|
p15
The Rochester Castle on Stoke Newington High Street is a natural place to find
seasoned Clash fans, nostalgic for the days when you could get a round in, catch a bit of
pub-rock, and go home with a kebab and change from a pound.
The Rochester started hosting live music in the mid Seventies. When punk came along it
became a favourite north London destination for pop's three-minute heroes. Between 1976
and 1979 a host of hopefuls in drainpipes and skinny ties rocked the Rochester. Former
musician Pete Tombs, now an author and TV producer, has been a regular since punk's
heyday, and even played the pub a few times with his own band. 'It was very rough and
ready', he recalls. ' It had been an old man's boozer, with a poolroom at the back. When
they started putting on music, lan Dury, who'd just left his band Kilburn and the High
Roads, was the opening act. I remember he dedicated one song to the manager, so presumably
he was a mate.'
Dury was already well-established on the pub-rock circuit, although it would be a couple
of years before he would hit his rhythm stick bigtime. But he's by no means the only star
to pass through the doors of this cavernous tavern. South Londoners Squeeze played at
least twice, in November 1976 and December 1977. The Tom Robinson Band appeared in
February 1977 ' six months before their first hit '24-68 Motorway'.
 The
Jam played a couple of Saturday nights in March 1977, whilst recording their debut album
'In the City'. The following month XTC played one of their first London dates at the pub
and, according to a review in Sounds, drew quite a crowd, despite suffering keyboard
failure. Once they get that organ working properly they could be going places, the
reviewer noted. They did, and XTC, with their psychedelic power-pop, became regulars,
appearing every couple of weeks over the summer. In June 1977 the very wonderful Only Ones
played. The following week angular minimalists Wire took to the stage (well, carpet),
returning four months later for another set. Cambridge's finest, the Soft Boys, featuring
Robin Hitchcock, headlined the 1977 Christmas bash. The outrageous Wayne County and the
Electric Chairs were another favourite, appearing several times at the Rochester Castle.
In 1977 they toured with the Police as support. Wayne County, a trans-sexual punk act from
New York, dismissed Sting and co. as 'the most boring people I have ever met', but by
March 1978 the boring Police had gained quite a following and were headlining at the
Rochester and on their way to chart success. Wayne County, meanwhile, underwent a sex
change to become Jayne County. Also in March 1978, long before they discovered face paint
and pantomime costume, an early incarnation of Adam and the Ants played the pub, returning
a couple of times that spring.
While gigs at the Rochester helped break many bands who, in the following months, would be
offending your parents on Top of the Pops, others had to settle for cult status, or
obscurity. Among the dozens of new groups to burst onto the scene in the late Seventies
was the aptly named London, featuring Jon Moss, later of Culture Club. They debuted at the
Rochester in late 1976. Singer Riff Regan recalled a typical audience: 'There was quite a
bit of violence at gigs and a lot of gobbing. Steve and Dave would walk off stage with
guitars covered in it and Jon's drum kit almost had to be hosed down!' Surely not in Stoke
Newington! On 31 December 1976, you would have been able to see in a punky new year to the
plangent strains of the Boys and the Maniacs.
Does anyone remember the Wasps (played January 1977), the Kicks (May 1977) or Big Girls
Blouse (May 1976fl Although admission was invariably free, many would often only get small
crowds. 'I was the only paying punter for one band I saw there.' says Pete Tombs. 'Their
manager was so pleased he bought me a drink!'
The gigs tailed off towards the end of the decade, once punk had run its course. The
Rochester Castle hasn't been a music venue since the early Eighties, but no doubt there
will be many NI6 readers with fond memories of seeing their favourite band rattle the
glass roof. Hurry up Harry! as Sham 69 once urged, We're going down the pub! See you in
the Rochester.
|
. |
