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FROM THE DOCKERS TO THE PHOENIX .
THE STORY OF THE CHANGE
BY PAUL WAINWRIGHT
I Wanna Be Me!
The Summer of ‘76 was hot & sweaty all across the UK, and was gonna get hot and sweaty later on that year for a different reason, the arrival of Punk Rock. Paul Wainwright moved from The City of Salford to a small suburb called Swinton (Swine Town). It has a history of pig breeding. Not a lot going for it, or so it seemed. Paul went to Cromwell Road School in the 4th year seniors, where he met Dave Turner a fellow music lover of all things Glam Rock. Paul had heard a conversation Dave was having about a ‘74 album called Desolation Boulevard by Sweet. Now this was someone he could could talk to about his love of T.Rex, Bowie, Slade & Suzi Q.
Warrior In Woolworths!
By chance Dave was offered a Woolworths Guitar & 10 watt amp for the princely sum of £5. Dave could- n’t afford it, so Paul got them for himself on his 16th birthday the 2nd December ‘76. That same day Paul & Dave delivered their morning papers with the headline “The Filth & The Fury”. The Sex Pistols had caused “Outrage”on a London tea time TV show with a pissed Bill Grundy the day before, after stepping in for Rock band Queen. Queen had pulled out at the last minute, due to Freddie Mercury needing to go to the dentists for the first time in 15 years. If it hadn’t been for that, the music world would be totally different than it is today. So thank you Freddie.
Dandy In The Underworld!
On 11th march ‘77 Paul went to see T.Rex at the Manchester Apollo. The support for the whole tour were Punk band The Damned, who were fast and furious & Paul’s introduction to live music. The Damned’s first single is seen as the first Punk single in the UK, released on 22nd October ’76. Things were starting to get very interesting all of a sudden. If Punk was good enough for Marc Bolan then it was good enough for Paul. Dave wanted to get himself a bass guitar & form a band. So through the Kays catalogue Dave got his first Satellite bass & Paul got himself a 100 watt Falcon amp, paid for with their paper round money.“The Resistors” were born.
We’re Jammin’!
Throughout ‘77 Paul & Dave went to numerous Punk gigs in Manchester, at The Russell Club, Rafters, The Mayflower, The Apollo & The Free Trade Hall to name but a few. Things were happening all over Manchester & things were starting to happen in Swinton too. Paul & Dave jammed together at school in their dinner hour, which annoyed “Dicky Dumble” the Physics teacher & at Dave’s house to the disapproval of his neighbours. The 24th August saw a new show on Granada TV called “MARC”. Marc Bolan performed & introduced new up & coming Punk bands as well as some old friends. Punk had definitely arrived.
No More Heroes!
Marc Bolan sadly died in a car accident on 16th September ‘77, Dave’s 16th birthday & a month to the day after Elvis. It seemed as though with Marc’s passing, music had now been left to the new Punk breed. Back in Swinton little pockets of Punks were turning up. One place they frequented was the Lancastrian Hall, mostly used for Wrestling Matches & Xmas Panto. On a Monday night the DJ Peter Pedley (who wore a kaftan ?) would play tunes from yesteryear but not much Punk, “you bring it in next week & I'll play it”. So the Lanky Hall became a local venue to meet like minded young Punks & Punkettes.
This Is Pop!
One of the best venues in Manchester in ‘78 was Rafters on Oxford Rd. On the 29th May Paul & Dave went to see a band called XTC. The support band’s name they found out later was Fast Cars. After the gig Paul & Dave got talking to the band backstage & found out they too lived in the Swinton area. Fast Cars had a residency at a pub called “The Butchers Arms” in Pendlebury. This is the setting for the single “The Kids just Wanna Dance” released in ‘79. So Saturday night at The Butchers was where you could hang out without the hassle and danger of walking home from Manchester to Swinton, as Paul & Dave did on many occasions.
The Right To Work!
