'PUB' ROCK- PUNKS DISMISSED COUSIN

Yes, that's right, ZERO HOUR believes that PUB ROCK was more than just a "bunch of real ale drinking beardy beer-gutted 40 year old's chugging through the CHUCK BERRY back catalogue" and was one of the musical styles that had as much of an influence on punk as the MC5/STOOGES/VELVET UNDERGROUND 'scene' had.
The list of 'PUB' bands that easily slipped into the emerging punk scene is a long one and the different styles of those bands was as important as the 'surly look', short hair, and stage attitude as well, without JOE STRUMMERS stage performances with THE 101ers there would of been no CLASH, likewise DR FEELGOOD would of got nowhere without their stage shows as well as their original 'raw'n'simple brand of rock.
The musical aims of the PUB bands as well as the punk ones were also roughly similar as well, the PUB bands forming as a reaction to the dinosaur prog rock music and the shite pop that was filling the airwaves during the early/mid 1970's.
There was (as Ive said) many bands who fitted into the upcoming punk scene and who were happy to play in front of punk fans, some even embraced punk either visually or musically totally, for the look we only have to go as far as IAN DURY, who's dress sense had an impact on none other than JOHN LYDON, like wise with the music, for that we only have to look as far as THE VIBRATORS who dumped their earlier songs for ones that would earn them a place as makers of some of the best punk records of the 1970's.
Many PUB band members even went on to form or be in punk bands and were for a time among the only live bands worth going to see and whose audience was seen to include some of the 'famous' names in the emerging punk scene.
Even DEE DEE RAMONE is quoted in his autobiography as going home from a trip to Britain with a pile of 'punk' records that included both punk and PUB bands, in his eyes he couldn't tell the difference between the PUB and punk bands.
The list that i mentioned before (above) of bands who moved into the punk scene is a big one and has many examples, bands like THE STRANGLERS, THE (HAMMERSMITH) GORILLAS, EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS (who advertised a recent gig played (in a pub!) with THE SALFORD JETS with the headline "the return of the original punks"), DR FEELGOOD, THE (COUNT) BISHOPS, IAN DURY AND THE BLOCKHEADS, THE DR'S OF MADNESS (who had DAVE VANIAN on vocals while the DAMNED were split for a short time during 1977/78), then there was 999'S NICK CASH who had played with IAN DURY while DURY was still singing in KILBURN AND THE HIGHROADS (one of J.LYDONS favourite live bands, the stage influence DURY had on LYDON was not hard to spot either),the 101ers drummer RICHARD DUDANSKI played drums for P.I.L, HOT RODS bassist PAUL GREY joined the DAMNED, THE VIBRATORS, THE BLOCKHEADS keyboardist MICKEY GALLAGHER played many times with THE CLASH recording with them in the studio,live and on tour, THE CORTINAS even returned to playing a more PUB sound after two singles.
the list of bands and band members who fitted into to both the PUB and punk scene was huge and the audiences at many PUB ROCK gigs was sometimes half or more full of punks who didnt consider there to be any difference at the time, the audiences at any EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS gig being a good example.
And the only reason these bands got the name PUB ROCK in the first place was because the then tory controlled GLC had restricted live music to a handful of pubs in the London area, it was only when the 'red ken' led London labour party took control that the music licences were relaxed and bands got the chance to gig in places other than pub backrooms, and that just happened to coincide with punks Ascension, but before that many punk bands were also playing gigs at the same venues as the PUB bands played at.
the main difference between the PUB/punk bands was that PUB bands were more open about their musical influences and not so determined to promote the 'musical year zero' idea, sure the bands would play songs that were by bands that were deemed to be irrelevant 'dinosours, but just a year or two later the newer punk bands would be doing exactly the same thing, bands from GENERATION X to THE SEX PISTOLS and SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES (who did a much better version of the CHARLES MANSON 'classic'than the original version by THE BEATLES) right through to the original SKREWDRIVER and COCKSPARRER would also record songs by dinosaur bands, something that still happens in punk today and that has never stopped, check ONE WAY SYSTEM or THE OUTCASTS for examples.
The look and attitude of the PUB bands was also similar to punk with the bands short hair, attitude, and 'no flares' look and stage shows, DR FEELGOODS WILKO JOHNSON stage antics fitting well into what was expected of any punk bands members.
The hairy old 'CHUCK BERRY RIFFS' image that was given to the (so-called) PUB bands is unfair and totally ignores the influence that these bands and their members had, it could be said that they had as much of an influence on the then emerging UK scene as much as the NEW YORK DOLLS and STOOGES did on the later new york (and Britain)punk scenes that followed in their wake.
It is an image that was more suited to the audiences which was shared with many punk bands, and the ever present old man with his dog seemed to be everywhere, so maybe he was a music fan after all!
Its also true that some of the PUB bands were shit, but then so were some of the punk bands at that time (ROOGULATOR being a good example of a shit PUB band), but that shouldn't matter when taking the scene in as a whole.
ZERO HOUR just thinks its well over due that the 'PUB' BANDS were given a chance and not just dismissed as they have been for too long, the bands may have been gone now for some time but many of them left some great records behind that deserve a second chance.
(sorry if this article is repetitive at times but during its original writing the 'net' connection was lost and so half the article was washed down the virtual toilet, so Ive had to try and rewrite it again by memory and Ive got a blinding headache at the moment so apologies).