Paul Sirett Remembers....
Vile Bodies
What was punk? For me it will always be the beauty of the bar chord.
What do I remember?
I remember doing a sponsored bicycle ride around Oxfordshire to raise money to buy a PA. I think I managed about 10 miles before I got a puncture and was happy to retire with a slightly sore backside.
I remember getting the news that we’d got a gig at the Roxy Club and seeing our name in the listings in Melody Maker and NME and thinking: we’ve made it now.
I remember hearing that we’d got a meeting the A&R man from United Artists and thinking: we’ve made it now.
I remember going into the recording studio in Luton to record our demo and thinking: we’ve made it now.
I remember parking our van in Covent Garden and walking to the Roxy Club with our guitars and thinking: we’ve made it now.
I remember Robert, our first drummer, dying when he came off his scooter on his way home one night. I thought we were all going to live for ever: it was a very sad and sobering moment.
I remember hiding our new drummer’s cow bell so that he couldn’t Honky Tonk Woman.
I remember putting egg white in my hair to make it stick up.
I remember hearing The Damned for the first time and thinking: What! Is! This!
I remember hearing the Sex Pistols for the first time and thinking: this is like heavy metal but with more attitude and with the wankers taken out.
I remember how devastated I felt when we heard that Malcolm Owen, the singer of the Ruts had died.
I remember John Peel sending us a nice letter about our demo.
I remember seeing the Ramones in Aylesbury and knowing life would never be the same again.
I remember the dents in the ceiling of the pub in Aylesbury where we played: dents left by the heads of pogoing punks.
I remember discovering that you could write songs just by moving bar chords up and down the neck of a guitar.
I remember getting some badges made and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.
I remember spraying our name all over town and pretending someone else had done it – and then apologising to the local paper (who duly printed the story).
I remember the audience tearing up a stuffed dog at our first gig.
I remember going to London with my Dad to buy my first proper electric guitar: a Fender Stratocaster.
I remember sticking a drawing pin into my Fender Stratocaster to prove my punk credentials.
I remember going to the Marshall factory in Bletchley to buy my first proper amp.
I remember painting my Doc Marten’s yellow in honour of my beloved Oxford United.
I remember thinking this is my music: no one has ever done this before.
I remember overhearing someone say that Vile Bodies were the BIGGEST* punk band in Bicester [*for biggest read: only!]
Most of all: I remember good times.
©Detour Records