The Now
Encyclopedia
The Now are a late 1970s English
punk rock
group from Peterborough
, England
. Whilst never officially disbanding, they ceased recording and performing in 1979. In 2004, The Now recorded all of their original material and released as the Fuzztone Fizzadelic
album in 2005 on the Damaged Goods
record label.
band, formed late in 1976. Founded by Mike McGuire and Steve Rolls. Mike and Steve were at the time performing with The Faderz, who had only existed for a few months, before they had hooked into the London Punk scene in 1976. Joe MacColl and Paul Wicks (aka The Dangerous Dip or occasionally The Mysterious Dip) were recruited immediately to form The Now. Early gigs were self organised affairs, notably at the Peterborough
Marcus Garvey
Club. A community club, mainly catering for the city's West Indian community. Such gigs were usually with local reggae artists such as The Legions, any punk band who would dare come out of London
(or other major cities), such as 999
, The Killjoys
and Eater
, as well as new local punk bands such as Heavy Manners. This was a great challenge for The Now since putting Punk Rock into an East Anglian provincial environment (where there already existed a time warp sensibility), caused a lot of friction at that time. During this time The Dangerous Dip was replaced on the bass guitar by Faz Farrow. The Now were managed by Allen Adams who later went on to form the band The Destructors
and later Destructors 666.
The Now were far removed from what is traditionally known as 123 ‘Punk’ thrash. With intelligent songs, political lyrics and a real sense of small town frustration and anger The Now were unique. This was real urban punk rock, devoid of big city trends, tolerance and fashion. The Now played many gigs, and could often be found playing those early, then famous, London venues such as Roxy Club
and The Vortex clubs in London
.
The Now released two singles "Development Corporations" / "Why" on Ultimate Records in November 1977 and a deal with Lee Wood's Raw Records signed in mid 1978 produced two songs, "Into The 80's" and "9 'O' Clock" (actually recorded for Raw in late 1977) which were re-mixed and scheduled for March 23 release. This 7" single was delayed due to economic problems which would soon force the Cambridge based label to close down. When it eventually emerged on November 30, only 800 copies were pressed, with at least half of these being destroyed in a fire at Raw's warehouse.
Both singles were, in the main, well received. The first single, "Development Corporations", reached number 4 in the Sounds alternative chart and number 2 in the Time Out chart in 1977.
Around this time, The Now, went their own ways through mutual consent. In 2002 there was a great deal of interest around the original singles, particularly in Europe. As a result, a German record company, Last Years Youth, duly re-released both singles, containing a couple of previously unreleased versions of the original songs. It was a logical progression (albeit unusual) to use this exposure as an opportunity to record and release a definitive version of all of the early songs written by The Now. Fuzztone Fizzadelic
was recorded during 2004 by the four original members of The Now, representing their original set list, as performed in 1977. In true punk rock style The Now rehearsed for three hours and had two days in the studio for recording and mixing. 27 years between writing and recording must be some sort of record. Fuzztone Fizzadelic was released in 2005.
Mike McGuire and Steve Rolls went on to form 80's avant garde band Sudden Sway
. Joe MacColl went on to join mod revivalists The Name. Faz Farrow went on to perform with numerous band as a journyman bass guitarist. Steve Rolls was asked to join The Destructors
by Allen Adams in 2006.
, Punk77 Books, ISBN 13: 978-0-9556583-0-3.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
group from Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Whilst never officially disbanding, they ceased recording and performing in 1979. In 2004, The Now recorded all of their original material and released as the Fuzztone Fizzadelic
Fuzztone Fizzadelic
Fuzztone Fizzadelic is the debut album by The Now, released by Damaged Goods. The album was recorded over 2 short days at The Lodge Recording Studios in Northampton between 2002 and 2005. All recorded tracks reflected the bands setlist at the start of 1977 and were recorded almost live in the studio...
album in 2005 on the Damaged Goods
Damaged Goods (record label)
Damaged Goods is a British independent record label and online shop.- History :Damaged Goods started in 1988 from a living room in east London.Ian Damaged called it DamagedGoods. The first release was a re-issue of the 1977 single by Slaughter and the Dogs, "Where Have All the Bootboys Gone?"...
record label.
