999 (band)

This article is about the English band. For the Ukrainian band, see 999 (Ukrainian band).
999

999 performing live in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2010
Background information
Origin London, England, United Kingdom
Genres
Years active
  • 1977–1982
  • 1983–1987
  • 1993–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website nineninenine.net
Members
  • Nick Cash
  • Guy Days
  • Pablo LaBritain
  • Arturo Bassick
Past members
  • Jon Watson
  • Danny Palmer
  • Ed Case

999 are an English punk rock band, formed in London in December, 1976.[5] From the period of 1976 to 1985, the line-up of 999 consisted of Nick Cash (vocals, guitar), Guy Days (lead guitar), Jon Watson (bass guitar) and Pablo LaBrittain (drums). (As a result of injuries sustained in a motor accident, LaBrittain was temporarily replaced by drummer Ed Case aka Paul Edwards in 1980.) Jon Watson left the band in 1985; being replaced by Danny Palmer, who remained with the band until 1991. Palmer was replaced by Arturo Bassick, who remains the bass guitarist with 999 to this date.

Between 1978 and 2007, 999 released fourteen singles and twelve studio albums. Five of the singles released by 999 between 1978 and 1981 charted within the Top 75 in the UK Singles Chart, with one further single released by 999 in 1978, Homicide, charting within the Top 40. In addition, as a result of extensive touring in the United States in the early 1980s, the band's third and fourth studio albums: The Biggest Prize in Sport and Concrete, each charted on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Despite having formed in 1976, 999 have only experienced two permanent changes to their original line-up[6] and has continued to record and play live to the present day, leading AllMusic to describe the band as "one of the longest-lived groups of the punk era."[7]

Career

Named after the UK's emergency telephone number, 999 was founded in London by singer and guitarist Nick Cash, and Guy Days. Cash and Days met each other when the former was a member of the pub rock band Kilburn and the High-Roads, and the latter was a session guitarist who played on some of the band's demo tapes.[8] In late 1976, they placed an advertisement in Melody Maker for band members and ended up turning down Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders), Jon Moss (Culture Club) and Tony James (Generation X).[9] They recruited Jon Watson on bass and Pablo LaBritain on drum, LaBritain having briefly played with the Clash.[10] The band that eventually became known as 999 performed their first concert at the Northampton Cricket Club in January 1977.[11] After experimenting with several different band names, the band became 999 in May 1977.[12]

999 button, Toronto-the Edge Club present

999 soon established themselves as a powerful live act on the London punk scene and became regulars at the Hope and Anchor, Islington.[8] On the strength of their well received, self-financed debut single, 999 were signed to United Artists Records around the same time as the Buzzcocks.[13] "I'm Alive" became a firm favourite in the punk clubs.[14] The band's second single, "Nasty Nasty", was cited nearly 20 years after its release as a seminal punk single.[15]

Their self-titled debut album, produced by Andy Arthurs, was released in March 1978. One retrospective review claimed it "demonstrated their limitations as well as their strengths. The 45 cuts like "Me And My Desire" and "Emergency" demonstrated the latter, but the album lacked that special ingredient, uniqueness or originality to make it stand out from the crowd."[16] The album reached No. 53 in the UK Albums Chart. The following year, the song "Emergency" from the album appeared — alongside songs by bands like The Jam and The Stranglers — on the punk compilation 20 of Another Kind. That album reached No. 45 in the UK chart. Years later, "Emergency" was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all time.[17]

The band's second album, Separates was produced by Martin Rushent. One reviewer lists it as one of the best punk albums of all time.[18] In the United States, a slightly altered version of Separates, re-titled High Energy Plan, became the band's first American release.[19] In October 1978, a month after the album’s release, 999 recorded their only session for John Peel at BBC Radio 1.[20] 999 also played at Front Row Festival, a three-week event at the Hope and Anchor in late November and early December 1977. This resulted in the band’s inclusion, alongside the likes of Wilko Johnson, The Only Ones, the Saints, The Stranglers, X-Ray Spex, and XTC, on a hit double LP of recordings from the festival.

