Sons Of Bad Breath – Wood Green Art Centre, London, N22 – 1985

Sons Of Bad Breath performance

An excellent recording of Monty and his Sons Of Bad Breath thrashers giving it all the effort they could muster on the night.

Part of the infamous Hackney Hell Crew. Pretty rough bunch of heavy drinking and heavy speeding squatters that formed an axis of bands such as Blower, Eat Shit, God Told Me To Do It and of course Sons Of Bad Breath.

Amongst the Hell Crew were Monty, Ollie, Pus, Simo, Martin, Animal, Napoleon, Sean, Bully, Alien and Scruff from Gateshead.

Some of the Hell Crew did not survive passed the 1980’s, the ones that did hopefully are well enough.

I was very pleased to see Ollie in Bristol in the early 1990’s at a Gunshot (UK Hip Hop) performance (on a boat in the docks that is actually a club). Ollie was Nike trainer’d up and looking well, in some sport tracksuit clobber. Very much a change from when I had last saw him, while on one of my regular visits to 108 Brougham Road to see Andy Martin and Dave Fanning.

At that time in the mid 1980’s, a whole bunch of the Hell Crew were camped out at this house including both Pus and Simo, two that did not make it through to the next decade.

Thanks to Clint for sending this tape in, and thanks to Mike from Decadent Few for recording it for Clint in the first place.

196 comments
  1. monti
    monti
    December 17, 2009 at 6:59 am

    I should say that since about 8yrs old ive never introduced or been introduced to anyone socially as bruce…apart from doctor,dentist etc not one person has in seriousness called me bruce, only monti. this aint about my name..its about the way it bin used, so reveal urself grim…..go on….ps…no long winded reply wiv mentions of a village in 1950s korea is required…Thank you…TO THE REST OF YA I WISH U WELL AND HOPE NEXT YEARS A GOOD ONE FOR YA.

  2. Valerie
    Valerie
    December 17, 2009 at 6:11 pm

    Hi To Everyone,
    Just want to say thank you to the person who contacted me on face book with a lead to finding my old mate Fraggle (Vanda). Anyone else that has any news on our old mates from 66 Colvester Cres Dalston please let me know .
    Hope everyone has a really Happy Christmas and New Year and take care of your selfs.
    Cheers
    Val n Martin 🙂

  3. grimmer
    grimmer
    December 19, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    ^rendered speechless^

  4. monti
    monti
    December 21, 2009 at 12:18 pm

    The question i asked was “Who are you????…..never asked about your ability to talk fella…..you aint lost the ability to use a keyboard or sidestep the issue tho have you???

  5. martin
    martin
    December 23, 2009 at 11:13 pm

    hey monti, ave an excellent 2010, giv me luv 2 all, jus ad a look at all the chat, who the fuck is ‘grim’ ? or shall we term him mr.speechless! ha ha ha , l8er, MANNERS…

  6. monti
    monti
    December 31, 2009 at 9:32 pm

    hahaha alrite martin me ol mate… hope u`n Gail ave a good 2010… i`ve got a diffrent g/f now but thats enuff bout that on ere, just lettin ya know…i`m a very appy chappy wiv it all….Who is “grim”..dunno for sure mate but maybe he used 2 be called the fing u eat soup wiv hahaha…

  7. Valerie
    Valerie
    January 15, 2010 at 10:50 pm

    Hi
    Got Clare with me here in Sheffield been to an old mates funeral so she is up from Shropshire. Cumbria Chris saw same photos of you on facebook on 80’s squatters page have you seen them. Are you on facebook Chris cos me Clare n Martin would really like to see your old photos. So put em on and tag me Valerie Thurtle Garvey cheers Chris.
    Val n Clare n Martin 🙂

  8. Caz
    Caz
    February 3, 2010 at 11:46 am

    Hi Monti,
    Just caught up with this blog, Something posted in Sept last year caught my eye someone asking after girl called Carolyn, Do remember her but don’t know what happened to her.
    You went on to say was she the girl who sang with Antisect, no that was me Caroline now Caz, did stay at 281 on some occasions, and remember it fondly (what i can remember ) .
    What happened to Ollie?? Alien, Napolean, Simo etc? still in touch with Pete (Lippy) and John Bryson both ex Antisect. and Deno ( Dirt ) living in Norfolk now after spending time London and Cornwall.
    How long you been in Bristol and what you up to??
    Email me would love to hear from you.
    Do you know what happened to Little Pete from Antisect trying to track him down had an email from him but its no longer in use.
    Hope to hear from you soon.
    Luv Caz

