THEE HEADCOATS

Thee Headcoats were mainly Billy Childish (Git/Vox) Bruce Brand (Drums) and Johnny Johnson (bass), they formed in 1989 after Billy’s previous band Thee Mighty Caesers gave up the ghost. By 1992 they had already released something like 6 albums and 15 singles one of which was DAMGOOD 1, a split single with Thee Headcoatees.

During the ’90’s I must have seen them 60 times, I even went over to Japan with them in 1993. There was something really natural about them, no bullshit. We did the ‘We hate The Fuckin’ NME’ single after a sad old journo (Johnny Cigarettes) walked out of their gig in Archway after insisting that he should get in for free as he was from the NME and then reviewing Thee Headcoatees by saying there were no girls in the band (he left before they came onstage!!).

Lots more releases followed including the great ‘In Tweed We Trust’ album. Thee Headcoats carried on touring and releasing records in every corner of the world until mid 2000 when they called it a day with a final show at London’s Dirty Water Club. Billy immediately formed a new band The Buff Medways and promptly became a press darling…they split a few years back and he’s now releasing music at CTMF

Bruce is in several bands including The Masonics alongside fellow Milkshake Mickey Hampshire & John Gibbs, Johnny Johnson is living in Spain.

In 2008 they got together after a MBE’s show for three songs, totally unrehearsed, shambolic and brilliant!

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve done a fair few reissues recently of this fabulous band. If you’re looking for a good place to start the 3LP / 2CD singles compilation, Elementary Headcoats, is a great place to start. It collates (almost!) all their singles in one handy collection.

Then there’s some of the other LPs we’ve released – Headcoats Down, The Messerchmitt Pilot’s Severed Hand, Conundrum… we could go on! Plus we have some of the recent reissues they did on M’Ladys Records. Plenty of great music to immerse yourself in!