Obscure 70s Punk band "The Revenge" recorded two vinyl singles on the 'Looney' Record Label in 1978. The band hailed from Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England and only had a working life of 1½ to 2 years. How do I know this? ....I was the bloody Bass player...that's how!!!! Where do I start? At the beginning is a is a good place as any.

Revenge personal were 'Lol Hammond' on Guitar, 'Dave Edgar' on Drums and myself 'Ian Strange' on Bass.

I have now only the simple task of remembering events that took place some 22 years ago from someone who can hardly remember last week!

A paradigm of what I mean is I'm not 100% certain where the first Revenge gig took place but it may have been the "Roxy" in Convent Garden, London on the 8th February 1978 or a venue later known as "Cinderella's" which was in Willesdon, London NW10. The band only ever played between 6 to 8 gigs ever!  

We spent too much time rehearsing in 'Lol Hammond's' back garden avoiding electrocution from totally fucked badly earthed equipment (more later).

Why all this polishing and honing was necessary I'm not quite sure as this was supposed to be a Punk band not the 'Royal Philharmonic Orchestra'! I think in reality we were afraid of a real punk audience. Hot spit on a nice clean T-Shirt may of upset Mum on the washing day! We were after all from Cheshunt, not known for a radicalism and opposition to the behaviour able norms. A staunch Tory town even in the 1997 election 'meltdown'. Oh, I almost forgot, it did however produce 'Cliff Richard'....exactly!!!

I met guitarist 'Lol Hammond' whilst working at the biggest local employer "Tesco Stores" - 'Every little bit helps' - it didn't then on the salaries we were paid!

Lol played a rudimentary guitar and wanted to put a band together playing the 'newer music'! I played nothing except with myself, and he'll teach you Bass guitar.

Which he did...well not quite. Just how to fret notes on the A string; I never touched the other 3 strings! In fact I laughed at other bassists thinking silly prats messing about with those other strings when it could all be done on the A string. It was only when I started hearing interesting Bass lines from others I realised the limitations of the A string only approached and the limitations of my tutor "Lol Hammond".

Lol Hammond.... it has to be said did encourage me out of my shell a little up to that point I inhabited a dream world. I even sent a birthday card to my cousin once with nothing written inside by me. They wondered who sent it! I walked around with music constantly playing in my head, walking into lamp posts inhabiting a world of sublime thoughts. I was hardly a candidate for a Punk group.

Yet here I was listening to the hard sell and spin of 'Lol Hammond'. 'Dave Edgar' then appeared on the scene, a school associate of Hammond's. He played an also rudimentary Drum kit, but at least he was tight and solid. Bit of a monkey, but a solid monkey. No 'Bill Bruford' or 'Tony Williams' but this Punk Rock after all!!

Rehearsals took place (as mentioned earlier) in Hammond's garage in Hillside Crescent in Cheshunt. An extension lead or trailer was connected from the kitchen to the garage; 40-60 foot garden. In the garage lurked the badly earthed amps and microphone. Lol used a fuzzbox that looked as if a footballer had booted it around a muddy field! Song lyrics from 'Venus & Mars' by 'Wings' were there indicating that before Punk Hammond had a soft spot for the ex-Beetle or Beatle. Any Beetles would probable have pissed on by Hammond as he unloaded his bladder down there and on BR trains on the seats. Wonder what his table manners were like? "Pass the gravy boat, Lol....on 2nd thoughts!" 

The Revenge set included both singles plus a few covers, like 'Dr. Feelgoods' 'Back in the Night', the 'Sex Pistols' 'Pretty Vacant'. This is where the old' memory begins to falter. I have recollection of other covers and some other Hammond originals. Recording took place at the rehearsals, and perhaps Lol Hammond may be in possession of a rehearsal tape or two.

One rehearsal I recall seeing the 13 amp plug and 2 way adaptor which was 40-60 feet away almost incandescent , spark and flash and jump out of the mains socket! I'm not making this up by the way... I couldn't believe my eyes. No wonder we kept getting zapped when touching the mic's and other gear. It was a miracle we were not all seriously electrocuted and killed!

We would have made history - The first Punk band in hell - don't think old Nick could have stood the racket though! Yes, there were complaints from Neighbours over the noise. Rehearsals were usually on Mondays.

The two Revenge singles "Our Generation" and "We're Not Gonna Take It" were recorded in a South London Studio in Balham on a Saturday I think. They were recorded very quickly with minimum fuss, live except for lead vocals. Lol usually hated lead solos - more of a power chord devotee. Although he like 'Ronson' era 'Bowie' and 'Mott the Hoople' and early 'Ian Hunter'. We were in Notting Hill Gate once when 'Pink Floyd's' 'Time' came blasting out from somewhere and the solo was one Hammond rated. Only a few concessions to the 'old rock' though! He said the 'Sgt Pepper' album was shit apart from one good track 'A day in a life'. He bought the Queen of pop's double LP 'Blue Moves' (Elton John 1976) thinking and anticipating another 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' he commented "mate, if I had a bucket I would have filled it up"! Sick this time, not with piss, stupid!

Lol Hammond was certainly king spin. He had a fertile and overactive imagination. 'Dave Edgar' and myself were strung along by him that the 'Revenge' actually had a manager called 'Tony Johnson'. We never ever saw him. We were promised a meeting that never happened. Tony apparently approved of everything we ever did. I quite liked this Tony, even though he was just a figment of Hammond's mind! Well, it isn't often a band has a manager who loves everything you do and takes a 0% cut of your earnings!!!! Although in our case there was no earnings. Oh, and of course the enigmatic Tony owned the imaginary 'Looney' record label too.

