Acme Sewage Co, Bona Rays and The Blissetts
ACME SEWAGE CO
Acme Sewage Co formed in 1976 with Ozzy , Simon (sewage) Coxhill and Pete Barber. They obtained notoriety by playing regularly at venues such as 'the Roxy Club' in Covent Garden and appearing on 'Raw Deal' and the 'Farewell To The Roxy ' live album. in May 1978 Pete left the band. Ozzy and Simon continued for a period using session bass players and sometimes even performing as a two piece. This used to shock audiences used to a traditional minimum of 3 piece but by playing the guitar louder and Simon playing more fills on the drums they played some storming gigs that the fans loved
In 1978 after unsuccessfully trying to find a replacement for Pete , Simon switched to Bass and Paul Walker joined the band on Drums. With this line up they played many gigs and festivals around the country.They also experimented for a while with adding Simon Turner on keyboards but it never really worked that well and he didnt appear on any of the recordings that were made.
In 1983 Ozzy left the band and as Ozzy was the Voice the guitar sound and the songwriter, without Ozzy Acme couldnt continue.
In 2010 Acme released a CD of old recordings on the 'Fit For The Bin' label under the title 'Raw Sewage'. In 2017 they released a CD of new recordings of old songs on the same label titled 'Tory Town'.
Following this Ozzy contacted Simon to play a gig at 'The Gunners' for the Detour Records 'Bored Teenagers' launch party . Joined by Drummer Arup they played a storming set that was so well received that they decided to reform permanently. They have now played several gigs and have several more booked. In May 2018 Simon left the band and was replaced by Kane Corvus, then Kye and now Chris P Trousers. Currently Ozzy is working on a third CD which will be a mix of old songs re recorded and new songs, The working title is 'The Road To Barnard Castle'.
Although known as a punk band Acme are closer to the pre punk bands such as 'The Stooges' and the 'New York Dolls' delivering a fast powerful sound. Acme also feature some great guitar solos that James Williamson , Johnny Thunders and Wayne Kramer would be proud of with Ozzy showing that Punk Rockers can shred with the best
BONA RAYS
Bona Rays means 'beautiful face' in Polari; a language spoken by gay men at a time when homosexuality was against the law in this country. It was used in the gay community, so that others (especially the police) couldn't understand them arranging dates, liaisons, etc.
The origins of Bona Rays goes back to the original punk times of 1977, when singer Chas was arguably the first black woman to front a punk band (pre dating even Polly Styrene).
A long-lost single that was only a demo disc resurfaced and was subsequently issued by Flashback Records in 2020.
https://louderthanwar.com/bona-rays-poser-single-review-unreleased-1978-single-finally-gets-issued/
As the band was gearing up to perform live and promote the single, COVID struck. And well, that was that!
Fast forward to 2024, and Bona Rays has a stable lineup, featuring Chas on vocals.
The band has written a brand new set (only 'Poser' remains from 1978) and have played live regularly (The Night Owl, New Cross Inn, Shacklewell Arms, etc.).
Recent shows include the Dash The Henge Store, The Waiting Room (supporting Jemma Freeman & the Cosmic Something), and a triumphant out-of town show at the Young, Loud & Snotty Club in Bath.
A new single is in the offing (release date tbc); 'No Connection' was recorded at Crouch Hill Studios (Last Dinner Party, Squid, Dry Cleaning, etc.) in July, and plans are afoot to shoot an accompanying video.
They have had radio support on Resonance (Spizz Energi / DeXter Bentley).
THE BLISSETTS
After 3 years of Coronavirus, Economic downturns, War and general Apocalyptic stupidity, The Blissetts have finally made it back into the rehearsal studio. Unfortunately for us, and you, our material is now more relevant than ever. Gone is the dream of rainbows, fluffy unicorns and world peace, and now the fate of all humanity rests in the hands of five blokes who are old enough to know better, but have sworn to keep up the battle until every last bad guy has received a proper sonic kicking.
We performed our last gig in Nottingham at the end of November 2019 with our mate Ky from Brockerstanding in for Andy on bass (Ky is now a full time Blissett, more on that below). We rarely gig between December and January due to Christmas and everyone being skint for January. We said our goodbyes to each other after the gig, fully expecting to get back together in the studio around February 2020.
Obviously, none of us expected a Worldwide Pandemic to follow and it seems like the shit has been hitting the fan worldwide on a daily basis ever since.
However, in 2024 the band are now on an even keel and will be fully match fit for our appearance at The Fiddler’s Elbow on Thursday November 14th.