Paul had left school in March ‘78 and got a job in electronics in swinton. This would later come in handy for equipment fixing. Dave started an engineering apprenticeship at Ward & Goldstones in Salford. After several weeks Paul was sent on a day release scheme to Worsley College. On 2nd July Paul and Dave went to The Apollo to see The Clash. Down at the front, a bouncer or two got a bit heavy handed (as they often did) so the band stopped mid song to sort them out. The stage was invaded and an all out white riot was had until The Clash finished the gig. Stage left Paul spots one of the faces from college. His name he would later find out, was “Foz”.
Student Power, what A Shower!
At college the next week Paul introduced himself to Foz & seeing as he’d been on stage with The Clash (only for half a song ) asked if he wanted to be the singer in a band. As it turned out Foz only lived up the road from Swinton in a place called Clifton. So now with Foz as the singer it was time to find a drummer. With the Falcon amp for guitar & bass, a new Shure microphone & stand, & Woolies amp for Vocals, things were starting to come together. It was the drummer problem which was holding them back. But not for long.
Beat My Guest!
Tony Dyson the drummer with Fast Cars had said he was putting his kit up for sale, so he could get a bigger one. Jumping at the chance, Paul borrowed the money & bought the kit. The logic being that it’s easier to get a drummer if you have a kit to play on. But, everyone’s a drummer till you put two sticks in their hands. The thing is, most potential drummers seemed slightly deranged & just wanted to hit something, the good ones lived miles away (for some reason) & the local ones were already spoken for. Auditions had a way of turning into a shambolic rendition of a song by The Buzzcocks or Siouxsie & The Banshees. It was Purgatory!
We Consist Of Four People!
On Swinton precinct around this time in ‘78 there was a youth club called ‘Snoopy’s’. On a Friday it had a Disco, & if you took your own records, you could get up & play them yourself. John Preston the youth leader had the idea of getting local bands to play at the club. Still needing a drummer & now having a place to play, the solution was there in the form of Dave’s brother, Chris, 14 & still at school with no former knowledge of drums or drum style. Dee Generate from the band Eater was an influence on this decision, he too was 14 & still at school. So Chris was going to play the drums, whether he liked it or not.
Bored Teenagers!
Saturday afternoon was always a bus trip up town for Paul & Dave. Trips to Rare Records, Discount Records & Collectors Records in the Underground Market to check out the latest vinyl. Many Records from around this time made an impression on Paul & Dave. The first Ramones LP, Live at the Roxy, Short Circuit, The New Wave Album, Spiral Scratch, anything with a DIY feel to it. The list is endless. These records would emphasize that ability to play was not necessarily that important. It was energy & attitude that mattered the most. Reading the sleeve notes on the bus on the way home, this insight would gear them up, ready to listen & learn, then play!
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Further Temptations!
Just off the East Lancs Road, on Ellesmere Street was their first practice room / cellar. The walls were covered with egg box trays for soundproofing & it was as cold & damp as it could get. They rented it from a strange man they would later call Cockpit Steve. He was forever working on a DJ unit shaped like a cockpit, with headlights that would flash in time with the music. It never got off the ground (no pun intended). This is where ‘The Change’ as they were now called were born. The name came from an Album track by another Manchester punk band The Drones.
Death Disco!
The first gig The Change played almost never happ- ened. It was on the 2nd march ‘79 at the ‘Dockers Club,’ opposite what is now Salford Media City. The band & their mates took all their equipment by bus (as you do) to the gig. Making their way across Salford Precinct, Foz sees a copper & starts to whistle the Coo Coo Song made famous by Laurel & Hardy. He got a right ear bashin’ for being a “Cheeky Punk” (well that’s what they thought he said). If Foz had been arrested, it would have saved The Change the reception they got from Dave’s workmates & their spouses who had booked the band to play at his firm’s late Xmas party.
Swallow My Pride!
