The Saturday List #394 - The ten best bands/artists you've never heard of (Probably)

 Now I don't know why I've had to wait until list #394 to do this. I've seena  lot of gigs over the years. I've seen some amazing bands. Some have gone on to be mega artists. Sadly some absolutely brilliant bands have simply disappeared totally or just never progressed beyond small clubs. Now if you are one of my mates, you will probably now most/all of these. My criteria was that a) I must have seen the band and been blown away by them b) They must have something online so that I can share it (which sadly ruled out some great bands) and c) They must have been almost forgotten and d) They must be well worth a revisit! Even better is that some of these bands are actually still going, so if you see their name on, check them out. 

1. Lets start with a great British Ska band, the Potato Five. In the mid 1980's I used to see this lot all the time. I even went over to Amsterdam to see them at the Milk Weg

2. ANd on to a brilliant post punk, new wave band. I used to see the Monochrome Set at places like the Moonlight Club. Always value for money, quirky and slightly different from the rest of the scene

3. I saw this mob supporting the Ramones at the Rainbow in 1977. They were amazing. The Rezillos were a bunch of Scottish nutters and I immediately bought the album. They had a couple of hits and then seemed to disappear

4.Crass were not everyone's cup of tea, but they were an absoluetly amazing live band. I can't honestly say that the records caught the full power, but I've not seen a more intense live band ever. I was at this gig, sadly you can't hear to much of the music on it, but I'm sure you get the idea.

5. I think everyone who saw themloved the Yatchs. They were regulars at the Music Machine, did John Peel Sessions but somehow a wider audience eluded them

6. Way of the West had a Radio One Single of the Week. The False Dots supported them at the Midland Arms, in a giog promoted by Rob Austin of Tape Copying Services. Alan Warner brought a mobile rig and recorded the bands. This may well have been recorded at that gig, although it doesn't say. They were a very good band.

7. Another band we played with that were pretty damn good were The Vektors. They supported The False Dots at The Harwood Hall and one of their Dad's videos it. The band would always bring a hundred mates down to watch them. They were a rather lively bunch, not sure if they made it beyond Harwood Hall but were a very good local band

8. Another band that we'd see all the time were The Johnny Mars Blues Band. They are probably my favourite ever straight down the line Rythme and Blues band. Johnny is a great harmonica player. Their gigs were joyous, it never quite translated to vinyl, which may be why they never did more

9. Talisman were our favourite reggae band of the early 1980's, another band we'd schlep all around the place to see. They are still going but this is what they sounded like back in the day

10. And finally. The Shrinking Violets. I came across this lot supporting The Sway, when I was managing The Sway. They were absolutely Brilliant. I got them to play at a protest rally in Montrose Park against the closure of Edgware General Hospital that I organised in 1988. I was so pleased to find this. They were brilliant and quirky, but had a manager who wanted them to be a 'serious band', missing the point completely.

That's all folks!