The Valves

The Valves -Part 2

A trip down to London like the perennial Dick Whittington didn't find the streets paved with gold but fourth on the bill to Generation X at The Roundhouse and a lukewarm reaction. They returned undeterred and began gigging through 1978 throughout London using a mixture of live ads in the music weeklies and guerrilla graffiti tactics that saw one manager fined. They also picked up the occasional live review (Gary Bushell) and full page interview (Dave McCullough) as well as continuing support from Scottish fanzines Hanging Around and Kingdom Come.

With no further release from Zoom the boys looked for the all important major deal though amazingly an offer from EMI for the boys to cover Manfred Mann's 5-4-3-2-1 was turned down by the band!!. In desperation the band who were published by Albion released their third and final single with Albion. A fuck up meant no picture cover and no promotion. They split shortly afterwards.

Ronnie, The Valves guitarist, was a cool guy – always in the regulation Ramones leather. After The Valves split he was in a band called Fun City with Matt Vinyl (of Matt Vinyl & The Decorators) as singer, Gary, later of The Exploited, on bass and Callum from The Scars on drums. They had some real quality melodic punk songs, 2 of which (‘Avalanche’ and ‘Parachute’) made it on to record – a compilation E.P.
Robin Saunders 2001

Look, there wasn't many Scottish punk bands and calling the Valves punk was probably stretching it but without doubt Robot Love/ For Adolfs only is a punk classic. Get it!

Anti Nazi League concert Edinburgh housing estate Craigmillar summer 78

Valves flyer , live photo and background pin picture courtesy of Ross Galloway.