SOLID WASTE
(from Chelmsford, Essex)

 

BILL WOOD (aka LEE HARVEY SPENGLER) - VOCALS TIM GREEN (AKA BILLY BIBBIT) - BASS
KEN GRAINGER (AKA  PETER NISS) - GUITAR PETER LEAK - DRUMS*

*Was replaced by Terry Minns (aka Terry Fuxwell) as Peter Leak went onto manage the band.

 

 

Above is the Original 20 track master tape that the band recorded at 'Spaceward Studio' in Cambridge on Wednesday 24th August 1977.

Brilliant Punk band from Chelmsford in Essex who formed in 1977. They played all the regular haunts including the famous 'Roxy Club' in Neal Street London. Their swan song was the classic "Normal Life" which is a real KILLER and was the very first track that the band ever wrote. Their other songs included "Anti-Hero", "You're on your way" & "If it breaks".

The band played the ill-fated 'The City Rock '77 Festival' in Chelmsford on Saturday 17th September 1977. This was supposed of been the biggest outdoor Punk festival of the year but due to poor advance ticket sales a lot of the bigger names pulled out. However the festival still went ahead and 'Solid Waste' were the opening act. The event was filmed and on the local BBC news they featured a 10 second clip of the festival and the band playing were 'Solid Waste'.  

 

The above is an Original Tin Badge from the ill fated Chelmsford Gig.

 

Tim from the band tells us "They only used us because we were not members of the Musicians Union and so would not demand to be paid for the TV exposure.  I am the bass player proudly holding my new Rickenbacker (Copy actually Ibanez)) bass.  It was my birthday that day and I went on to get very, very drunk indeed"

As times changed, so did Solid Waste and by the time '79 came the band had slightly moved away from Punk but not before they recorded their best track 'Normal Life'. The band were offered a one-off record deal with the small Independent 'Monarch' label (same label who released the Introze' single).

Time the single was actually released, Tim Green had left the band and they then went onto change their name to "Street Bizarre" to promote their new direction. 'Normal Life' was backed with ' Nervous Exhaustion' which was another Solid Waste old track. Even though these two tracks were very good, they were rather tame to what they sounded like when they were originally written and played by Solid Waste.

 

The Single sold out of it's initial first pressing very quick and 'Monarch Records' was so impressed with "Street Bizarre" they offered them an album deal. The band were booked into 'Shepperton Studio's and after spending a small fortune on recording the album the label went bust!

Sadly the single was never repressed (hence the rarity of it!) and the album lays unreleased till this day.

 

 
Peter Leak Ken Grainger Tim Green Bill Wood

 

Bill Wood Tim Green Ken Grainger Peter Leak

 

Bill Wood

Tim Green

 
Ken Grainger Bill Wood Tim Green
 

The City Rock '77 Festival was going to be the big outdoor festival outside of London on Saturday 17th September 1977. Big names were booked 'The Damned', 'Slaughter & The Dogs', 'The Rods', 'The Doctors Of Madness' etc. Sadly, due to poor advance ticket sales it was doomed! "Solid Waste" being the local band were the opening act!!

 

  The original contact number for the band was Chelmsford 0245-71003 but sadly this is now unattainable.

 

The above article appeared in the Cambridge Students own
newspaper "Varsity With Stop Press" on Saturday 12th November 1977.

 

"The Killjoys" & "Solid Waste" at the 'Music Machine', London on Tuesday 7th February 1978.

 

"The Soft Boys" & "Solid Waste" at the 'Nashville', London on Friday 26th May 1978.

 

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Thanks to Tim Green, Bill Wood, Crispin Coulson & Ian Fortnam

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