  9. DavidM
    DavidM
    February 3, 2010 at 8:49 pm

    Folks may be interested to discover that there will be a memorial gig for Skinny Mar. 6th at Jamm Brixton with The Restarts. P.A.I.N., Coitus, Cold War, Fleas and Lice, Dread Messiah, and more. For details visit http://www.reknaw.com/

  10. monti
    monti
    February 6, 2010 at 3:25 pm

    Hi Caz ow are ya??? jeez long time aint it???… Ollie`s been a painter`n decorator in Copenhagen for a long time now, Martins fine`n well .. Aliens a station master at sum tube station hahaha really!!!.. Napoleon i dunno but sorry to ave ta tell ya Simo died a few years back, my e-mail address is further up the page.. mail me on that, be good to ave a chat wiv ya……Last time i seen Lippy, Polly`n John was in the late 80s

  11. Caz
    Caz
    February 8, 2010 at 1:08 pm

    Hi Monti,
    Well sorry to hear about Simo knew about Pus which was crap news as well, grabbed your email so will drop you a line and we can catch up.
    Yeah it is a very very long time, too long mate.
    Luv Caz

  12. Dai Punk
    Dai Punk
    March 20, 2010 at 12:39 am

    Hello people,
    Stumbled onto this via a google search for HHC pics.
    So many names brought to mind….
    I have a few nice pix of Gavin, Jay, Martin BD etc, none of Pus or Age tho… shame, A friend wrote a song about Pus being dead, it was called Pus Is Dead, I think it was Robin Green…..
    I’m not claiming to have ever been HellCrew, they were well established before I hit the scene. But, Fk, Hackney, Stokey was fun in the late 80’s.
    The party on Brooke Rd. The ‘Centa’, Next door to the Cricketers. The ‘leg out of the window house’ in Finsbury Park……
    Oh fk this brings it all back….
    Cheers
    Thank You
    Dai

  13. Dai Punk
    Dai Punk
    March 20, 2010 at 12:48 am

    Martin N Val….
    Martin Garvey???
    I drove you back to Sheffield with Martins ‘Collection’, and the Brooke Rd Cat, in a fucked vauxhall magna………

  14. valerie garvey
    valerie garvey
    March 20, 2010 at 11:25 pm

    Hi Dai Punk,
    How are you? It was good to read your post. We would love to see your photos are you on face book ? If you are have a look for my name if you add me we could have a look at your photos if you put them on. If not email me at *** and we can keep it touch. Martin has a photo of him and Martin BD. He also still has his pet cat lol still looks just the same!!!! Apart from being black now. Take Care
    Val 🙂

  15. Dai Punk
    Dai Punk
    March 21, 2010 at 12:45 am

    Fkin great to hear from you, Email sent.
    Some days I love the internet.
    Cheers
    Dai

  16. Dai Punk
    Dai Punk
    March 21, 2010 at 12:47 am

    Oh man… I got a pic of Tim here somewhere….

  17. Dai Punk
    Dai Punk
    March 21, 2010 at 1:21 am

    Damn, memories are only what you remember hehehe
    The cat wasn’t from Brooke,
    Gavin & Jay opened a house, (round the corner from Reighton?) only to find a family of 8 living in one of the front rooms. Or something like that…
    The Cat was in the cellar, in a sideboard…….?

  18. Palmer
    Palmer
    March 25, 2010 at 1:57 pm

    ello monti-bin a long time,hope all is good with you-the term hackney hell crew was born one night late 83,me,alien,olly,martin and tony lynch were at andy martins place in vicky park rd listening to shades (heavy metal shop) radio request show whilst trippin-me and tony nipped out to the phone box and requested they play anything by venom for the hackney hell crew which they later played black metal freaking a few of us out…and thus the hackney hell crew name stuck!
    met up with alien,martin,aaron and tinsel the other night,all doing good

  19. martin
    martin
    March 28, 2010 at 7:03 pm

    LAY DOWN YOUR SOUL TO THE GODS ROCK’N’ROLL.