Career
The Now, Peterborough's first punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, formed late in 1976. Founded by Mike McGuire and Steve Rolls. Mike and Steve were at the time performing with The Faderz, who had only existed for a few months, before they had hooked into the London Punk scene in 1976. Joe MacColl and Paul Wicks (aka The Dangerous Dip or occasionally The Mysterious Dip) were recruited immediately to form The Now. Early gigs were self organised affairs, notably at the Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
Club. A community club, mainly catering for the city's West Indian community. Such gigs were usually with local reggae artists such as The Legions, any punk band who would dare come out of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(or other major cities), such as 999
999 (band)
999 are an English rock band who formed in London in 1977. They are often cited as one of the first punk rock bands. Between 1978 and 1981, they had five Top 75 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and one Top 40 single. After extensive touring across the Atlantic Ocean, the band's third and fourth...
, The Killjoys
The Killjoys (UK band)
The Killjoys were a punk rock/new wave band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1976, with members including Kevin Rowland and Kevin "Al" Archer, who would later form Dexys Midnight Runners, and Ghislaine 'Gil' Weston who would later join Girlschool...
and Eater
Eater
Eater were an early British punk band from London who took their name from a Marc Bolan lyric. In 2001, the band’s second single, "Thinking of the USA" , was included in a leading British music magazine’s list of the best punk-rock singles of all-time...
, as well as new local punk bands such as Heavy Manners. This was a great challenge for The Now since putting Punk Rock into an East Anglian provincial environment (where there already existed a time warp sensibility), caused a lot of friction at that time. During this time The Dangerous Dip was replaced on the bass guitar by Faz Farrow. The Now were managed by Allen Adams who later went on to form the band The Destructors
The Destructors (band)
The Destructors are a punk rock band from Peterborough, England, 1977-1979 then 1980 until 1984. They re-formed as Destructors 666 in 2006.-History:...
and later Destructors 666.
The Now were far removed from what is traditionally known as 123 ‘Punk’ thrash. With intelligent songs, political lyrics and a real sense of small town frustration and anger The Now were unique. This was real urban punk rock, devoid of big city trends, tolerance and fashion. The Now played many gigs, and could often be found playing those early, then famous, London venues such as Roxy Club
The Roxy
The Roxy was a fashionable nightclub on Neal Street in London's Covent Garden, known for hosting the flowering British punk music scene in its infancy.-Brief history:...
and The Vortex clubs in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The Now released two singles "Development Corporations" / "Why" on Ultimate Records in November 1977 and a deal with Lee Wood's Raw Records signed in mid 1978 produced two songs, "Into The 80's" and "9 'O' Clock" (actually recorded for Raw in late 1977) which were re-mixed and scheduled for March 23 release. This 7" single was delayed due to economic problems which would soon force the Cambridge based label to close down. When it eventually emerged on November 30, only 800 copies were pressed, with at least half of these being destroyed in a fire at Raw's warehouse.
Both singles were, in the main, well received. The first single, "Development Corporations", reached number 4 in the Sounds alternative chart and number 2 in the Time Out chart in 1977.
Around this time, The Now, went their own ways through mutual consent. In 2002 there was a great deal of interest around the original singles, particularly in Europe. As a result, a German record company, Last Years Youth, duly re-released both singles, containing a couple of previously unreleased versions of the original songs. It was a logical progression (albeit unusual) to use this exposure as an opportunity to record and release a definitive version of all of the early songs written by The Now. Fuzztone Fizzadelic
Fuzztone Fizzadelic
Fuzztone Fizzadelic is the debut album by The Now, released by Damaged Goods. The album was recorded over 2 short days at The Lodge Recording Studios in Northampton between 2002 and 2005. All recorded tracks reflected the bands setlist at the start of 1977 and were recorded almost live in the studio...
was recorded during 2004 by the four original members of The Now, representing their original set list, as performed in 1977. In true punk rock style The Now rehearsed for three hours and had two days in the studio for recording and mixing. 27 years between writing and recording must be some sort of record. Fuzztone Fizzadelic was released in 2005.
