Nigey B July 2008 OK, let's get this straight from the start - I loved Sham 69. Sham 69 were the punk band I saw more than any other in the heady days of '77-'78. I was just too young to see the Pistols in '76, and it was early '77 before I started going to gigs. The first time I saw Sham 69 was at the 100 club. There were 10 people in the audience: my two mates, 7 skinheads and me. Earlier that day Sham 69 had signed to Mark P's Step Forward label. The skinheads were heckling Jimmy Pursey for having "sold out". Jimmy responded with what was to become a familiar blend of pleading and sincerity - this style was to become most frequently used to try and stop the crowd fighting - though on this occasion Jimmy was protesting that "we ain't sold out". Jimmy's distinctive eyebrows were always used to great effect when he was trying to convince an unruly crowd to go along with his suggestions.

I was blown away by Sham at that 100 Club gig. Jimmy Pursey was an engaging and passionate front man. Great tunes, great lyrics, great attitude and simple sentiments. Who could argue with "it's just a fake, make no mistake, a rip off for me, a Rolls for them"?

Step Forward, of course, later released the excellent I Don't Wanna / Red London / Ulster Boy EP. A prime slice of punk magic.

Somehow Sham's popularity seemed to increase dramatically over the next few months, as did the numbers of skinheads who turned up at the gigs. The fighting and the skinheads became increasingly intimidating and the celebratory us-against-the-world vibe gave way to music-to-have-a-punch-up-to situation. I've always been a lover not a fighter.

My last Sham gig was at the Roundhouse in Autumn '77. At least half the crowd were skinheads, many more marauding around outside without tickets. One gang reversed a truck into one of the fire exits to try and break in. That gig was very violent and put me off ever seeing Sham play live again. Coincidentally the gig was filmed for the Old Grey Whistle Test, the clip they showed included Jimmy handing a young punk at the front the remains of his lager - I was that young punk.

Anyone lucky enough to experience first hand the excitement of punk rock in Britain in ’77 would agree that Sham were one of the best. These days people seem to remember them for their slightly cartoony hits – Hersham Boys, Angels With Dirty Faces, The Kids Are United and Hurry Up Harry. But the early songs – stuff like Borstal Breakout, Ulster Boy, Rip Off, What Have We Got, Tell Us the Truth, Questions and Answers – were among the best of early UK punk.

 

ML July 2008 Sham were "my" band from the 1st time I ever heard the awesome Borstal Breakout. They were the third punk band I ever saw (saw them twice down here in 78 at Plymouth Casterways and The Metro in Devonport. The first time was great, the second....scary! Those nazi bastards killed that band. People can slag Pursey all they want and yes, he could be a bit of a p***k sometimes but at their peak, they were simply awesome.

I got to know them and meet them eventually much later on in 81 but they had split by then.. I met up with JP in a London cafe where I was (unfortunately) one of the 1st people to listen to JP's awful solo album (Alien Orphan) his 2nd one (and before anyone says it, I know they are ALL bad!) The other members of Sham were forming The Wanderers with Stiv Bators. Don't ask me how but I actually visited the homes of all of that band. Dave Parsons Mum made me a nice cup of tea (he was still living at home in Walton On Thames) I got a signed Song Of The Streets from him. Top bloke. Dave Kermit lived in Surbiton with his girlfriend and he was probably the best of the lot. Another Song Of The Streets there as well. Met second drummer Ricky Goldstein in his flat in Ladbroke Grove. A great laugh he was. And then there was Stiv............met up with him in Hammersmith and went back to his flat which had no furniture. He may of been on the smack then. He was a weird fish and his Mrs looked out of her tree too. The Wanderers didn't have their name then and I was given the task of helping Kermit think up a name. I gave him about 200 names for a band over a period of time but not The Wanderers! All my early Sham singles are signed too!

Anyway I used to ring them all up alot and at the time Pursey had a certain Ms Honey Bane living with him. I ended up chatting to her too but my sister was really into The Fatal Microbes and that Crass Girl On The Run thingy and she ended up getting more friendly with her. Her parents lived in Cornwall and Ms Bane stopped via Plymouth and had tea at my (posh) parents house. Picture her with her blonde spikey hair, all punked up. She ended up staying the night (unfortunately not in my bedroom!) and a few weeks later we saw her again....on Top Of The Pops! Sorry for veering off on one and name dropping!

The first 6 singles and first 2 albums are superb imo. 'Tell Us The Truth' remains my favourite Punk album just as 'Borstal' remains my favourite 7''. I hate 'Hersham Boys' both the single and album but thankfully 'The Game' was a much better album to finish with. As a kid I could identify with their lyrics particularly the 'That's Life' album. That always went on when I was having a hard time for some reason (getting a kick-in from the old man ect) Always made me feel better afterwards though. "Who Gives A Damn" and "Everybodys Wrong, Everybodys Right" were the two that got played the most. Still love those songs today.

I hate it when people slag them off. They really were a great bunch of guys and a superb live act.  Musically not the best of the Punk bands by a long long way (although Dave P is a very underrated guitarist) but at time, it didn't matter one bit. They were REAL!

 

Kennyhel 77 July 2008 How much Sham meant to me is an interesting one. I was too young to see them in their heyday being a fan from 1980 onward. I am well aware of their history, violence at gigs with their fans doing stage invasions, fighting each other, Sham’s working class populace stance, etc. To be a kid in The USA, we did not understand some of the situations that were occurring both economically, and socially in England during the late ‘70’s. BUT I can say this, this band was mine, just as much as anyone else.

For some reason they spoke to me with their passionate anthems that they created. I was part of the poor, working class kids that they sang to. For this reason I too joined the cropped hair, Doc Marten, Merc Harrington wearing crowd for much of the 80’s and into the 90’s. Some would say that Sham killed off any true spirit of punk that was left in 1978. I look at their rise in popularity as the 2nd wave of punk. More urgent, and dare I say “real”.

 With the success of Sham, came other liked minded bands like Menace, Angelic Upstarts, Cockney Rejects, and of course the return of Cocksparrer……but the would be a few years later. Jimmy Pursey produced bands and gave them a chance. I always thought that was a great thing to do. As much as he can come across as an interesting character, his heart was in the right place. I only saw them once which was in 1988 supporting their comeback album Volunteer. Not the same Sham 69 of the 1976-1980 but it still put a smile on my face. You really don’t have to look to far to see how popular Sham were here. Two folks that led important US Hardcore bands cite Sham 69 as early influences: Henry Rollins of SOA and of course Black Flag and Ian of Minor Threat and Fugazi.