London + The Zips + support

LONDON "original 76/77 punk"
London is an English four-piece punk band formed in London in 1976, best known for their wild stage act. The original line-up was Riff Regan (vocals), Steve Voice (bass guitar), Jon Moss (drums) and Dave Wight (guitar). They were managed by Simon Napier-Bell and recorded two singles, a four-track EP and an album for MCA Records in 1977. Most of their songs were written by Riff Regan (including the first two singles "Everyone's a Winner" and "Summer of Love") or by Regan and Steve Voice. All their records were produced by Napier-Bell at the IBC Studios in London.

After an absence of more than 30 years the band returned to live performance, and subsequently released the album Reboot in 2012. The 2020 line-up is Riff Regan (vocals), Steve Voice (bass/guitar/vocals) and Hugh O'Donnell (guitar/vocals).

HISTORY...

Henry Padovani auditioned for London in December 1976 and was offered a position in the band, but changed his mind when Stewart Copeland invited him to join The Police instead.

Jon Moss joined the band after being tried as a drummer with The Clash. He later said, "The mix of personalities didn't work; their attitudes were too different to mine."

They toured extensively throughout 1977, first supporting The Stranglers and then as headliners in their own right. Their third release, the single "Animal Games", was featured on the notorious Sex Pistols edition of the British TV rock show So It Goes.

Their final gig was at the Marquee Club in Wardour Street on 8 December 1977. The band broke up shortly afterwards. On leaving, Moss joined The Damned and then formed Culture Club with Boy George. Riff Regan released solo records before reverting to his real name of Miles Tredinnick and becoming a comedy writer. He wrote scripts for Frankie Howerd and was a writer on the BBC TV series Birds of a Feather.

Steve Voice formed a new band, The Original Vampires, and Dave Wight, following spells in Metro and Holly and the Italians, reverted to his real name of Colin Wight and became an academic.

MCA Records released the original band's one and only album, Animal Games, in February 1978.

London The Punk Rock Collection, a CD containing all their recorded work, was released on the Captain Oi! label in 1997 and in 2010 the band released an official live bootleg CD Get Out Of London.

Reboot, their first studio album in 34 years, was released on CD and digital formats in February 2012. An LP version on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl was released in March 2018.

The Hell for Leather Mob,] a 15 song rocktale studio album was released on CD and digital formats by Beach Café Records in July 2020

https://www.facebook.com/londontheband

+THE ZIPS "4guys3chords2minutebuzzbombs1helluvvanite – guaranteed!-original punk band from scotland"

Pacing the floor at Punk’s birth in the 70s, splitting up as it was overtaken by Ska and New Romantics in the 80s, and re-forming due to European bootleg interest in their back catalogue in 2002, which resulted in 2 of their songs being included in a compilation album, Bored Teenagers Vol 2, The Zips are determined to make up for lost time. With 5 new CD EPs on their own Tenement Toons label, a download single for Oxfam’s Make Poverty History campaign, The Zips finally released their debut album, Guitars4Hire, Sept 2006 – 27 years after their debut single, The Zips ep, which was a fave of the late John Peel.

2009 Sing Sing Records (Brooklyn) released a 500 copy reissue of the 7”, as did Mad Butcher Records (Germany) in 2022, the same month that an original copy sold for £577 on eBay!

In 2011, The Zips unleashed their 2nd album, 19 Forevva, and on the 10th anniversary, of Joe’s Strummer’s death, the band released a download-only single, Road To Strummerville, with profits to his charity, Strummerville.

A split vinyl album with Berlin-based tour buddies, Erotic Devices, was issued by Clash-City-Records in 2014, ahead of a 3rd tour of Germany.

2015 saw the self-titled, Stepfathers of Punk release an advance copy of their 3rd album, Down With The Zips, to coincide with a further mini-tour of Germany.

