London + The Limps + The Lice

Punk triple bill featuring 3 of the original bands from the late 70s LONDON London is a four piece punk band formed in London in 1976. The original line-up was Riff Regan (vocals), Steve Voice (bass/vocals), Jon Moss (drums) and Dave Wight (guitar). Jon Moss had briefly been the drummer in The Clash before leaving to form London. In 1977 they recorded two singles, a 4 track EP and an album 'Animal Games' for MCA Records. Most of their songs were written by Riff Regan (including the first two singles 'Everyone's a Winner' and 'Summer of Love') or by Riff Regan and Steve Voice. All their records were produced by Simon Napier-Bell (who was also their manager) at the IBC Studios in London. They toured extensively throughout 1977, including a major UK tour with The Stranglers (the Rattus Norvegicus tour.) Their final gig was at the Marquee Club in Wardour Street on the 8th December 1977. The band broke up shortly afterwards and MCA released their album 'Animal Games' in early 1978. Following the split, Jon Moss first joined The Damned and then formed Culture Club with Boy George. Riff Regan released solo records on MCA and Epic before becoming a comedy writer under his real name of Miles Tredinnick; Steve Voice formed a new band The Original Vampires and Dave Wight following stints in Metro and Holly and the Italians reverted to his real name of Colin Wight and became an academic (recently appointed Professor of International Relations at Sydney University). Simon Napier-Bell went on to manage George Michael and Wham! before becoming a best selling author. The band returned in 2008 with original members Riff Regan (vocals) and Steve Voice (bass/vocals) as well as new Londoners Hugh O?Donnell (guitar/vocals) and Colin Watterston (drums). The band released a new studio album Reboot in 2012. A special Punk/Powerpop event featuring 4 of the original bands from the late 70s/early 80s. THE LIMPS The Limps are a Punk Rock band from Annan in Scotland that were signed to the Matchbox Classics independent record label based in Carlisle. The band was comprised of Chuck, Andy, Tam and Dee Dee. They formed Matchbox Classics with the band 'No Support' when each member of both bands put ?50 in each to fund the creation of a split EP entitled 'Opposite Sides' in 1979, the same year they also released another split with 'No Support' called 'Another Matchbox Classic''. In 2024 the band's track 'Someone I Can Talk To' will feature on the soundtrack of coming-of-age comedy Snack Shack, by US director Adam Rehmeier. In the wake of this renewed interest, the band have decided to reunite. THE LICE Formed in 1977 and originally calling themselves The Somme, they were disappointed to find a band of the same name in London, so changed their name to The Lice. It was around this time the band booked themselves into the famed Gooseberry Sound Studios (Sex Pistols, Tubeway Army, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Public Image Limited) in London's Chinatown to record their first (and last) record. Engineered by Mark Lusardi (yes, Linda?s brother and inventor of The Mutator), the energy from the session still bursts out of the speakers to this day. It was common practice in those days to rent the master tape for the time the band was in the studio. It would then be wiped and rented out again The band had the foresight topurchase the 8-track 1 inch tape from the studio, and it was hidden away not to see the light of day for nearly 50 years. A rough mix of the tape was done by Lusardi and the Kid (Original Bass Player) and has been doing the rounds ever since but strangely, no-one in the band has a copy. After being approached by Detour Records for inclusion on the Bored Teenagers vol 16 album, the master tape was recovered, digitized and sent to Canada (where the Kid now lives) for mixing. The tracks Fight The Front, Rejected, Slave Labour and Teenage Dream, were then released for the first time ever. To celebrate this, some of the band members decided to play again and after successful gigs in the North East, they are back on the road again