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Verbal Warning
Notts Premier old skool punks
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VERBAL
Warning’s early eighties incarnation built themselves an
uncompromising reputation in the Nottingham area and played
with some of the big bands of the day.
Chumbawumba, Conflict, Flux of Pink Indians, Rudimentary Peni,
Napalm Death and The Subhumans all shared bills with the
original Warning.
The band began life as the tastefully-named Dead Presleys with
Phil on drums, Colin on bass, Paul on guitar and Dave on
vocals
But the punks v teddy boys war was still quite bitter in those
days and the band were told in no uncertain terms what would
happen to them if the name wasn’t changed by the local
‘quiffed community’!
The first gig as the
Presleys was at Nottingham’s legendary Ad Lib Club on 7th
December 1980.
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By the time the band became Verbal Warning, Wayne had come in
on drums and joint vocals.
A gig at the-then Trent
Polytechnic on 14th May 1981, ended in a hasty exit after Dave
was thought to have suggested he was glad IRA hunger striker
Bobby Sands was dead, infuriating a large Irish contingent in
the audience.
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Wayne
then quit the band leaving the classic line-up of Paul on
guitar, Adolf on drums, Colin on bass and Dave on vocals.
A gig at Beeston Community Centre on 11th July 1981 saw them
on a bill with one Potential Difference whose vocalist John is
now the frontman for the modern-day VW. |
A
big gig at Beeston Community Centre (known affectionately as
The Shed) on 24th October 1981 saw Warning on the same bill as
Flux, Subhumans, The Fits and Anarchist Attack.
They even strutted their stuff in Long Eaton’s dance
nightclub Isabellas in May 1982.Other notable 1982 gigs
included an appearance with stalwarts Resistance 77 at The
Black Horse, Somercotes, on 20th August, Resistance still
going strong today, one at Sherwood Community Centre with
Flux, Antisect, Black Anthem, and Blasphemy and a great gig at
Derby’s Havana Club.
On 22nd January 1983, Warning appeared with Conflict and Omega
Tribe at Nottingham’s Union Club but were forced to leave
the venue quickly after plugs were pulled on them during their
set and threats made when the band suggested to a hostile
audience that Conflict and Crass were ‘only rock and roll
bands’.
They also played at the city’s Yorker (now the Rose of
England) on Mansfield Road with Rudimentary Peni, Business of
Pleasure and Vexed.
When the Apostles didn’t turn up for a gig at St Anns’
Bluebell Hill Leisure Centre on 30th April, Warning found
themselves headlining, supported by soon-to-be John Peel faves
Napalm Death. |
Warning
also supported Dirt and Heresy in Colwick, Resistance 77 at
the Hearty Good Fellow, and, once again, the Subhumans at the
Ad Lib.
A trip to London saw the band play with The Apostles while a
gig at The Meadows Community Centre on 13th August saw the
band on with Chumbawumba, Disorder and Potential Threat.An
all-dayer at Colwick’s Vale Social Club on 10th March 1984
was headlined by Conflict, supported by bands including
Antisystem, Icons of Filth, The Instigators, Verbal Warning,
Hagar the Womb, Seats of Piss and The Scumdribblers.
But it wasn’t to last much longer and after a handful of
gigs, a show with Lost Cherries at Nottingham’s long
demolished Narrowboat proved to be the end. |
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Colin quit the band and Adolf had some of his drum
equipment stolen from their rehearsal venue. So, for one
last gig, Adolf replaced Colin on bass and Jam came in on
drums.
But a show with Lost Cherries at Nottingham’s long
demolished Narrowboat proved to be the end of the road.
Dave and Paul still occasionally worked together, although
Dave decided to move to Ireland where he went on to be part
of other bands.
Paul, switching to bass, decided to resurrect the band this
year and, after using the modern technology of the Internet
to find Ian on drums and Lee on guitar, finally turned the
years back to bring in John on vocals.
Some of the old songs are still in the set as they are just
as relevant today as they were back then.
But new songs are emerging all the time as the band evolve
into something modern and sharp but with all the attitude of
yesteryear.
That’s the history, the rest of it is the future. Be
Warned!
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Next
Gig
Sat 11 Oct 2008
Sportsman Long Eaton
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Some ya win
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