Mike McGuire and Steve Rolls went on to form 80's avant garde band Sudden Sway
Sudden Sway
Sudden Sway were a pop group from Peterborough, England, formed in 1980. They recorded two sessions for John Peel and released three albums before splitting up in the early 1990s.-History:...
. Joe MacColl went on to join mod revivalists The Name. Faz Farrow went on to perform with numerous band as a journyman bass guitarist. Steve Rolls was asked to join The Destructors
The Destructors (band)
The Destructors are a punk rock band from Peterborough, England, 1977-1979 then 1980 until 1984. They re-formed as Destructors 666 in 2006.-History:...
by Allen Adams in 2006.
Singles
- "Development Corporations" / "Why?" (Ultimate Records, ULT401, 1977)
- "Development Corporations" / "Why?" (Ultimate Records, ULT401-A, 1977, Blue Vinyl)
- "9 O Clock" / "Into the 80's" (Raw Records, RAW31, 1978)
- "9 O Clock" / "Into the 80's" (Re-distributed under Last Years Youth Records (LAST 1, 2000) Limited Edition of 500
- "Development Corporations" / "Why" / "Development Corporations" (Live In The Studio Mix) (Last Years Youth, LAST 11, 2002) Limited Edition of 500
- "Into The 80's" / "9 O Clock" (Live In The Studio Mix) / "Into the 80's" (Live In The Studio Mix) (Last Years Youth, LAST 12, 2002) Limited Edition of 500
Compilations
- Here Come The Now CD. Japanese Release (Wizard in Vinyl, June 2005) - Best of Compilation (includes Singles + Live Sessions) Limited Edition 1000. 500 in Red Vinyl
- Here Come The Now LP. German Release (Last Years Youth, June 2005) - Best of Compilation (includes '79 Recordings)
- Oh No! It's More From Raw CD (2003)
- Don't You Know It's ...Last years Youth! CD. Japanese Release(Wizzard In Vinyl, WIV039, 2005) contains Into The 80's. 9 O Clock and Development Corporations.
Reviews
- 'A primitive but wonderful single from a criminally underrated D.I.Y. Punk band from PeterboroughPeterboroughPeterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
. This sounds like the Desperate BicyclesDesperate BicyclesThe Desperate Bicycles were an English new wave group who released a series of independent recordings in the late 1970s and inspired many other bands to do likewise. The Desperate Bicycles pioneered the do-it-yourself ethic of punk, adopting a proselytising role exemplified by their ardent...
, and is a very simple, but effective protest song about a subject that should be dear to your hearts. And fuzztone fizzedelic guitar! You need more?' - 'It sounds like the rough first cassette of two really good songs from a Peterborough punk band. Usual '77 cynicism, plus (skeleton) Sex PistolsSex PistolsThe Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
style melodic strength. I like it. Try and hear it". - 'Amateur to the point of severe embarrassment'
- 'Well-intentioned identipunk. For specialists only'
- 'Even though the sound is strictly garage production level, the songs too long, and the sleeve packaging mateurish in the most boring way, this is worth checking out. 'Why?' has an intro reminiscent of an old Velvet Underground tune (you decide which one), then bursts into one of the most anguished, bewildered cries at life's futility I've ever heard'
Further reading
Paul Marko (2007) The Roxy London WC2 - A Punk History, with foreword by TV Smith of The AdvertsThe Adverts
The Adverts were an English punk band who formed in 1976 and broke up in late 1979. They were one of the first punk bands to enjoy chart success in the UK, and their line-up included Gaye Advert, whom The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music called the "first female punk star".-Career:The band was...
, Punk77 Books, ISBN 13: 978-0-9556583-0-3.
External links
- http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/now.htm
- http://www.roxyclub77.co.uk/pages/book.htm