Although their first gig – at The 100 Club’s ‘Punk Fest’ in September 1976 – was with The Sex Pistols, The Clash and Siouxsie and The Banshees, Subway Sect would later name check Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer.
The astute-minded Vic Godard (real name, Napper) liked ABBA and Debussy and cited his interests as “reading and listening to Radio 2” – and most of his lyrics were derived from his essays.
Subway Sect stood out from the pack. Their roots were sixties mod – The Who and more obscure bands like The Sorrows – and guitarist Rob Symmons was a sixties British beat freak.
At the height of punk, Subway Sect (who were managed by Bernie Rhodes who also managed The Clash) would wear school pullovers on stage.
According to legend, the band played in Paris lying on their backs with Vic dressed as a dolphin!
Godard broke up and re-formed Subway Sect three or four times between 1976 and 1980. After the last break-up in 1980, the band got sick of being messed around and went off to become JoBoxers.
Godard eventually got a job at an East Sheen burger bar and married the manageress. Most famously, he became a postman.
Subway Sect were undoubtedly the most intriguing of the original punks.
Vic Godard (Napper) Vocals Rob Symmons
Guitar Paul Myers
Bass Paul Packham (Smith) Drums Mark Laff
Drums Bob Ward
Drums Rob Marche
Guitar Dave Collard
Keyboards Chris Bostock
Bass Sean McLusky
Drums John Britain
Guitar Colin Scott
Bass Steve Atkinson
Keyboards
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The astute-minded Vic Godard (real name, Napper) liked ABBA and Debussy and cited his interests as “reading and listening to Radio 2” – and most of his lyrics were derived from his essays.
According to legend, the band played in Paris lying on their backs with Vic dressed as a dolphin!