Dave got his knuckles rapped with an iron bar the next day at work, for “Playin’ that Punk shit”. After the disaster that was their first gig, some of the band went to see The Undertones at the Factory/Russell club in Hulme. To this day Teenage kicks is a much loved part of that Punk shit (so who was right)?. Anyway The Change put it all down to experience & went back to their damp cellar. What they wanted was to play to a young Punk crowd, who were up for a bit of singin’ & a lot of pogoin’ like the crowd that night at the Russell Club. That place was just great, as soon as you walked in, the room was alive with the sound of reggae & the smell of ganja.
Youth! Youth! Youth!
The Change finally got to play their first gig at Snoopy’s, and got a better reception from the local youth who were up for the challenge. Fast Cars had played there already on the 8th September ‘78. A buzz was now going around about how anything was possible if they put there young minds to it. On Station Road across from Swinton Precinct was a nightclub called ‘The Wishing Well’. In its heyday before it’s wishing well days it hosted top cabaret names from the 50’s 60’s & early ‘70’s. The manager Colin Hollinshead saw the potential in this new youth movement & offered The Change the Tuesday night as a Punk Night.
The Problem Is You!
The Change had a problem with Cockpit Steve, he saw himself as some Malcolm Mclaren type manag- er & refused to let the band take their gear to The Wishing Well, unless he could be the DJ. Let's just say the equipment was taken back & that was the End of him. Another bit of luck came from older local punk ‘Bri Nylon’ who had his own house on Station Road, within spitting distance of The Well. This is where The Change set up their new (dry) rehearsal room/cellar, along with 3 new local bands ‘Shades Of No One’, ‘Razor Cuts’ & ‘Distortion’. What a sight to behold on gig night, young punks carrying drums & amps down station road.
Fan Club!
Over the following 12 Weeks The Change played at The Well 10 times. Due to equipment abuse at Bri’s celler, The Change moved to yet another rehearsal room just off “Piggy Bridge”right next door to Paul’s place of work. It was owned by another local legend ‘Lenny Apex’ or Bent Len to his friends. Len would love to shout to paul in the street for a laugh “dead leg where’s my money” for the weekly rent of the room. This building was spacious compared with what the band were used to. It had a PA set up for bands & and an offy just around the corner called Polie Joe’s where you could get fags, Newky Brown & lager without question.
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ATV! (Action Time Vision)!
Due to the success of the Punk nights at The Well, the local rag the ‘Salford City Reporter’ wanted to interview the band. Paul, Dave, Foz & Chris met at Paul’s Mam & Dad’s house in Claude Avenue Swint- on. When the Interview was over, the photographer wanted to take some band shots. His idea was to get some moody images. After 20 minutes of this way & that way, The Change had had enough. The photo they ran with the article is a black and white image used some 36 years later, lookin’ as Pissed Off as they truly felt.
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C30,C60,C90. Go!
In Rochdale there was a Recording Studio called “Cargo”. Sticking all the money they had together, the band booked in for a full days recording session. The Band got a lift from one of Lenny’s mates. If it wasn’t for him who knows how they would have got there. The end result was a 4 track demo with self penned songs ‘Never Alone’, ‘Where Were U?’, ‘Rock Against Normality’ & ‘No Hope’. Not bad goin’ for four young Punks from Swinetown, who, only months earlier hadn’t even been on stage. Cargo opened in ‘78, the Engineer Colin Richardson who worked with the band had worked with, OMD, Joy Division, The Fall & many others. It closed in 1985
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The Troops Of Tomorrow!
The 2nd June ‘79 saw The Change play at Manchester Polytechnic supporting Fast Cars, The Out & John Dowie. The compere that night was one Bern- ard Kelly, AKA Gordon The Moron. This was starting to become a regular thing, Fast Cars & The Change on the same bill. It worked out just right seeing as everyone got on so well. A lot could be learned by giggin’ with the band from the “The Butchers Ars” as it was later known, as someone had stolen the letter M. It was rumored to be someone who’s last name began with same letter. Interesting?
Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment!
