The punk part of Johnny Anderson's Autobiography
Pigeon, RIP my old friend. You'll never be forgotten.
This was my life! During the week I’d go downtown and hang out on ‘the green.’ This was a large area of grass that stood at the top of our local high street. Here, I’d congregate with the punks, vegans and others who had decided to step out of the norm.
Blaine was a punk with a Mohawk. He’d been in the army for a few years and now he hated the establishment. There was intelligence to him that was unique and he had a good way with words. Kerry had been in the punk scene for many years. She preferred to wear a lot of leather but sometimes she wore a red tartan top. Her hair was incredible. Not only was it every color under the sun, but also her spikes stayed in so well. Often after she’d showered I’d sit in her bedroom and watch her blow dry her hair and within minutes she’d get it all spiked up. But unlike some of us she only needed a little bit of hairspray because her hair was so fine. It was amazing to see. I would say Kerry’s hair stood out the most, that was a given.
Pigeon was your local Sid Vicious. More often than not he was drunk and did some crazy shit. But he was also an excellent drummer. He did play other instruments too but he was best at the drums. He was in one of our local punk bands that were known as The Armless Teddies. Their guitarist was Mark who I’d gone to high school with for five years and he was a great musician. Marks hair was blonde and it was more of a thick mess really that just stood up. He did look good though. Funnily enough it was through Mark that I met Helen.
Slug and Poly were the two dirtiest people that I’d ever met and it wasn’t too long before we became the dirtiest three. My clothes took a few months before they got as filthy as theirs but I was honored to join them. They lived together in a loft attic in Southend. It was odd though to see them walking around together. Talk about opposites! Slug was thin and very tall with black soaped up matted hair that hadn’t been washed in years. He had numerous chains that hung around his neck and they’d been there for so long that they’d actually turned it black and blue. Polly on the other hand was plump with a red Mohawk and he was pretty short. So their physique was quite different in comparison.
Alice went as far back as Kerry and Slug. They were all punks from the seventies. Although older than me, I was jealous that they’d been at an age where they could absorb punk in its prime. Alice loved his leather jacket and his millions of steel studs that were embedded onto it. He was also a soap merchant like Slug and I and this was the main ingredient that kept his hair up. Alice’s birthday is the day after mine and I think that’s why we got on so well. Cancers, we like to bond! Alice was hardcore though. One time he got so drunk that he somehow made it downtown. Once he arrived he just looked at everyone and then proceeded to put his head down into a circular trash can. He actually passed out inside of it so that his body and his legs were dangling over the side. This was just one of the many classic photographs that I took during my time as a punk in the punk rock scene.
Then you had some of the names that the punks went by. There was Sid, which is self explanatory, Poly, Slug, American Rob, Fluff, Steve 76, Wilf, Giz and Liz, Weeble, Big John, Little John and Steve Bollox to name but a few.
It didn’t take me too long to get myself further and further immersed into this scene. I met some amazing people during this episode of my life and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
If you like the sample chapter then you can get my book at the following link. There are testimonials here also:
Getting Johnny's book
Johnny Anderson live on television & talking about his book
Johnny on TV part 1
and
Johnny on TV part 2
TESTIMONIALS
My own SeX pIsToLs STORY
Some of the Southend punks can also be seen on my friend, Steve's site http://www.southendpunk.com
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