A local record shop in Cheshunt called 'Discland' stocked the first Revenge single. Only thing is that Hammond went and blew this. How? He sprayed 'The Revenge' in big letters over some local garages , one of which was owned by the proprietor of the aforementioned record shop. He with drew our record from sale and wouldn't stock the next one either. There were hundreds of garages in Cheshunt and Hammond inadvertently chose his!!!!

Hammond was serious when he suggested playing on the back of a lorry then rushing towards the windows of London's Capital Radio; smashing into them in some sort of ram-raid to deliberately get arrested; and to scream 'Anarchy' or something similar. Then wait until the next morning to see 'Revenge' break a window' on the front pages of all the tabloids; a sort of short cut to fame. A 'Bill Grundy' thing; cut out smelly shit holes, crap gigs etc. Only 'Lol Hammond' wasn't half cut when he suggested it!! Naturally, Tony the invisible imaginary manager approved!

I also recall, Hammond came to my house one day telling tales of smashed shop windows in Cheshunt. Punks (or in this case imaginary Punks) were responsible for shouting 'Revenge Rule'. Police cars (no doubt imaginary ones) were out to apprehend these obstreperous individuals. But on a visit to these anarchy ridden streets of smashed glass and mayhem in Cheshunt, not a single splinter or fragment of glass could be found. No Punks, no police, no tracker dogs or helicopters ; just the fertile imagination of Lol Hammond.

The band were afforded some airplay courtesy of 'John Peel' who played 'Our Generation' to the nation. He said something about "a lot of energy from the Revenge". You would half thought this would have stirred manager 'Tony Johnson' into activitry. No! Lol and myself took Revenge singles to 'Rough Trade Records ourselves...but Tony did accompanied us to 'Rough Trade' in Lol's head.

Momentum began to evaporate. No gigs were forthcoming; Tony was no use. 'Geoff Barton' of the 'Sounds' music weekly reviewed 'Our Generation' and gave it a reasonable review. Sounds was then the music paper along with 'Melody Maker' and the 'NME', and all the more surprising as he was 'Sounds' Heavy Metal writer. He commented on riff resembling 'Hello, I love you' by the 'Doors'. It was the same riff.

The final 'Revenge' gig took place at the 'Sporting Club', the home of Cheshunt football ground. Unfortunately it was a shambolic end to debacle. Quite a few in attendance at this performance including my immediate family. Temperature increases resulted in the guitar going hideously out of tune. To compound this 'Lol Hammond' got pissed on just two pints of ordinary lager. Don't ask me how! After the first number Lol made the mistake of trying to tune his guitar. It was already out of tune to an astonishing degree and in his inebriated condition was unable to tune it. He was staggering about like a wino on meths. We just stood there embarrassed by the spectacle. Someone in the audience who obviously felt sorry for our predicament took the guitar from Lol who handed it to him to tune up. Lol looked as if he was in another land, two pints of lager mind...not a half bottle of Scotch. The bloke from the audience who was in a band himself tried his best but the guitar was untunable. Hammond only changed strings when they broke. So we carried or limped on..... Then Hammond announced, 'This next one is our first single...It's a load of fucking shit but here it is"! The short set ended and Hammond went to ground realising it had not been a raging sucess. This was the coup de grace for Revenge and the last ever gig.

It had run it's course and was a valuable learning experience for me...

We drifted apart. Hammond formed 'Eternal Scream' who had a single out. He has since played with 'Drum Club' and the last I heard he had collaborated with 'Roger Eno' (brother of Brian) on one of his last releases.

'Dave Edgar' became an Estate Agent (don't all good Punks) and I've mo idea of his present whereabouts, but I know Bin Liner (Detour Records) have managed to track him down.

As for me........the illicit pleasures of Pirate Radio beckoned. Appeared on record again on an LP entitled 'All for art...And art for all' as part of the 'Tangerine Experience' which was released on the 'Whaam' label which was run by 'Dan Treacy' & 'Ed Ball'. A recent record appearance as a voice on early 70s Rock/Prog band 'Tractor' on their double LP 'Steve's Hungarian Novel' that was released on the 'Ozit' label (8004) in 1999 as part of Radio Never Say Die's contribution.

The collectability of the 'Revenge' singles is amazing. In a recent Record Collectors Rare Records Price Guide. The state the 1st single is worth £120 and the 2nd one as £60. I had a box of about 20 pristine condition copies but lost virtually all of them when moving house. Words can not describe over this loss..

Lol Hammond had boxes and boxes of these Revenge singles in the late 70s but he threaten to dump them all in the river 'Lea' in Cheshunt. He remarked "What's the point of keeping all these unsold records?"

Did Lol chuck them in the river 'Lea' or not?................Only he can answer this! I have no idea, if he didn't then he's a lucky sod!!!

I was never a bona fide Punk, my record collection boasted such gems as 'Gentle Giant', 'Greenslade', 'VDGG', 'Pink Floyd' etc...How could I be? But I did have 'Lou Reed' & 'Iggy Pop' albums but then again Lol Hammond had 'Argent's' 'In Deep'. I should know, I bought it for him. I just wonder what lurks in John Lydon's record collection?

Ian Strange