Original Punk band from 1977, released one single on Raw Records and we re-issued it. This is one of the classic early punk singles that always makes those top 100 lists whenever they appear. Atari Teenage Riot sampled this track on their ‘Sick To Death’ single.
“We’ve got our own individual style. Most punk bands are the same as the Ramones… its pathetic. ..The basic ingredients of rock’n‘roll are sex drugs and frustration…If we can get amps and get on stage, that’s all. Its a big V sign from us to you.”
The Users – Chainsaw 5 March/April 1978
The band had only done two gigs when the first single Sick Of You / In Love With Today was released mid ’77 but what a cracker. By early ’78 they had still only done 11 gigs, two of them still held day jobs and they still had no equipment. They had lost the original bassist Bobby Kwok and had Pete Bevington on Bass.
Undetered they released a second single Kicks In Style / Dead On Arrival on their own Warped label before eventually calling it a day though not before losing Pete Bevington and getting in Alvin Gibbs on bass.
The Users were fantastic but located in Cambridge and having no equipment did for them. If they could have got down to London, played the Roxy & Vortex and got management mid ’77 then who knows what could have happened. By the time they were gigging in London around May 1979 supporting bands like Chelsea at The Music Machine their time had gone. What a waste.
The fact that they got two classic singles out is testament both to the bands spirit and to the spirit of punk rock in that anyone could do it.
Lee Wood, owner of Raw Records, remembering The Users. “They were booked as top of the bill but wanted to go on first because they wanted to get home early because there was a late night programme on TV about the Rolling Stones history. They went on and were TOTALLY FUCKING AMAZING, both musically and visually. There is no doubt that with the right backing they should have been MEGA. “
They have finally released a album (9 tracks anyway) of all their early stuff on BIN LINER records it’s called ‘Secondary Modern’ and it’s great.
