I was the additional guitar player added to the "Tax Exile" line up
along with Mike Kennedy, which was a little over thirty years ago now. I
am know fifty years of age I was then a nineteen year old teenager. I
have only just discovered the "Official John Evans website" in the last
few months and have not had a chance to speak John in a few years. Our
paths have some what diverged and we lost contact. Though I am very
pleased he is now a successful author, mover and shaker. But I was
stunned to discover that there is still an interest in "Punk Rock" music
and the "Tax Exiles".
-
- I felt I needed to respond to
some of the comments written by Mike Kennedy. Firstly I am glad he
corrected the omissions, he was indeed "Scrot Rot" and I was the
Guitarist in the photos taken at the "Chapter Arts Theatre" Gig. But I
would like to respond to Mike Kennedy's pejorative personal comments
about me. Firstly the Mountain Ash Palace Gig was not the first gig I
played with the "Tax Exiles" that was "I think" played at Pwllgwaun
working mans club or Memorial Hall or something like that in Pontypridd
1977/78.
-
- As I remember it that gig was
an absolute shambolic, chaotic affair were our gear would not work
properly and we were extremely under rehearsed even for Punk. Also I
have to admit to being the main protagonist who incited the Riot at the
Mountain Ash palace by launching my guitar at a particular person in the
audience who I felt at the time was seriously over stepping personal
boundary’s and I seriously lost my cool," period" * And not because the
crowd were gobbing. This was a regular occurrence at "Tax Exile" gigs at
the time we expected a saliva fest. (In retrospect I am filled with
revulsion at the thought of it.)
-
- I have residual memories of
being on stage and looking over to Spider the Bass player who had
spheres of saliva hanging of him and his bass like crystal dread-locks!
"It was 1977/78 ". But these events have to be seen in the context of
that era. I personally felt at the time that my then Guitar tone added a
much harder, aggressive and darker edge to the "Tax Exiles" sound than
Mikes Kennedy's happy smiley guitar. In fact while gleaning my thoughts
about that era I remember a numerous incidents of random violence at our
gigs, in fact we were infamous for being an aggressive Punk band it was
part of "The dangerous " image which we nurtured.
-
- Some of the silk screen
posters we had commissioned made to promote our gigs stick in my head,
some showed the "Tax Exiles" in dark two colour relief and my
predominant thought of the subject matter was that we looked like a
Victorian freak show. This helped to promote our image and helped to
draw the crowds and got us noticed it also allowed us to support some of
the big names in Punk. In fact I remember playing a gig at the students
union in Pontypridd and some teenager was tampering with our electrics
while we were on stage and our beloved lead vocalist walked over to the
other side of the stage and strategically placed his brothel creeper
straight into the guy's jaw. "Knocked the kid clean out I think he had
to have is jaw wired" That’s just one incident I could recollect a lot
more. Violence was part of the show it dogged us along with our fans
like the "Rumney contingent " all ex-boot boys, who come to mind who
would follow us around the country to support us.
-
- So! then, that said my
perception of Mike Kennedy, rightly or wrongly at that time period was
of a middle class, studenty, ex-hippy, vegetarian type who rolled his
own, cut his hair and became a punk rocker and could strum a few cowboy
chords. He was a genial enough bloke but definitely had no edge. And to
me did not fit the "Tax Exile" profile. I think the first time I met him
was at his student digs which he was then sharing with his girlfriend in
Ynysybwl and he was trying to play the "Kinks" song "You really got me"
and couldn't quite master the classic riff so I showed him how to play
it. I remember thinking at the time that he was a bit wet and sappy.
-
- All these memories which I had
totally blanked out over the last thirty years are now as I am writing
this flash-flooding back Tsunami like.
I would like to add two more things.
(1) These are my personal perceptions and recollections, some are hazy,
some seared in my brain with a branding iron, some in sepia tones, some
in Technicolor.
(2) I accidentally found "The official John Evans" website in September
and followed the links. So! to discover "Miracles" had been released as
a single on vinyl with talk of other "Tax Exile" material being released
has sent my head into a spiral of disbelief.
-
- About "Miracles" John and I
collaborated on that piece of music he wrote the lyrics but I composed
the music. It was an experimental piece, we were moving away from punk
and at the time being influenced by European Experimentalism and Art
Rock Electronica.
- I hope my personal perspective
eliminates some of darker crevices of the "Tax Exiles"
*(In retrospect that’s
who I was, its not who I am now)
Thanks very much.
WMJ
- Sunday 4th November 2007
P.S Very good site lot's of hard work and research has gone into it.