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THE ADVERTS are the only punk band in the world who had a song about a convicted murderer hit the Top 40.
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FILE UNDER: Bristling, Unbridled, Socio-Politically Sharp First-Wave U.K. Punk YEARS OF EXISTENCE: 1976-1979 RECORD TO START WITH: Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts (1978; 2002, The Devils Own Jukebox) AFTER THAT, CHECK OUT: Cast Of Thousands (1979; 2005, The Devils Own Jukebox) GO DOWNLOAD: "Gary Gilmore's Eyes," "One Chord Wonders," "On Wheels," "Safety In Numbers," "Great British Mistake," "We Who Wait," "Television's Over" THE MUSIC, THE MESSAGE: While attending art college in Devon, England, T.V. Smith met Gaye Atlas who, like Smith, loved the Stooges and New York Dolls and wanted to be in a band. The pair moved to London where, after witnessing gigs by the Sex Pistols, Stranglers and the Damned, they decided to throw their hats into the punk-rock ring. The Adverts dropped naturally into the developing punk scene, playing their premiere gig in January '76 at the Roxy supporting Generation X. Shortly thereafter, the four-piece-vocalist Smith, bassist Atlas (now named Gaye Advert), guitarist Howard Pickup and drummer Lorry Driver-were picked up by Stiff for a one-off single, the charmingly self-effacing "One Chord Wonders." Drenched in dark melodies, scratchy guitars, biting socio-political lyrics (sometimes darkly humorous, as on their second single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes") and basslines that often dominated entire songs, theirs was a raw, primal sound that effortlessly captured the urgency of their youth and the burgeoning scene. Their meteoric rise was reflective of the length of their career: The Adverts sputtered out in '79 after enduring internal rifts and alienating their audience with the keyboard-laced epics comprising their sophomore LP Cast Of Thousands. As it turned out, punks weren't as open to change and experimentation as was thought. PUNK-ROCK RELEVANCE: The Adverts exemplify exactly what the punk movement was all about: Anyone, regardless of talent, could get onstage, bang out a chord or two and have their voice heard. But for what this ramshackle team of players lacked in technical skill (Smith himself once admitted, "Let's face it, we're terrible musicians"), they made up for in spades with a fire and manic vibrancy that was the very essence of punk. They also were one of the first British bands to feature a female musician, Gaye Advert, a novelty not lost upon the publicity machines that saw fit to exploit-much to the chagrin of the band-her beauty and sex appeal. CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: Almost immediately after the band's October '79 demise, Smith immersed himself in various projects and has been recording solo albums since 1992, the latest being 2006's Misinformation Overload. He plays Europe regularly and has come Stateside for extensive tours, usually with a backing band, playing solo material as well as Adverts classics. Advert, in contrast, left the music world but still lives with Smith and is an advocate for animal rights. -Janelle Jones |
