The Naughty Boys

Sent in by Stewart: The Naughty Boys (NB) started around 1978/9 with a line-up of 'Iggy' (Graham Ingham) from Wythenshawe on bass and Gar (guitar) and Roy (drums) from Eccles. The NB were basically a high energy rock n roll covers band and a hobby for Iggy and Gar both of whom were otherwise members of Brownsville Banned, a rather good comedy/folk rock sort of outfit which also included Roger F Tweedy, self-styled Ambassador for Eccles. Roy was the roadie for Brownsville Banned. Iggy had taken over in Brownsville from Mog (who moved onto The Smirks, John Dowie Band, Simply Red, Albertos y Los Trios Paranoias, Lonesome and Penniless Cowboys among others as well as being a club and radio DJ – now with Radio allfm 96.9. Gigs with this line-up were infrequent but there was a gig at Band on the Wall at this time which the posters advertised as 'Does Iggy Owe you Money?' and a headlined Rock against Racism benefit at UMIST and an Anti-Nazi League benefit at the old West Indian Centre, Carmoor Road on 19th April 1979. The gig had been billed as 'Jig Against Jones' to publicise Manchester City Council's employment of the National Front's Greater Manchester Organiser, Anthony David Jones. The NB played 3 more benefit gigs (for Rock against Racism / Anti Nazi League) at the old West Indian Centre, by which time the personnel had changed with only Iggy remaining from the original line-up. In addition to Iggy, the line-up was now Dave Powell on 1st guitar, Glez (Dave Gleave) on 2nd guitar and Keith Uttley on drums. They were all from the Sale/Sale Moor area I think. This line-up did the NB first studio recording – 'Radio Song' and 'The Beast' which I think were both original songs by Iggy. Another early studio recording was of 'Red Tank' - another song of Iggy's - and 'Trapped in a world I never made', one of Powelly's. The Worms supported them at one of these benefit gigs, a reggae band called Katarah (from Bolton I think) at another, and John Dowie band (featuring the aforementioned Mog) featured at another. By this time the songs the NB were playing were mainly originals with the odd occasional well-chosen covers (the Flamin' Groovies' 'Shake Some Action' , the Church's 'Unguarded Moment' and Dr Feelgood's 'Cheque Book'). Other gigs were at venues such as the Cyprus Tavern, Stockport College (where the support featured the late Tony Wilson playing keyboard in an arty-farty sort of band that featured Wayne from the Worms on guitar), Cavalcade and Midland Hotel, Didsbury, Pinky's Place, the Benchill, the Millstone, Sale Rugby Club, the Duke of Wellington, Pendlebury and the Gallery on Peter Street. In 1981 they supported the Salford Jets at the People's March for Jobs benefit in Salford A one-off gig at Eccles Labour Club had the aforementioned Mog on bass and Iggy just doing vocals. The also aforementioned Roger F Tweedy often hung out with the band and acted as MC at gigs and sometimes played harmonica (on 'I hate this town'). Eddie the drummer from the early incarnation of Simply Red and later of Inner Sense Percussion played a couple of gigs with them when they were short of a drummer and Gus Gangrene from the Drones sometimes guested on guitar. Drumming duties alternated between Keith Uttley and 'Spud'. Dave Powell left and was replaced by Moley. The NB played a legendary gig on their own turf at The Pear Tree pub (it later changed its name to the Wendover upon relaunching sometime after the Greater Manchester Police's 'Operation Partridge' raid, see http://extra.shu.ac.uk/dac/wendover.pdf ). This cracking gig was videod by the late Chris Sievey (of The Freshies/Frank Sidebottom fame). The NB appeared on Granada Reports playing ' Dancing with a Memory', an untypical NBs song recorded at Revolution Studios Stockport. After a dormant period the NB resurfaced with headline gigs at International One on Anson Road having morphed their name into The Naughtiez and now adding 'Frank the Milkman' on keyboards. They had some excellent new songs such as ' Wild Winds', 'Don't Let The Poor Start Eating The Poor' (both of which were recorded and got local radio airplay) and 'Lucy'. The last NBs gig was probably late 1980s/early 1990s. Original NB songs were : Ain't Going Back to Sale Moor Anymore Dancing With a Memory* Dirty Bastard Rock and Roll* Do A Runner* Don't Let The Poor Start Eating The Poor* Fear of Dogs Free Country I Hate This Town Lucy Mantrap Next in Line For A Broken Heart* Radio Song* Red Tank* The Beast* There Ain't No Romance* Too Bad* Trapped in a World I Never Made* Treading Water* Well Bobbed Up This Christmas* Whipping Up a Storm Wild Winds* * studio versions of these were made