Punk happened because it needed to happen. In Portsmouth it was a matter of some urgency Expectations lowered as the dole queues got longer and rarely has so little fun been had by so many.

When school gates closed behind them for the last time in 1975, kids could see that old certainties no longer held good.

Portsmouth once had a thriving local scene but by the mid seventies there were only depressing pub bands playing dull rock, blues and progressive rock.. It was awful. Desultory groups of teds, skins and bikers smoked cigarettes outside cafes. Something had to change.

In September 1976 pure luck led me to see the Sex Pistols and Clash play live, suddenly life became clear, I had to Do something…anything.

There was a new ethos in town. “Here’s a chord, here’s another, .now go form a band.” This was a more radical idea then than it might seem today. I returned to Pompey and purchased a guitar and amplifier from a junk shop in Southsea. and learned to approximate some chords, then recruited others to form The Fence, a name selected since it was marginally less ludicrous than other suggestions. Learning to play, even » Continue Reading.