1981 – 1982
Formation 1981 – 82
I guess the Chrome Molly story begins back in mid 1981, when Chris Green returned to Leicester from a failed bid for stardom in London with a fellow called John Boyer, who claimed to be a singer. They hooked up with Ian Jones and John Antcliffe, both guitarists, who were getting a new band together. John had been with Ian in Blitzkrieg, a Leicester metal band that became best known for having their track of the same name covered by Metallica, no mean feat, and had been signed to Neat Records, home of Venom, Raven and the Tygers Of Pan Tang and was a pioneering label of the NWOBHM movement. Strangely, John had got the gig with Blitzkrieg because the lead guitarist, Jim Sirotto, was his maths teacher.
A two song demo had been recorded with the tracks Blue Lights and Love On A Crowded Street and the band was on the lookout for a bass player. I had placed a large ad in the local music shop stating that I played bass and was available and sure enough I got a call from Chris Green asking me to meet up with the band in the Blue Moon pub on Carslisle St in Leicester. This would have been about mid October 1981. I was greeted by the whole band – John was quiet, Chris (Greeny) sounded like a cockney, Boyer, who sounded adenoidal (bad for a singer) and Ian (Jonesy) who had a piece of white tape holding his glasses together.
They already had the name Chrome Molly – I didn’t like it as it didn’t sound metal enough to me – apparently, Greeny had nicked it from a club band (not telling anyone at this stage) but I thought that it was a start and it could be changed at a suitable point.
We went back to Jonsey’s flat and listened to the demo, minus vocals, and I thought it sounded fantastic. An audition was set for the following week and I turned up full of enthusiasm and somehow landed the job – it was to be my only rehearsal with this line up though. The reason that there were no vocals on the demo started to be apparent in the rehearsal as the ‘singer’ had no voice. He couldn’t pitch or sing in tune and his voice sounded like a frog laying an egg – truly awful.
A few days after the rehearsal, we went into the studio and he tried to lay down some vocals – shocking! So shocking in fact that when I offered to put a guide vocal down for him, that became the vocals for the demo – you know something’s wrong when my voice is better than yours(and you’re the lead singer) and so the first Molly sacking occurred – no more John Boyer.
I was still reeling from this shock decision (not mine – I didn’t start sacking for quite a while yet) when it was announced to me that Jonesy was off too. Apparently, he was happy with the decision and remained on friendly terms with everyone and so we were three – John, Chris and Nic – later to be known as Len, Wiggy and Mo respectively (two middle names and a dodgy haircut in Chris’ case).
John and I seemed to be getting on well musically though and coming up with song ideas was quite easy – there seemed to be a lot of riffs and we definitely had a ‘sound’ when we played together. We began to rehearse regularly and just before Christmas ’81 recorded a new demo featuring 3 new songs including ‘Until We Meet Again and ‘Back In Vogue’
While musically and song wise these were a step in the right direction, we clearly needed some help with the vocals – I am no lead singer. I am convinced, however, that by having a go and getting on with things we kept the band going and started to move forwards. We booked 2 gigs and our first was a leap into the lion’s den. We managed to get a covers gig at USAF Upper Heyford, a US airbase, playing for soldiers and airmen. We were to be paid £150 (like getting a £500 gig these days)
And so we learnt 30 songs and I sang them with my great and powerful voice – a treat for the servicemen so far away from home I’m sure. We hired a bus and a PA to get us to the gig (from a Leicester band called Soldier, who featured a guitarist called Nick Lashley, later to play with Alannis Morrisette and Mick Jagger no less).
We survived the gig and even got applause, but we knew now that a front man was essential – we also knew that we didn’t want to play covers.
A second gig at the Marquis Of Queensbury in Wigston on the 20th March 1982 was notable for being the first time I met Steve – he came to check us out after being ousted from his band Mean Arena – well he says he left, but???
We had been to check him out at the Princess Charlotte a few weeks before and Greeny invited him to come and see us in Wigston – we arranged a rehearsal and just like that, he was in – now we definitely had a sound and we recorded another track, Deadline, at Archway studios and a band was born
Nic
The band are now reformed with original members
Steve Hawkins (vocals), John Antcliffe (guitar), Nik Wastell (bass), and “new boy” Greg Ellis on drums
Next episode soon
Nic
