Rockhunter, Issue 7, Halloween Special, October 2003
It’s only one letter away from Cockhunter — but this organ does not suck!
Greasers Doin’ The Boogie: The Best Of 1970s Pre-Pub Rockers! — Part 2
There are those who sing the praises of the likes of Eggs Over Easy and those who prefer the gangland punk boogie of The Count Bishops. I guess at this stage I should run up my flag and admit to being somewhere in the middle ground — or should I say the no-mans land? — of the hard rock debate.
I never set any store by the panacea of punk, and I certainly don’t wan’t to hitch my pony to the tenderfoot wagons of the new hard rock, as personified by the likes of The Darkness.
Okay, so Justin and the boys are raising Cain in a music biz fascinated, for the nth time in a generation, by the sound of actual guitars. And let us not forget that they’ve admitted theyre from the Lowestoft area!!
But let’s face it, the only thing that’s gonna get us the hell outta this current rockin’ crisis is knowing where we come from and where were going. Those who forget their rock are doomed to repeat it.
Cos we sure as heck ain’t gonna get any clues from a dirty business that’s currently selling us the past as new. I digress, but when don’t I?
The Past In Traction
In this, the second part of an occasional series, we focus on Traction, one of my personal favourite bands, and the epitome of the power trio, to boot. They packed a whole world of insane riffola into their one single, “You Giaconda, Me Da Vinci”, released in 1974. It’s chock full of the kinda funk they should put on prescription. And they pipped Jesse Hectors fabulous Gorillas to the recording post!!
Even their biggest fan would have to admit that Traction didn’t exactly set the world alight. With a singleton 45 to their name, they missed success by a country mile. But their rowdy blues guaranteed them a place in the record pile on the floor in my flat!! (As we speak, I bet they’re quitting work and buying new guitars!! — Ed.)
I caught Andy Rowe (bass/vocals) at a bad time, but he kindly agreed to answer a few questions and say a few words about his time in Traction.
Probably only a couple of people remember us, cos we never really did much outside Huddersfield. But 10 out of 10 for tracking me down, though!
Traction happened because me and Alan wanted to carry on playing after our old band, Treacle, called it a day. We were basically playing dance halls and so on, with a set of mainly old soul numbers.
You’ll laugh at this, but we never had a name for that one, and we called it Treacle for a laugh, because that’s what it felt like — wading through the same old soddin’ tunes night after night!
Basically, we’d all got traditionally pissed on Christmas Eve and met up around closing time in Holmfirth, of all places. We had a phase going to country pubs! Me and Alan were at a loose end. Laurie had been knocking around for years. We knew him from seeing him socially and knew he played, but that was it.
Funnily, enough, that night he was doing his best Noel Redding impersonation in a pick-up band, otherwise me and Alan would never have broached the subject with him. It all just blossomed from there.
RH: And before that?
Andy: That would be about 71 to 73 — so we’re now going back to 67. Phew, that’s dating me! Well, around that time I was playing in a couple of bands. There was Prausutagus — he was Boadiccea’s husband (I actually knew that!! — Ed. Woad), 6:30, Nature’s Man. I was always into my history — long before Time Team!!
RH: I’ve not heard about 6:30.
Andy: That was my brainchild. We used to do covers mainly. But we had a couple of good originals. I started it in 68. We pissed all over most of the local competition. Oh, 6:30 was the time I had to get up and got to work — usually after a heavy night being heavy!!!
Those are the ones I can remember. Before that it was The Charioteers, from about 62 to 66. (Later, in 1969, as Pharoahs Chariot, but without Andy, theyd release “Land Over Sky” b/w “Within My Sight And Sound” — Ed.) I’ve got a tape of some of that stuff somewhere.
RH: I’d really like to hear that. How did the single come about?
Andy: A lad we knew knew a bloke who owned a local record shop who fancied getting into the business. So, the usual arrangements were made, and we all got in the van, bombed off to Sheffield and recorded a demo.
Obviously, as you know, there was no real interest from the London crowd. They reckoned we were too raw for the market at that time. So we decided to let Graeme at the shop do it. He put it out on Garden Gate, his own label. Hed just got a new place with his missis and was really proud with the garden. Plonker. Anyway, that’s all past history.
RH: I’ve heard that the live act was something else.
Andy: We used to put a lot of work into getting the right sound. We went into attack mode right from the off. And we werent a pretty bunch, either. A journalist on the Daily Examiner once described us as less outta sight, more building site!!!