999 toured widely in the United States and the band was rewarded when their albums The Biggest Prize In Sport and Concrete charted on the Billboard 200. In the US, "Homicide" and "Hollywood" garnered frequent rotation on Rock of the 80s format radio stations like KROQ in Los Angeles. According to Dave Thompson, "For many Americans, they were the first to actually bother with the backwoods, playing places which other Brit bands hadn't heard of, and returning to them again and again. And while no one knows how many American bands were first inspired to take up arms by 999, those that did still wear their loyalties loudly."[21]

Despite a number of minor hit singles, the band's critical appeal in Britain had begun to wane. Their stock was lifted temporarily with the arrival of the self-released Face To Face. 999's popularity continued to decline steadily, leading to the group disbanding twice in the 1980s, reforming soon afterwards. They have since released several albums and continue to tour, including playing at the 11th Antifest in 2005. Bassick also plays for The Lurkers.[22]

Line-ups

Reviews

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums and compilations

Singles

Music Videos

Appearances on various artists compilations and soundtracks

See also

References

  1. ↑ "999 - great Punk band ,history, music, records,photos". Punk77.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  2. ↑ "999 – Discover music, videos, concerts, stats, & pictures at". Last.fm. 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  3. ↑ "999 | The Biggest Prize in Sport, Download Songs, Read Commentary About The Biggest Prize in Sport". Deaconlight.com. 2009-03-03. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  4. ↑ Strong, M.C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, Edinburgh, p. 105
  5. ↑ AllMusic.com.
  6. ↑ Punk77.
  7. ↑ Allmusic.com.
  8. 1 2 Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books. p. 519.
  9. ↑ 999: A History (Part One) on www.punk77.co.uk: A history of UK Punk Rock from 1976-79;
  10. ↑ Peachey, Mal (2008). The Clash. Great Britain: Atlantic Books. p. 62.
  11. ↑ 999 on Punkmodpop;
  12. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2002). 70s Music. London: Virgin Books. p. 307. ISBN 1-85227-947-8.
  13. ↑ Joynson, Vernon (2001). Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk. Wolverhampton: Borderline Publications. p. 246. ISBN 1-899855-13-0.
  14. ↑ Buckley & Ellingham (eds) (1996). Rock: The Rough Guide. London: Rough Guides. p. 609. ISBN 1-85828-201-2.
  15. ↑ Gardner, Steve (1996). "Hiljaiset Levyt: 100 Best Punk singles". Archived from the original on 24 August 2014. ripping guitar
  16. ↑ Joynson, Vernon (2001). Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk. Wolverhampton: Borderline Publications. p. 246.
  17. ↑ Mojo (October 2001) - 100 Punk Scorchers , Issue 95, London;
  18. ↑ Gardner, Steve (1996). "Hiljaiset Levyt: 100 Best Punk LP's". Archived from the original on 22 November 2007. ‘Homicide’ from this LP, which was about their most popular song, was pretty close to disco, but there's plenty of other catchy ones here, like ‘Tulse Hill Night’, ‘Out Of Reach’ or ‘Let's Face It’.
  19. ↑ "999 - High Energy Plan (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  20. ↑ 999’s John Peel Session on BBC Radio 1;
  21. ↑ Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books. p. 520. ISBN 0-87930-607-6.
  22. ↑ The Lurkers' Band History on their official website
  23. ↑ Joynson, V. (2001) Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk, Borderline Productions, Wolverhampton, p. 247;
  24. ↑ Strong, M.C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, Edinburgh, p. 106;
  25. ↑ Strong, M.C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, Edinburgh, p. 105
  26. ↑ Buckley, J. & Ellingham (ed.) (1996) Rock: The Rough Guide, Rough Guides, London, p. 609
  27. ↑ Joynson, V. (2001) Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk, Borderline Productions, Wolverhampton, p. 246
  28. ↑ Dave Thompson’s review of 999's debut album on Allmusic
  29. ↑ Steve Gardner (1996) "Hiljaiset Levyt: 100 Best Punk LPs" Archived 22 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  30. ↑ Larkin, C. (2002) 70s Music, Virgin Books, London, p. 307
  31. ↑ Thompson, D. (2000) Alternative Rock, Miller Freeman Books, San Francisco, p. 520
  32. ↑ '999: A History' from www.punk77.co.uk: A history of UK Punk Rock from 1976-79
  33. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links

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