Oi, Oi, Oi, who’s that there? Combat jackets and short cropped hair. Men of iron, men and muckers. The real red army Tucker’s Ruckers!
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The Gonads started life as Pink Tent in 1975, but were kicked up the jacksie by The Clash and The Sex Pistols a year later. Inspired by Strummer, Lydon and the Ramones, with a subtle hint of Ian Dury and not so subtle hints of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, The Gonads exploded onto the South London Punk scene like an agitated pint of lager on a warm Summer’s day...which is about as long we stayed together the first time round. "We could have been massive," says Si Spanner. "If only we’d played outside of SE7." Founder member and punk zine writer turned Sounds rock scribe Garry Bushell (alias Gal Gonad) reformed the band in 1979 with a Cockney Reject here and a member of the Business and The Blood there for support...and Hoxton Tom on backing vocals. At the time, Gal was fighting what often seemed a lone battle for bands like the Ruts, the UK Subs, the Skids and the Members in the increasingly jaded UK rock press. Gal’s Gonads were were instrumental in defining the Oi music genre and pioneered StreetPunk as well as the now over-looked style known today as "Punk Pathetique." The band’s legendary early songs include ’I Lost My Love To A UK Sub’, ’The Joys Of Oi’, ’Got Any Wrigleys John’, ’Jobs Not Jails’, ’Punk Rock Will Never Die’, ’Stroke My Beachcomber Baby’, and ’Tucker’s Ruckers Ain’t No Suckers.’ Contemporaries of, and often sharing liner notes with (as well as a few band members) such groups as the Cockney Rejects , the 4-Skins, The Business , Max Splodge , and Oi poet Garry Johnson , the Gonads appeared under various guises and incarnations including the Magnificent Gonads, Gary & the Gonads, the Brothers Gonad (w/ Max Splodge) the Orgasm Guerrillas, Prole and Lord Waistrel & The Cosh Boys. They added humour and passion to the original series of Oi albums, which Gal also compiled.
Today, after some 31 years, The Gonads are still going strong with Garry Bushell , now an accomplished author and media personality, on lead vocals, along with long time first mate Clyde Ward , a much sought after producer and studio musician on Bass, and American member André Schlesinger, formerly of NYC Oi legend The Press and currently heading Maninblack , on guitar synthesizer, and others. The Gonads are currently in the studio recording tracks for their upcoming full length CD "Back To Boots" which will include guest appearances from Steve Whale of the Masons, Jennie Bellestar, Tony Van Frater of the Cockney Rejects, Liberty Hayes, Paul Haslin of Waysted and Terry Hayes of the East End Badoes. We are also touring again, with Tony Feedback on guitar, Andy Nicholas on bass and Manic Esso on drums. .
Gonads fans (and groupies and hanger-ons too!) can show their appreciation by visiting the official Gonads website and leaving their comments in our guestbook .
The Gonads would like to thank all their fans, groupies and hangers-ons for their continuing support. This page will be constantly updated with news about the band, drunken ranting blogs from Gal and Lord Waistrel, and myself, and alternating MP3 files of all the Gonads hits so check back often! You can cop hold of most of our latest CDs from Amazon or direct from Captain Oi. And if you’d like to book us email Dale ’The Beast’ Beeson - [email protected]. To book Gal as a punk and ska DJ, or for PAs, email The Bishop - [email protected]. Serious requests only, please. They’re busy chaps. If anyone has any other questions or comments that need immediate attention, or if you just want to talk to a Gonad, please feel free to bother Gonads’ road manager Fat Col by raising him on AIM (user name: FatCol) Ha ha!
Gal Gonad’s personal MySpace page
Clyde Gonad’s MySpace page
André Gonad’s Maninblack MySpace page