Before punk blew the doors off, the revolution was already brewing in London’s smoky pubs—and Simon Matthews captures it all in Before It All Went Rotten. With love for the grit and groove of those early nights, he shines a light on the unsung bands who kept the amps buzzing and set the stage for the Sex Pistols and beyond. It’s a history of sound, sweat, and the belief that anyone could pick up a guitar and shake the world.
Before It Went Rotten takes a trip back to the world before punk. When Anarchy in the UK appeared, London enjoyed one of the most vibrant music scenes in the world. A network of mainly Irish owned pubs and clubs provided music every night, much of it free of charge, whilst working as a testing ground for up and coming talent. This book traces the evolution of what was quickly labelled ‘pub-rock’: from rock and roll revival acts via late blues bands, country rock, funk, soul and art school bands to the sound that eventually burst on the scene as punk rock in 1976. Specific chapters cover the career of Brinsley Schwarz, the Southend bands and the step by step rise of the Sex Pistols. Among those interviewed are former members of Fumble, Darts, the John Dummer Blues Band, Blue Goose, Legend, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Brinsley Schwarz, Bees Make Honey, Ducks de Luxe, Kokomo, Roogalator, Burlesque, Kilburn and the High Roads, GT Moore and the Reggae Guitars, Clancy, the Fabulous Poodles, the Sex Pistols and Meal Ticket. Extensively researched, Before It Went Rotten bids fair to be the definitive study of an overlooked era.