Sometime in 1976 in a garage somewhere near Bristol 4 kids with a passion for the new 'punk' music started playing together. Influenced by The Sex Pistols, Eddie and the Hot Rods and The Adverts they soon developed a style with their own songs. The band played a dozen or so gigs in the Bristol area before splitting in 1978.
Geoff Fulton -
"Gigs played included Chipping Sodbury Rugby club - Nick Swatton's party. Mangotsfield hall where I got drunk on cider with the roadie and played like a madman, a school in Winterbourne playing support to some boring rock covers band, a local talent contest - we came 2nd I think and played support at Filton college to The Europeans, a hideous rock band who won.
I've played in dozens of bands since then but nothing has come close to the energy and fun with The Struts - we played out of our skins, full on, no compromise. I remember going home after gigs and being unable to sleep - the buzz lasted several days. I've had few gigs like that since. If I could only play in one band, The Struts would be it.
But we were young and did'nt know what we had. Thankfully some recordings survive to relive those days .
Anyone got any photos ?"
Nick Rippington -
http://whaticookedlastnight.blogspot.com/
"It did help me to recall some great days, though. Playing a gig at Sodbury rugby club which a Yate band - The Numbers - tried to hijack, then driving back to Winterbourne in singer Adi Hulbert's car when he suddenly became paralysed on one side and I had to operate the gears. Christ, wouldn't fancy doing that now. There was also a talent contest in which we lost out to a band who continually played Wild Thing by the Troggs, and a gig at Filton High School which was a real blast.
Like all bands, however, we split up because of musical differences. Geoff, Kev the drummer and Adi the singer all fancied themselves as heavy metal maestros. I said they were making a mistake as they were only good enough to perform in punk bands. So they split and formed a heavy group that lasted about one gig.
Meanwhile my amplifier caught fire during practice due to a can of beer falling off the top of it and getting the wires and valves all wet and while it went to the repair shop I went to journalism college, hoping one day to be able to afford to retrieve it. I didn't, but my brother sneaked it out ahead of me. He went on to play in a number of bands and make quite a music career for himself with such wonderfully named outfits like the Beatnik Filmstars and the Forest Giants (his current mob). I sit here writing and thinking: It could have all been so different. Strummer and I, we would have had the meanest of bands. "
The two tracks on the CD are 'The Jester' and 'Waitin' in the dole queue' and were recorded by Geoff Fulton at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, sometime in 1978 on a Akai reel to reel tape recorder.
