Most of the music scenes that we have witnessed in this country over the last sixty years or so have been city centric and this of course makes some sense. Our major cities have the inrastructure to support bands coming through, venues, rehearsal spaces and certainly since punk, the wherewith all to record and release records independently. In the UK, London and Manchester can quite reasonably lay claim to punk central status, but there were a few bands who somehow managed to muscle into the scene early doors, despite a considerable distance from those two epicentres of punk cool. Penetration were one such band, they came from Ferryhill, a small County Durham town with coal mining heritage. Approximately equidistant from and to the north of Middlesborough and Darlington, Ferryhill had an established colliery brass band, but as of March 1976 the town also had its own embryonic punk rock band. This new band, taking the name of The Points at the last minute first stepped onto a stage. The event occured in mid-January 1977 when Pauline and Co. were offered a support slot for Slaughter & The Dogs' gig at the Rock Garden in Middlesborough.
The punk rock grapevine served the band, now Penetration, well as within just four months of that first gig they had played the punk Mecca's in London (The Roxy on 9th April 1977 with Generation X) and Manchester (Electric Circus on 29th May 1977 with Buzzcocks, Warsaw, John Cooper Clarke and Jon the Postman - not a bad line up that!). This step tradjectory to becoming a lauded band of the punk genre meant that musical proficiency came to the band relatvely quickly and that is reflected in the meterial that was to form their first album, 'Moving Targets'.
As a quick aside, some of the most memorable footage of the punk era, came courtesy of Granada TV and Tony Wilson with 'So It Goes'. This programme featured a number of iconic performances of bands playing in the Manchester area. On 16th August '77, Penetration returned to the Electric Circus (along with The Jam) to be filmed for the show. Penetration's performance of 'Don't Dictate' provided some great television as recalled by Pauline in here book 'Life's a Gamble', 'As we launched into 'Don't Dictate', giving it our all, some moron in the crowd started to flick beer from a bottle aimed right at my face. It was disconcerting and annoying and I tried to dodge the spray. He carried on with more intensity and now I was getting really angry. I tried to grab the bottle from him but couldn't quite reach, so the crowd piled on top of him and he was never seen again. It made for great and exiting footage and Tony reckoned that the Pistols and Penetration were his favourite film clips from the 'So It Goes' series'.
PENETRATION SCORE A BULLSEYE
PENETRATION: ‘Moving Targets’ (Virgin V2109)
Pre-destined to review this album thanks to someone’s astute (if negative) observations that a) my hair is shorter than anyone here at RM and b) I too, come from Newcastle. Thank God for circumstance, it does carry platinum linings…
Hmm, blink back one previous eye to stage witnessing of Penetration, many, many months ago at Newcastle Mayfair (when they supported a band that they have since overshadowed) left a strong taste of non-anticipation for the album. Still, events, voices, beliefs DO change.
Penetration, the album, the beginnings of conversation and the death of all hackneyed first impressions of the band. ‘Moving Targets’, a movement of excellence.
A mosaic of Pauline sounding like Patti, Pauline sounding like Poly Styrene, Pauline sounding like Nico, and more exact than any, Pauline being Pauline. A deft collection of voice and instrument, blood and mercury, sand and soil.
Tracks reach crescendos in preference to premature wash-outs, consumer endurables of self-penned numbers, a generously donated Peter Shelley song (‘Nostalgia’), and a superbly performed Smith Kaye composition ‘Free Money’.
‘Too Many Friends’ reeks of eeriness, a hushed waxworks feel, a tuning down. An overall beauty of more than skin deep melancholia throughout the whole album, and a few sharpened hooks to skewer the party converted.
Penetration coming on in style – a superior album from a convincing band. Like I say, excellent… and thanks Pauline for letting me leave on a high +++++
BEV BRIGGS
No comments:
Post a Comment