Hassan’s top ten indie punk debut singles
To end our series, in which Hassan Mahamdallie delves into his collection of punk singles to tell the story of musical rebellion and growing up as a bored south London teenager of mixed heritage during the turbulent period of Enoch Powell and the nazi National Front, here are his top ten debut singles…
The Clash: a riot of our own
Punk and New Wave exploded onto the musical stage in 1976-77. The new music brought the bloated rock scene that came before it crashing down – and punk has shaped much of the music that has come since. Here, Hassan Mahamdallie looks at the Clash, possibly the most important punk band of all time.
The women who made punk
If I recall right, the first woman punk musician I saw on stage was Gaye Advert (Gaye Black), the Adverts’ bass player. It was sometime in 1977 and they were touring with my favourite band, The Damned.
A short history of Stiff Records – its wasn’t all peace, love and understanding
The Stiff record label was founded in 1976, it was at the heart of punk and new wave scene, bringing the world artists as diverse as Elvis Costello, Motorhead, Ian Dury and what is generally regarded as the first ever punk single, New Rose by The Damned. In his occasional blog looking at punk, Hassan Mahamdallie uncovers the magic of Stiff Records.
The Manchester punk scene – joy and pain
In 1976-77 punk hit Britain like a tidal wave, sweeping away all the tired music that stood in its way. It wasn’t just a London thing. Across the country local scenes developed. Many would argue that Manchester was the most important. In his occasional blog looking at punk, Hassan Mahamdallie looks at the Manchester scene.
Sham 69: “I Don’t Wanna”
Hassan Mahamdallie digs out his old Sham 69 singles and looks back at a band whose gigs became a battleground between NF fascists and their opponents