The Innocents (UK punk band)
Encyclopedia
The Innocents formed in the spring of 1978 and played frequently with The Clash
and The Slits
. The original lineup was predominantly female with four women and one male.
The band began when Sarah Hall, (ex-Flowers of Romance
) approached Marguerite Martin, later Van Cook, in the Vortex Club
on Wardour Street in London
and invited her to start a band. Sarah Hall borrowed a bass from Paul Simonon
of The Clash
, and they invited Greg Van Cook, who was in the process of breaking away from the Electric Chairs, to play guitar. Greg Van Cook was an original member of the New York Backstreet Boys of Max’s Kansas City, who became The Electric Chairs. He co-authored the punk anthem, "Fuck Off" with Jayne County
. The lineup was completed by the addition of Fiona Barry on the piano
and Susy Hogarth on drum
s. They performed self-penned punk
songs. The Innocents played gigs at multiple punk friendly venues in London
, among them several at Acklam Hall opening for The Slits.
In early November 1978, Sarah Hall asked The Clash if The Innocents could join them on their upcoming “Sort It Out Tour”. They agreed and the lineup for the tour was set with the Innocents opening for The Slits and The Clash. The “Sort It Out Tour” began in Scotland
and covered stops all over England
, though several of the venues were canceled due to ad-hoc town ordinances that banned The Clash in fear of the influence of punk. Including the tour, The Innocents played thirty-one gigs in a row with only a single day’s break to end at the tour at the Lyceum.
The DJ
on the tour was Barry (Scratch) Myers. These gigs included the Sid Vicious
Benefit Gig. They also played with Siouxsie and the Banshees at the Music Machine in London, before the January 3rd 1979 date with The Clash, which was added due to a overbooking of the “Sid Vicious Defense Fund” benefit show.
After the tour, Sarah Hall quit the band and was replaced on bass by Jo Hurst. Greg Van Cook joined Front and then The Vibrators
, but continued to perform with The Innocents as well, except at the Marquee
when The Innocents opened for The Vibrators and Henry Silver played guitar with The Innocents. Terry Smith took over as drummer. The band ended in 1980.
with Sex Pistols
producer and musician, Dave Goodman
, but the tapes never were made available to the public. A reported record deal with “Sticky Records” never materialized.
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and The Slits
The Slits
The Slits were a British punk rock band. The quartet was formed in 1976 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators. The members were Ari Up , who died of cancer in October 2010, and Palmolive , with Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt replacing founding members, Kate Korus and...
. The original lineup was predominantly female with four women and one male.
The band began when Sarah Hall, (ex-Flowers of Romance
The Flowers of Romance (band)
The Flowers of Romance were an early punk band, formed in mid-1976 by Jo Faull and Sarah Hall. The band never played live or released any recordings, and, like London SS and Masters of the Backside, are more famed for the number of band members that later became well known, including: Sid Vicious...
) approached Marguerite Martin, later Van Cook, in the Vortex Club
Vortex Jazz Club
The Vortex Jazz Club is a London venue that primarily features live contemporary jazz. The club's official website features book reviews and jazz CD reviews by critic Chris Parker....
on Wardour Street in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and invited her to start a band. Sarah Hall borrowed a bass from Paul Simonon
Paul Simonon
Paul Gustave Simonon is an English musician and artist best known as the bass guitarist for punk rock band The Clash. Recent work includes his involvement in the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Damon Albarn, Simon Tong and Tony Allen, released in January 2007...
of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, and they invited Greg Van Cook, who was in the process of breaking away from the Electric Chairs, to play guitar. Greg Van Cook was an original member of the New York Backstreet Boys of Max’s Kansas City, who became The Electric Chairs. He co-authored the punk anthem, "Fuck Off" with Jayne County
Jayne County
Jayne County , formerly known as Wayne County, is an American male-to-female transsexual performer, musician and actress whose career has spanned several decades. County would go on to be known as rock's first transsexual singer...
. The lineup was completed by the addition of Fiona Barry on the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and Susy Hogarth on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. They performed self-penned punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
songs. The Innocents played gigs at multiple punk friendly venues in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, among them several at Acklam Hall opening for The Slits.
In early November 1978, Sarah Hall asked The Clash if The Innocents could join them on their upcoming “Sort It Out Tour”. They agreed and the lineup for the tour was set with the Innocents opening for The Slits and The Clash. The “Sort It Out Tour” began in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and covered stops all over England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, though several of the venues were canceled due to ad-hoc town ordinances that banned The Clash in fear of the influence of punk. Including the tour, The Innocents played thirty-one gigs in a row with only a single day’s break to end at the tour at the Lyceum.
The DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
on the tour was Barry (Scratch) Myers. These gigs included the Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
Benefit Gig. They also played with Siouxsie and the Banshees at the Music Machine in London, before the January 3rd 1979 date with The Clash, which was added due to a overbooking of the “Sid Vicious Defense Fund” benefit show.
After the tour, Sarah Hall quit the band and was replaced on bass by Jo Hurst. Greg Van Cook joined Front and then The Vibrators
The Vibrators
- Early career:The Vibrators were founded by Ian 'Knox' Carnochan, bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis, and drummer John 'Eddie' Edwards. They first came to public notice at the 100 Club when they backed Chris Spedding in 1976. On Spedding's recommendation, Mickie Most signed them to his...
, but continued to perform with The Innocents as well, except at the Marquee
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
when The Innocents opened for The Vibrators and Henry Silver played guitar with The Innocents. Terry Smith took over as drummer. The band ended in 1980.
Recordings
The Innocents recorded songs for an EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
with Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
producer and musician, Dave Goodman
Dave Goodman
Dave Goodman was a record producer and musician, perhaps best known as the live sound engineer for Sex Pistols, and the producer of three of their studio demo sessions.-Sex Pistols:...
, but the tapes never were made available to the public. A reported record deal with “Sticky Records” never materialized.