2016, the band released a split CD EP with Fire Exit, and played some promo dates together in Belfast & Dublin in November, having played a string of UK dates, that year, including the Nice N Sleazy Festival, and a fifth tour of Germany in May. Meanwhile, the Down With The Zips album was released on download & CD, byCDBaby.comin April, and Jonzip with a pick-up band, The Zips (USA), played a few under-the-radar shows on the East Coast.

2017 The Zips played Rebellion Festival and other dates around the UK, whilst recording tracks for a 4th album, including 7 songs recorded in a studio that was once an office in a former STASI admin block in East Berlin. The recording sessions were squeezed in during a German tour in April, the Joe Strummer Tribute gig in Berlin on 3 June, and Jonzip’s second trip to the States, to play with The Zips (USA). Prior to that, Tarbeach Records (NYC) released a 7” single with The Zips’ Barbara Wire, on one side, and a Jonzip acoustic version of 19 Forevva, on the flip side on 31 March.

2018 was the 40th anniversary of The Zips formation, and a track from The Zips EP, Take Me Down featured in Gary Crowley’s Punk and New Wave compilation albumhttps://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk/rsd18/

Gig-wise, it was a busy year with the MAYhem Tour 2018, with dates in early May in Germany & Czech Republic, and a second, whistle stop tour of Switzerland, Germany and Austria, later that month, with Erotic Devices. October also saw The Zips in Ireland, and Portugal for three dates, after Jonzip’s solo tour there, the previous year.

2019 saw lots of festival action, with Strummercamp, Rebellion and Morecambe Punk Festival, as well as a headline slot at the Joe Strummer Tribute in Dusseldorf.

A limited edition 7” single, on new German label YeaVolution Records, was released in August at Rebellion Festival, and the long-awaited 4th album, HUH!? followed in October, combining the songs from the Berlin sessions of 2017, with another 3 recorded in Standing Stone Studio, Barrhead, outside Glasgow.

Before that however, one of The Zips EP tracks, Take Me Down, was released on Cherry Red Records, 5 CD compilation, Big Gold Dreamshttps://www.cherryred.co.uk/.../big-gold-dreams-a-story...

2020’s Lockdown resulted in no live performances, but was spent working on a limited-edition CD of live recordings from ’79 and ’80 on Tenement Toons, along with a booklet containing The Zips story, press and fanzine reviews, photos and posters.

2021 continued to restrict live events, and resulted in several cancellations, but The Zips appeared at Strummercamp Festival in Oldham, and Punk & Disorderly in Lancaster, in August,Clash Fans Against The Right launch, in London, in October.

2022 supported Buzzcocks in March, The Godfathers in April, and a bunch of local gigs followed.

2023 whilst dates are still being arranged, The Zips played Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, and Unity Fest in Corby, prior to supporting Sham69 in Paisley, Krakatoa in Aberdeen and Punktoberfest in Dundee, along with local Glasgow gigs. A split album called, News From Another Side, with Colera (Brazil) & Razor Kids (Portugal) was released by Lisbon label, Different Class Records, in time for Rebellion Festival. Meanwhile, one of the songs on that album, Spirit Of 78, will be included in the documentary film, Resistance Street, produced by Clash Fans Against The Right.

No strangers to local and internet radio, the band also have a reputation for rip-roaring performances, supporting bands like, Buzzcocks, Dr Feelgood, The Rezillos, UK Subs, 999, The Godfathers, Sham69, Chelsea and Subway Sect. This means they are always in demand on the live circuit, both in the UK, and throughout Europe.

jonzip (lead vox/ rhythm gtr) + phil volume (bass gtr/ vox) + fred-x (lead gtr/ vox) + buddie poor (drums)

https://www.facebook.com/thezipsuk

+opening act

@ The Black Prince

15 Abington Square, Northampton NN1 4AE

Doors 7.30pm

The venue is 16+ [under 18s to be accompanied by a legal guardian]

The multi-story St Michael's car park [entrance on St. Michael's Road, exit on Abington Square] is a 40 second walk from The Black Prince