What Might Have Been

It's February 1979, and Punk is moribund enough for Legs & Co to get involved and start clod hopping about in plastic sandals and party wigs. If they'd only flipped the record over they would have encountered 'Frigging in the Rigging', a puerile chant full of explicit sexual imagery that is crying out for literal interpretation in dance by five ditzy dancers. Can you imagine the hand gestures?

As Pretty As Me

Here's a rather good performance from pop art punksters Generation X on 'Marc'. Shame it was necessary to cut them off in their prime whilst Marc's crappy dance troupe, Heart Throb, got four minutes and a plug for their terrible single. 'Godfather of Punk', indeed.

Tip For The Top

Finally, a halfway decent record on 'Marc'. Bolan knew Radio Stars lead singer Andy Ellison well, having been in pop art group John's Children with him for all of four months in 1967.

John's Children never had a hit single, but were famous for two things, the violence and aggression of their stage show and their musical ineptitude. When Punk started to make an impact, Ellison thought his time had come. It hadn't, but it was worth a go.

Poly Styrene

Pop art punk group X Ray Spex are a favourite band of mine, so I was very sad to hear of the death of Poly Styrene, aged only 53. A unique talent and lifelong non-conformist, in keeping with her religious beliefs, I very much hope she is reincarnated soon.

Here she is performing 'Identity' in an outfit she appears to have borrowed from Dame Margaret Rutherford's weekend wardrobe. I miss her already.