  20. Palmer
    Palmer
    March 28, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    WHHOOOOOOAAAAAA……BLACK METAL

  21. Dev
    Dev
    March 29, 2010 at 11:36 am

    Greetz to everyone I knew who’s posted on this thread… and to those I didn’t. Just wondered if Martin still had the ‘old man’ haircut… heh, heh, that was brilliant mate and well ahead of it’s time (har-har).

    Does anyone have a tape of the whole concert at the Wood Green Art Centre that night… I seem to remember quite a few bands playing (Decadent Few, my old band TMG…)? Might have been another night though?

  22. Mike
    Mike
    March 29, 2010 at 5:27 pm

    Dev, Mick here of Decadent Few, how are you? long time etc etc. I have tape of this gig- SOBB, God Told Me To Do It, a few tracks by State Hate and Decandant Few. I don’t think it was Tom’s Midnight Garden but just you and Gary (maybe Pat of DIJ too?) who got up first and did a few songs. Ask Penguin for my email and I’ll sort you something out with it.

  23. DavidM
    DavidM
    March 29, 2010 at 7:49 pm

    Hey Mick. Dunno if you remember me. David ‘ere in Aberdeen. Lived in London for a time too where we met – for the first time at a Decadent Few show with Citizen Fish and The Gr’ups at I think the Samuel Pepys ’93. Had written to each other prior to my moving to London that same year, and would run in to each other a couple more times at shows at The Robey. Still run Inflammable Material? I used to purchase copies of MRR from you after my return to Aberdeen. How you doing?

  24. Penguin
    Penguin • Post Author •
    March 29, 2010 at 11:27 pm

    Mike I sent Dev your details.

  25. Mike
    Mike
    March 30, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    Cheers Penguin. David: good to hear from you again after many years. I still do the mail order on & off. Are you still in Aberdeen? D.Few are still going, albeit in laidback rehearse-whenever mode. We may even do a gig soon, heaven forbid. Anyway, hope life is treating you well.

  26. Dev
    Dev
    March 30, 2010 at 6:51 pm

    Alright Mick, good to hear from you – all well here, hope things fine with you. Good to hear that DF are (maybe?) planning a gig at some point, will definitely come along if it’s anywhere near London.

    I’ll send you an email tomorrow, I’d like to have a copy, thanks. You’re right about the line-up at that gig (Me, Pat, Gary and Dougie) – it was our second gig as TMG2 (a new version of the old band) but it didn’t work out. Do you remember Dougie? He played Bass and lived at Turnpike Lane in Wood Green – would like to find out where he is now. BTW; I’ve got a video of the first DF gig you might be interested in. Say hello to Kay and Womble for me – spk soon. Cheers!

  27. luggy
    luggy
    March 30, 2010 at 7:16 pm

    Dev, Dougie’s back living in Scotland, can’t remember exactly where. Saw Alan Tolmie the other day, he still sees him every now & again.

  28. Dev
    Dev
    March 30, 2010 at 7:23 pm

    Thanks Luggy – he was a good mate and a few years ago someone told me he ‘might’ not be with us anymore… glad they were wrong.

  29. DavidM
    DavidM
    March 30, 2010 at 7:29 pm

    Cheers Mick. Yeah things are good here. Still in Aberdeen I’m afraid:)
    Decadent Few are still together? No way. Cool. Just wondering whether you made the Skinny memorial show. Was great catching Kay with Coitus. Make regular trips back to London for gigs and so on, back again in May for Scumfest. Good to hear from you man.

  30. Clinton Chapman
    Clinton Chapman
    April 26, 2010 at 3:13 am

    Hello there,
    Does anybody out there know how to get a hold of Chris Widni or his brother Bully?
    Thanks.

    shortfuserecords@hotmail.com

  31. valerie garvey
    valerie garvey
    June 25, 2010 at 5:55 pm

    Hiya
    Anyone who is not already a friend of punks reunited on face book send a request now there are loads of really good photos on there of back in the day lol n if you havent already join face book its great for finding your old mates (thats if you wont to find em).
    Val :O)

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