The first proper Punk Band I played in was the Swank.

Another audition through the brilliant “Melody Maker”-(they should have had some sort of royalty set up!)

It featured Gary Olsen (real name Gary Grant) the later successful actor on vocals, Nigel ex Bassist of the Lurkers

On lead guitar was Barry (later to join me with Chelsea) his bird, Sheila-Guitar,

And Dave Baby on Sax.

The line up was together for about six months-if that! (Things moved along fast then)

 One of the early gigs I played with the Swank was at the Vortex, in Wardour St in 1977,

Supporting Chelsea-I remember going in the dressing room and there was Gene (October) on his back, fast asleep on the scummy sofa. What a weirdo I thought at the time, and I was right.

Funny how things turned out! (I joined Chelsea soon after)

He still does the same thing now.

The Swank played the Roxy, the Marquee, upstairs at Ronny Scott's and the Railway in good old West Hampstead (supporting 999) and a handful of other gigs.

I spent a lot of time at Gary’s grotty old bedsit in Gabion Ave, Brixton sniffing Alma nitrate and wasting time-really strange thinking about it now.

I can't be fussed to go the pub up the road these days-let alone bleeding Brixton!

But we all remember youth don't we? It’s all one lovely adventure………. isn't it?

Gary had 26 Tattooed on his bicep, an incentive (he reckoned) to make it by then,

Otherwise (so he said) he would top himself!

Very dramatic I know, but it obviously worked.

He went on later to have a lot of success as an actor.

He Started off doing extra work-did a lot of stuff with Berckoff and ended up in the hit sitcom 2.4 children.

Gary sadly passed away in 1999 from cancer.

I was gutted-he was a pain in the arse a lot of the time-but never a dull moment with him.

But the band was never going to happen-you just know instinctively don't ya!

We had a hell of a manager though His name was John Hanson.

A bit of a mover and shaker in the gay London scene at the time.

He used to let us use his storage space under the arches at Charring cross to rehearse in, and at weekends it was a Gay Club/orgy that was the wildest club I think I’ve ever been to.

The smell of poppers would send you giddy as soon as you went downstairs to the fucking dungeon!

The Band (the Swank) went to one bash there and I took my lovely new bird Tania with me, she was a bit young 16 for fucks sake! but I was only 17 myself and I remember her wanting to go and powder her nose.

I told her to go behind the curtain and she found a right old den on iniquity! There was a naked bloke tied to a cross being given one up the back Garden! She nearly threw up at the sight of it!

It’s a funny old game isn’t it? I find myself telling off the kids for drinking and having a puff, and they are 18 and 16 for fucks sake! 

Anyway…life went on, and what a laugh it was thinking about it now.

How we found the money to do it , I just don’t know (probably just blagged it!) or ponced of our poor parents-bit like my kids now!

Chris Bashford