The Change continued to play at The Well & played at Snoopy’s again in ‘79. They also played a gig at Swinton Hospital for physically & mentally handicapped adults & children. It was so much fun playing and seeing the patients get off to the volume & energy. Priceless!. As the band played on through the year Chris left the band (or was he pushed)?. Again by chance Paul heard someone playing drums in a garage in Clifton. So like most things, he took this as a sign. Anyway what can you lose. He knocked on when he stopped. The drummers name was Baz Richards. As tight as a nut & a Clash fan to boot!
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Really Free!
The first rehearsal with Baz was a true eye opener. The speed you could play was just breathtaking with a professional drummer. Anything now did seem possible. One of the first gigs with Baz was back at Snoopy’s with Steve Murray from Fast Cars on second guitar. The night before the gig, putting his gear in the boot of his car, Dave accidentally closed the boot on Steve’s hand & the top of his little finger came off. Steve still did the gig with it stitched & bandaged. A proper Rock ‘n’ Roll Trooper. The gig was classed as a Glam/Punk night & it was a total triumph.
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Holidays in the sun!
The Change went on to play more gigs in 1980. Three memorable gigs, one at The Lancastrian Hall to a full house & one in the seaside town of Black- pool at Jenks Bar, both with old mates Fast Cars. The other at Ambrose Barlow School, where the air turned red with the help of too many smoke bombs. It’s hard to think in these days of the internet, that more picture documentation of all those past gigs have not been posted on more web sites. photographer Martin O’Neill took some pictures at the Lanky hall, maybe one day they will see the light of day.
Times Up!
The Change like all things, came to an end in May ’80 due to musical differences. Paul & Dave bought a Doctor Rhythm drum machine & became ‘3rd Sex’ (a quote from the Punk Rock movie). Baz went on to play drums with ‘Urban Blitz’ & Foz some years later formed ‘Born Idle’. But what goes round comes around. By chance, 10 years after both bands had split, Paul was in a taxi, the taxi driver was a Murray brother, Glen. It came about that Steve was thinking about a Fast Cars reunion. When Paul got out of the taxi he immediately thought it’s “time to strap on the guitar & play some rock ‘n’ roll”.
What ‘Av’ We got?, F##k All!
Thinking things through Paul phoned Steve, & after a call to the Lanky Hall he booked a night. Some days later the Police phoned Paul to say that the night was cancelled as it looked like he was “having a rave”. So another venue was quickly secured. The Duke of Wellington was across the road from The Butchers Ars. The Dukes was once home to ‘The Salford Jets’ fronted by Mike Sweeney. Both bands rehearsed for the gig & on the afternoon after the sound check the landlord said to Paul “What will the people drink as I don't have any beer in?”. The place was due for closure & it would be the last night at The Dukes. It’s now the Church of Hope.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Resurrection!
Paul was playing guitar with Jayne County & The Electric Chairs, so The Change now had Colin Rocks from the band on drums. Fast Cars had the same line up. Paul made 3 x 120 minute tapes & the landlord got the beer in. The police didn’t need to show up because everyone had a trouble free great night. The Change went their separate ways again, Paul went off giggin’ with Jayne & Roxy, Dave took over as DJ at The Brickhouse & Fast Cars kept on playing as far a field as Japan. Now that’s a long way from the top road, where the kids just wanted to dance. The Change would play again, but not for another 18 Years.
Ridin’ On The Road To Nowhere!
Phoenix Nights with Peter Kay was filmed at a club called St Gregory’s in farnworth which had also been used for a few punk gigs. Paul’s brother Andy had been in Japan for a number of years & was coming to Manchester & wanted to get together with his old mate’s. Paul suggested to Andy that “they should get The Change & Fast Cars back together & play at St Gregory’s”. By chance, again, Paul bumped into an old junior school friend, who told him his son plays the drums. He, like Chris Turner in ’78, was still at school & was 13. The day of the first rehearsal turned out to be well beyond everyone’s expectations, including Dan Patton, the new Change drummer.
Little Drummer Boy!
