Warsaw - Reaction

This gig was very important to them. Gigs were hard to come by. They'd been asked and booked by Bob Last (who later did the Earcom Sampler and Fast Records). Can't remember how. I'm getting old. The band drove up in Steve's car and a hire van, I think. Middlesbrough had a fearsome reputation from the football--- proper nutters! They were bricking it! It was deserted round the gig. Sunday afternoon? There's no shops, pubs or anything! Someone turned up, let them in, they set up, sound checked, and it was good. They had a few beers and relaxed a little, chippy tea, quite civilised for them.
In the evening, people started to arrive, lot's of skinheads. The band seemed scared. By the time it came for them to go on, there were about 200 of the bastards, I remember. The DJ put Adam and the Ants on just before they went on---Dirk Wears White Sox---and they went mad pogoing and throwing beer, fighting. Then WARSAW went on. They were terrified, but played well, with lots of shouting on stage. Ian was great, screaming his head off. The crowd wasn't friendly. Lots of beer pots were thrown, mostly at Hooky and they kept bouncing off his head. Ha ha!
Before you know it, it's over... The lads seemed okay, apart from Hooky, who's seething. Moaning about the skins, he stomps into the dressing room, which is a weird l-shape. Bernard was at the door to the room when Bob turned up holding a young skinhead by the ear, like a bleedin' schoolteacher. He said to Bernard, "This is the kid who was throwing the pots at Hooky. I brought him to apologise." Bernard says, "Let him go, it's alright!" So Bob does and I go and tell Hooky. He goes mad at Bernard, and they are fucking screaming at each other. First time I ever saw them fight. Hooky goes after Bob, looking for the skin. Don't know what happened. A bit later Bob came back and asked if anyone wanted a tape of the gig. No one said anything, then Hooky goes, "I'll have it!"

Tracks A1-B1 recorded live at the Rock Garden Middlesbrough U.K 14.9.1977

Tracks B2-B6 recorded at rehearsal Moss Road 1977