Archive September 2005
Stuart Jones Memoirs & Reviews

How many people really remember that momentous year, 1977? Where were you, what were you up to? In Brighton it was all happening, though a lot of it under the surface. As early as February, a lad called Peter Ward had already knocked in 25 goals for the Albion and by March the club had spent just under a million quid on Mark Lawrensen, now surely the most boring bloke in football. Hooligansim was a problem, not just in the ground but around town at weekends as well. There was anarchy in the air.

The punk explosion had made its way to Brighton. Bands were springing up all over the place, nowhere more so than at the Vault. Elsewhere, the Sex Pistols had just pulled off an audacious deal, Rumour had it they'd been paid £75,000 by the record company A&M, who promptly dropped the band after their outrageous Bill Grundy TV show.

The future of the west Pier was in doubt. Would it be sold? The Labour governement led by Jim Callaghan was in town at the newly opened £9m Centre, In the news, Arthur Scargill was arrested at Grunwick and a colorado beetle caused a stir when it was found in a box of spuds in Peacehaven. Meanwhile, Israeli jets pounded the Lebanon, Mark Bolan was killed in a car crash and Brighton's Leo Sayer was on Top of the Pops dressed as a clown...oh well, things could be worse! More to come...

Another punk belter at the Free Butt
What a night that was, Friday 19th August. It could have been 77 all over again. Deadbeat Descendent, who we featured last month, and Teasing Lulu , gave it some hammer. All that was missing was pogo-ing. So it's proof: contrary to popular opinion, our young people are so much more restrained and well behaved now than they were back in those days!

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