“I first encountered the NB in ~ 1978/9 as a 3 piece at a Rock against Racism gig at UMIST. Iggy (Graham Ingham) from Wythenshawe on bass and Gar (guitar) and Roy (drums) from Eccles. The NB were basically a 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 (and which also included Roger F Tweedy, self-styled Ambassador for Eccles - more of whom later). Roy was the roadie for Brownsville. I think 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 Radio allfm 96.9 www.face​book.com/pages/​... . I don't know how often this 3 piece line-up played but there was a gig at Band on the Wall at this time which the posters advertised as 'Does Iggy Owe you Money?
The next time I saw them was at a benefit gig at the old West Indian Centre, Carmoor Road (a great little venue, a former school just behind Upper Brook Street) on 19th April 1979. The gig was billed as 'Jig Against Jones' to publicise Manchester City Council's employment of the National Front's Greater Manchester Organiser, Anthony David Jones.
They 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. Dave Powell was on lead guitar, Glez (Dave Gleave) on 2nd guitar and Keith Uttley on drums. They were all from the Sale/Sale Moor area I think. I think this line-up did the NB first studio recording – 'Radio Song' and 'The Beast' which I think were both Iggy's. Another early studio recording was of 'Red Tank' , another one of Iggy's and 'Trapped in a world I never made', one of Powelly's. The Worms supported them at one of these 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 they were playing mainly originals with a few well-chosen covers (eg the Flamin Groovies 'Shake Some Action' and the Church 'Unguarded Moment') plus a few irritating covers – Route 66, I Can Tell, I Saw Her Standing There, Hippy Hippy Shake – irritating because their own material was so much better.
NB gigs I remember were at the Cyprus Tavern, Stockport College of Technology (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), Midland Hotel, Didsbury, Pinkies Place in Salford, the Benchill, the Millstone on Thomas Street, Sale Rugby Club and a few at the Duke of Wellington, Pendlebury and at the Gallery on Peter Street. In 1981 they supported the Salford Jets at the People's March for Jobs gig at Salford
I also remember a one off gig at Eccles Labour Club with Mog on bass and Iggy just doing vocals. 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 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 on encores. Drumming duties seemed to alternate between Keith and a guy called Spud. Dave Powell left and was replaced by Moley.
They played a 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 extra.shu.ac.uk/dac/wendover.pdf ). This cracking gig was videod by the late Chris Sievey (of The Freshies/Frank Sidebottom fame). Just a few months before he died Chris told me he still had the video, wonder if it still exists.
They appeared on Granada Reports playing if I remember rightly ' Dancing with a Memory', an untypical NBs song which may have been recorded at Revolution Studios Stockport. I think they blagged this gig as presenter Bob Greaves' son was a mate of Glez. They were dormant for a while after this as far as I know then somehow managed to get headline gigs at International One on Anson Road having morphed their name into The Naughtiez and now with '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 NBs songs I remember :
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*
“Iggy told me a more interesting story about how they got on Granada Reports.It did involve the loveable Lothario Bob Greaves.
Oh and Iggy does owe me money.
:)”
“Thanks Rodin, I think I did hear another story about how they got the Granada appearance - it involved some 'indiscreet' photographs. I was last in touch with Iggy about 10 yrs ago, he was still in Wythenshawe.”
“I used to play football with his brother Phil who was a PC.
The photo story is the one I heard, 2 year waiting list to appear then Iggy jumped the queue...
The family lived in Northern Moor.”
“I think the headline gig at International One was as a result of their being managed by Jim Carr who ran the postering outfit that did all the International's postering.
Jim later skipped town after being shot outside UMIST whilst postering.
The Naughties were a great band with some great songs, I saw them mostly at The Gallery on Peter Street.”
“I drink with Moley , and depping drummer Pete 'Spud' Murphy, unfortunately Pete passed away early this year, I've recently got hold of a VHS video of Iggy and Dave performing 2 songs at Midland Hotel Didsbury early 90s. I've can share on my FB.”
“Yes that would be good Youngy47 if you can leave a link to yur FB or upload it here as an artefact. Chris Sievey videod a whole gig upstairs at the Pear Tree and told me not long before he passed away he still had it 'somewhere'. All his hoarded possessions are in an archive at Manchester Central Library who I asked to look for it but never heard from them. Sorry to hear about Spud, give my regards to Moley - Stewart ps Dave is quite an impressive photographer these days, seen his stuff exhibited round town in a couple of places, who'da guessed.....”
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