And that was that. DIY beckoned, and he was off!!
Traction Personnel Andy Rowe — Bass/Vocals Laurie Cordon — Bass/Vocals Alan Northolt — Drums
Traction Discography Garden Gate Records, 7 single, 1974 ”You Giaconda, Me Da Vinci” (Rowe/Cordon) ”Later, Later” (Rowe)
Home demo, 1974 (cassette supplied by Andy Rowe) ”Sue Can Do It” (Unknown)
The Battle of Birkenhead
What better new band to drag into the world of Issue Seven than the aptly named 7 & 7 is? (Er, surely they’d be better off in Issue 14?! — Ed.). I got dragged along to see them by an old mate a coupla weeks ago. He told me that they’d make me wish I still had all my hair! And by crackey, he wasn’t wrong!!!
I’ve spent half my life trollin round nasty pub back rooms watching the local triers going through their paces, so it was a treat to get down to the beach — fresh air?! Aiiieee!!! — and see four lads doing it how it was meant to be done.
As you know, I’ve got a yen for all things rock, so it did my old heart good to witness an extraordinary bravura performance by the mighty 7s on one of the last Saturdays of Summer.
The wind was blowing the lager froth and chips around and the sound from the tiny PA was lost into the far distance. The much-vaunted fire festival was spectacular only due to the absence of a single living flame, but that just added to the charm of the occasion and made the Sevens sinister Lovecraft-Moorcock references chime more clearly. (Or maybe I’m the only one who gets this sort of thing?)
On tunes like “Battle of Birkenhead”, “White Badge”, “Leading The Charge”, and many others, the 7s influences, from freakbeat, Kraut, pop and even Oi! show out in a spectrum of heaviness.
I am proud to be counted as one of the hundreds they rocked. And an added pleasure for your jaded herald of ancient rocke to see and hear — nay, witness!! — the unholy rebirth of the lost art of tunnel-riffing!! Joking apart, theres only one thing that separates us from the animals. That’s the ability to lay down the kind of heavy riffs that propelled the 70s into the future.
As far as I’m concerned, the 7s are guilty as charged of reckless boogiosity. We can only hope that the powers that be bear their callow youth in mind before sentencing
Letters To God?
Just opened a package that’s worthy of mention in this august organ. Your man from Other Fucker Records has bunged me a new re-issue CD — Letters To God? Vol. I — from his ever-increasing stable of, er, re-issue CDs. Strictly for those in the know. For they are not exactly legal. Nor are they exactly not illegal. If you know what I mean. (And if you do know what I mean, let me know. I’d be eternally grateful!! — Ed.)
Still ploughing their lonely furrow (Ouch! They really should get out more!! — Ed.) in the minefield of shoddy moddy psych acetates, OFR have, as usual, dug up some mouldy old gems and some utter toss (sorry fellas!). But that’s the deal with comps, right?
Totally the best track is “Helmet, Sword and Shield” by the Bronze Age Treasure, a blazing burial mound of pre-prog treasure, evoking the ghosts of Sutton Hoo, Beowulf, trans-European prehistory, ley lines, revisionist archaeology and the little people. OK, so I made that up. But what the f***? To my cloth ears, this is as good as it gets with recorded soundas long as you like Him and The Others, the Buff Medways, etc., etc.
No room to mention any more. Look out for a fuller round-up next time
Editorial — Backtrackin’
I’ve been asked to provide a full track listing for Woollen Records’ Locked Away For A Million Years, Vol. IV (see Issue Six). Always ready and willing to oblige — but unable this time due to no room, as usual. Maybe next time!!
The Editor.
P.S. And no, there’s no pumpkins. The horrors in the music!!
Stripey News Flash: Last months ish mentioned a cockamamie outfit called the Brown Stripes. Anyway, it turns out that Sonya is not really Ians niece. Phew! I was getting a bit worried there… But apparently she is a bit special needs (it sez ere). Oh gawd!!!
Next Time
Interview and retrospective Suffolk heaviosity heroes Ginger Tom. Plus more ace reviews of comps that have passed through my eager mitts. But you’ll have to wait for the full sad and sorry tale of our non-interview with The State of Mickey and Tommy.
Soon you’ll be nuzzling round my swill bin for more treats, including Fen and Devonian punk, psych and heavy, a bumper Xmas rarities extravaganza, etc. Theres only so much a man can do. Meanwhile, stick around for more hard rockin boogie action. XXXXX
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