The Lurkers: Backstage & Back-Story

The Lurkers were one of the greatest and most seminal of English punk rock groups, and tonight, Garry's guest is Pete "Manic Esso" Haynes, their drummer and creator of the of the band's name.  Constantly compared to The Ramones, The Lurkers were not always loved by the Punk Rock cognoscenti.  No pretensions, no frills, no hype - just pure rock'n'roll.

"We didn't really want to remain outsiders", says Pete.  "We tried to be friendly, but we just weren't hip.  Our songs were an outlet for repressed emotions - maybe we should have been playing Broadmoor [high-security psychiatric hospital] rather than the Roxy...!"

Today, Pete writes plays & books, his most recent being MALAYAN SWING.  And as you'll hear in this frequently hilarious programme, Pete's razor wit and searing powers of observation have only sharpened since his punk days.

So how does Pete feel about comparisons to The Clash - cleverly marketed as "The Only Band That Matters" by CBS, their record label?

"I don't really need anyone in a pop group telling me about how the world is run", Pete growls.  "Rock'n'roll is not some fake 8-stone bloke talking about breaking the system down, with a manager and his birds all carrying attaché cases.  And then they all go off and eat in a bloody organic French restaurant.  To me, it's as fake as The Monkees!"

So what's the difference between The Clash and The Monkees?

Pete smiles.

"The Monkees had better songs", he grins.