In his inimitable and entertaining style, Adrian Moulton tells the story of Reading’s local music scene in the aftermath of the infamous Bill Grundy interview with the Sex Pistols which led to the explosion of punk and its DIY attitude.
In the late 1970s and early 80s, hundreds of local bands were formed, new venues opened (and closed), record labels and recording studios sprang up, a network of behind-the-scenes technicians and promoters emerged, fanzines proliferated, and radio stations broadcast unmissable local music programmes.
All this and more is covered in this second volume of When Reading Really Rocked!
Contents: Introduction; Chapter 1 Something Better Change: The First Stirrings; Do Something Muttley!; Chapter 2 We Few. We Seething Few: Mister Nick Duckett; Nod, Tramp and General Accident; The Star; Trash. By Name Only; The K9’s; The Romantix; The Lemon Kittens; Chapter 3 The Good Times are Just Around the Corner: Rehearsing; Recording; Chapter 4 Punk Goes to College, Reluctantly: The Barbarians are at the Gates; Reaching For the Stars; Chapter 5 Let’s Put the Show on Right Here!: Just Do It Yourself; Open Your Own Club; The Monday Club; The Age of The Giant Quiffs; Chapter 6 The Bulmershe Connection: Berkshire College Of Education; The Saga of Clayson And The Argonauts; A Wraggle Taggle Gypsy; And Here Come the Girls; The Bulmershe Band Factory; Anyone For Tea?; The Caped Crusaders; And Finally For Something Completely Different; Chapter 7 Working For You: The Soundman Keeps His In The Toilet; Barry The Fence; Fanzines; Chapter 8 A Dummy’s Guide To Setting Up Your Own Record Label: Flexi-Discs and Dog’s Breath; Pop Records, The Label; The Last Of The Independents?; Criminal Damage; Compilation Albums; Chapter 9 Appearing in Town Tonite!: The Seize; Predatür; Three Amigos; Always Mighty; The Mad, The Moody and The Magnificent; Chapter 10 Pick Up The Pieces: We Came, We Saw, We Had A Good Time; Here Comes Johnnie Reggae; Chapter 11 Never Trust The Weather: Am Aid; Not The Reading Festival; Mud, Blood And Chaos; Good Evening Reading!; Chapter 12 And Here Come The Nineties; Appendix: Stand Up And Be Counted: Reading Bands 1977-1987.
Adrian Moulton, with Mike Warth. Paperback, 210 x 135 mm, April 2025. Includes more than 90 photographs and illustrations.
Adrian Moulton was a special needs teacher for 40 years, teaching English, Drama and Music. A regular broadcaster on local radio, he still writes, records and performs with Reading’s post-punk heroes The Complaints. Married, with children, stepchildren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren aplenty, he recently moved to Cornwall but finds he’s still missing Reading. That’ll wear off, surely? Mike Warth was born and educated in Reading before completing teacher training at Milton Keynes College of Education. He taught in primary schools for 28 years, after which he was appointed as an Education Officer for Special Education, retiring in 2013. He is still working part-time in the Sound Machine in Reading and is the author of two books on local history, as well as a significant contributor to a series of books on rock music. Mike is married with children, stepchildren and grandchildren.
Enjoy this playlist inspired by the book! The playlist features bands local to Reading and active in the late 70s and early 80s (with a few later…) including:
A1 Vegetables; Between Pictures; Butch Minds the Baby; Chapterhouse; Coffin Nail; Diatribe; El Seven; Friction Groove; Geisha Girls; General Accident; Home and Abroad; In Hill House; International Resque; Jo Jo Namoza; Lemon Kittens; Mighty Ballistics Hi-Power; Movita; Predatür; Pressgang; Shrinking Men; Slowdive; The Beevers; The Colour Mary; The Complaints; The Duncans; The Howlin’ Horrors; The K9s; The Members; The Pierres; The Rileys; The Romantix; The Seize; Trash.
Please let us know if you think we should add more videos to the playlist – I’m sure there must be more out there!
See also: When Reading Really Rocked: The Live Music Scene in Reading 1966–1976