johng

“think there was a bus strike in some areas that night as some of us had to get a train to Gorton(?) station,it was prob the biggest gig i went to there after the crass ones.
wish i had kept all the stuff i collected over the years,great find and upload Boy in exile.”

“i can remember it,pure violence from nazi skinheads.
Annie Anxiety opened up first,left the stage in tears as the violence started,it got worse and worse.
By the time crass came on the violence was all over the club.
These were 20 odd -30 year old big guys smashing people up who were young kids the atmosphere was filled with violence and fear.
The cops ended up being called,some of us ended up being more concerned about being grabbed by the cops for being underage,i was 15 at the time,we hid under some tables so the cops didn't notice us.
I'd just got punched on the side of my head accidentally by a skinhead trying to hit some guy with long hair.
The irony of the above flyer,i think nearly every time crass played the mayflower it was a night of violence.
Doesn't sound like a great nights out but something was special about these gigs even though we could feel the underlying violence about to explode which it always did.
Thanks for the upload,no thanks to the dumb heads who always fucked it all up for everyone.”

“@phil-remember Ray Gosling making the 'Human Jigsaw' series for Granada?he filmed the Hysteretix playing in the glents attic,interviewed a few of stalybridge,mossley and oldham punks,(i kept well out of the way,infact i might have moved to London at the time it was aired).
just wondered if you had it on video or know anyone who has it?would be good to put on the net,me and tommy been searching for it but its not to be found,poor old Ray,lost everything cos of his taste for the booze.good bloke.
btw-what is the name of the book nick,spike and chris wrote about stone circles and ancient monuments?your mum showed it me a few years ago when i dropped in to the house on ridge hill lane but ive forgot the title?
hope ur well m8.
g.”

“hiya phil,just got back intouch with pebble and he's been keeping it all these years,unfortunately his guitar playing days are over since a dog bit one of his fingers in half.
went to see the subs at witchwood a few months ago and bumped into one of the ex brigade members,cant remember his name,told me him and muppet go watching stalybridge celtic a lot,i try and get up to see em now and again,we drew 2-2 last night with yocal scumballz Droylsden lol!”

“one of those was a Stonehenge benefit gig at the old Factory club in Hulme,think it was called the PSV again by then,dont know how stonehenge benefitted from it ?
1988 was a guess on the year it took place.”

“saw pebble a few times of late,guitarist with support band Hysteretix,he's given me a flyer for this gig that i will try and upload at some point soon,also supporting were a band called 'Blake Bros.
also the DJ that night was a guy called Steve Toon.
Friday 25th April 1985-£2 on the door.
also bumped into one of the ex Brigade at uk subs gig at the witchwood last week,sorry fella forgot your name,Stalybridge Celtic til i die!!
do you have any pics of hysteretix playing this gig phil?”

“hi phil,was there only a evening gig that day then,sure the matinee was a none event.
i can usually remember gigs at the mayflower like it was a week ago,just have trouble these days actually what did i do last week,it was all good,apart from when one of the nf skins went to hit someone and missed and caught me on the neck instead,i moved away quite swiftly.”

“didnt the upstarts sunday matinee gig get canceled for some reason,remember sitting around on the grass outside waiting and waiting then nothing.
saw zounds the other night @ the star n garter, couldnt help thinking of that night 29 years ago when they supported crass and all the nazis turned up and proceeded to trash everything and as many folk as they could get hold of, these were grown men compared to most of the folk in the crowd who probably averaged about 17/18, i was 15 at the time.
it made such an impression on zounds they didnt play in manc for another 29 years!”

“someone told me that the 'tiger lounge' club was once owned by bestie,is this wrong,cos tiger lounge isnt on bootle street?”

“went here once to see conflict,how come there was a big fence at the front of the stage?”