After the initial deafness due to Dans highly tuned kit, & the size of the Bolton Red Bridge rehearsal room. The Change soon became a tight unit & the loudest they had ever been. St Gregory’s & the PA booked. DJ Mike Prince was then brought on board. Mike worked at The Well from ‘75 & was DJ on the Punk nights in ‘79. He also worked in the now famo- us record shop in Manchester called ‘Robinson’s Records’ where he served quite a few famous names. He now has a laptop to DJ with, much easier than Paul making C120 Tapes like the old days. All the tickets quickly sold out. The one person missing that night was Andy, he was stuck in Japan.
Blitzkrieg Bop!
The Change did what they set out to do that night, play it loud & connect with their audience the same way they did 30 years before. A lot of work went into putting that night on for such a short time on stage. 10 songs in just under half an hour, leave them wanting more, & leave it on a high. But that wasn’t how it happened. The Change played Red@Retro in Manchester a few months later, but it wasn't the same. The Phoenix was a moment in time & that’s where it should have ended. But like most things with The Change, things have to go full circle. But more of that later.
The Sound Of The Suburbs!
Mid 2008, Paul was reading through the local paper when he came across an article asking for salford Musicians, DJ’s, & Promoters to get in touch with stories & memorabilia for an exhibition to be called “Quiffs, Riffs & Tiffs” at the Salford Museum. Paul phoned to make enquiries & while on the phone gave them the numbers for Fast Cars, The Two -Tone Pinks & DJ Mike Prince. Following on from that, Paul contacted the manager of the old Wishing Well & organised a reunion in the building. The press came down to cover the occasion. The following article is from that meeting.
Where were u?
Dave Turner phoned Paul early in 2014 & asked if he had a copy of the demo from Cargo Studios. “He wasn’t sure but he’d have a look”. Vinyl Revival Records were interested in putting a track on an LP. In his tape collection Paul found a copy of a copy. Not the best, but the only surviving copy. Paul made a CD & sent it to Dave. Months later an album on CD came out “Greater Manchester Punk ‘77-’81”. The Change were on it. Track 10. Where Were U? (Warts and all). Who the hell would have thought it after all those years?
Man In A Box!
One song The Change used to play at their early gigs was Man in a Box by V2. Steve Brotherdale played drums with Warsaw (Joy Division), & after that Manchester band V2. Some time later he played with Fast Cars (briefly) after Tony left the band again. In 2015 Vinyl Revival put ‘Where Were U?’ out as a single 35 years after it was first recorded. In 2017 The Change appear again on ‘Greater Manchester Punk Two’ ‘78-’82’. The Change are on there, after Fast Cars. The last song on the album is by V2 with a song called ‘That’s It !’. Until the next time.
Chapter Song Credits
1.Sex Pistols. 2.X-Ray Spex. 3.T.Rex. 4.Bob Marley. 5.The Stranglers. 6.XTC. 7.Chelsea. 8.Angelic Upstarts. 9.Adam & The Ants. 10.Slaughter & The Dogs. 11.The Drones. 12.P.I.L. 13.The Ramones. 14.Generation X. 15.Sex Pistols. 16.The Damned. 17.ATV. 18.Bow Wow Wow. 19.The Vibrators 20.Ramones. 21.John Otway. 22.Sex Pistols. 23. The Buzzcocks. 24.Sham 69. 25.Wayne County. 26.Max & Paddy. 27.trad. 28.The Ramones. 29.The Members. 30.The Change. 29.V2. * The Stranglers.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN !
Sid Vicious, Johnny, Joey, Tommy, Dee Dee, Poly Styrene, Jak Airport, Howard Pickup, Johnny Thunders, Jerry Nolan, Arthur (killer) Kane, Stiv Bators, Stuart Adamson, Joe Strummer, Ian Dury, Sean Percell, Ari Up, Matthew Ashman, John McGeoch, Ian Curtis, Val Haller, Steve New, Paul Raven, MJ Drone, Jonathan E, Malcolm Owen, Paul Fox, Lemmy. / Swinton Punks Poz Miller (Shades Of No One), Chops, & Baz Flan. The list will be endless one day, but their mark has been made. R.I.P. World
Peace & Thanks To The Swinton Punks!
©Detour Records
