Cult 70s and 80s punk-era band The Blockheads will be appearing live at Strings in Newport on Saturday evening (19th November).
The Blockheads had a string of hits in the late 70s, including “What a waste”, “Reasons to be Cheerful Part 3”, and “Sex and Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Their greatest hit was, of course, “Hit me with your Rhythm Stick”, which reached No 1 in the British charts in January 1979.
Sadly, lead singer Ian Dury passed away from cancer on 27th March 2000. However, many of the original line up play with the current band. These include Chaz Jankel (guitar and keyboards), Norman Watt-Roy (bass), and Mick Gallagher (keyboards). The band is currently fronted by Manchester music producer and ex-Rik Mayall scriptwriter Mike Bennett.
Tickets for the performance can be bought here. Doors open at 19:30.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ian Dury in 1978, when he visited Radio Victory, the local radio station in Portsmouth. He had a reputation for sometimes being ‘difficult’, but we got along fine and he was great company. Seeing him sitting at the mike as his big hits blasted out was something I will never forget.