The Spunk Lads are the original UK punk band! Formed in early ’76 and inspired by the underground sounds coming out of America at the time (Iggy and the Stooges, The New York Dolls and of course the Ramones) and combining this with the Dub, Reggae and Ska sounds from the Jamaican streets of London and a love of 60’s Brit pop. The Spunk Lads EXPLODED onto the mid 70’s British rock scene like nothing before them.

So dangerous was their music at the time the establishment (the government, MI5, MI6 and some boring old rock star farts like Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page and Rod Stewart) conspired to destroy the band at ANY COST. Only one gig was ever played (Joe Strummer was rumored to have been bar tending that night) and only one single ever released (Johnny Rotten supposedly has bought up and destroyed every existing copy right down to the master it was pressed from. And even all copies of the issue of Sounds that ran the review – NME couldn’t be bothered to review it ‘cos they had dedicated that weeks edition entirely to the Yes album about to be released) before the boys were sinisterly kidnaped by rouge elements of the government intent on keeping the realm safe for the Queens upcoming jubilee celebration and protect the rights of the boring old farts to produce twaddle.

Frozen Austin Power style and shipped to Brooklyn, NY and hidden in a secret CIA warehouse, this is where the boys remained frozen till ‘01 when an accidental meltdown resulted in their thaw, revival and escape into the streets of Brooklyn. The boys are back, bitter and pissed off and have put this to vinyl and recorded the album that should have been the great British punk record.

PS I made up most the above (honest!) but if you are looking for a great punk rock record in the vein of “Never Mind the Bollox” or the debut Clash album with a ton of black humor and tongue in cheek then you’ll love this. Best songs – “Iron Lady”, about Maggie Thatchers seaside holiday and “Spunk Lads don’t Swim”, about Rolling Stones who don’t swim either.

May 2003