, Under
Pressure, Lullabies Lie & Don't Want Your Love.
For that we have to be thankful.
Ironically their only real vinyl was when they recorded a football song
dedicated to Fulham FC as The Fulham Furies (wrongly thought to be Cocksparrer or even The
Lurkers!) These Boots Were Made For Walking / Under Pressure.
Produced by Mike
Berry of the Wombles fame!!
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| Luckily a live set from The Vortex exists along with the Peel sessions and
Fulham Furies single. Thank god for that. They deserved more. A lot more.
Everyone should have a dose of The Crabs (ho ho). |
Back
To Top
Thanks to Mark Brennan.
Some of the info in this piece from the excellent sleeve notes to Farewell To
The Roxy by Captain Oi .
Thanks to Ross for promo Crabs photo at top.
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