The One Agus Only

John Perry & Martin Stephenson 2023

rom Jessie Mae Hemphill to The New York Dolls, rock agus roll is littered with great artists who never quite broke on through to the mainstream.

At least not until years – and a thousand and one festival appearances – later.

A great case in point is The Only Ones, the London four-piece who were too cool for punk and too punk for cats. The bona-fide classic that is Another Girl, Another Planet (for decades, Dave Fanning’s radio theme tune) barely scraped into the top 60.

For Billy Connolly favourite Martin Stephenson, it was an entire album, Boat To Bolivia, that promised him and his band, The Daintees, the world. But once again, twenty years after a crash’n’burn, reappraisal brought Stephenson to a rebirth, and back on the road happily busking for audiences old and new.

That Stephenson should join farces with The Only Ones’ guitarist John Perry for a no highs barred, no regrets joint New Wave Connection tour makes a whole lot of sense. And, on a good night, maybe even a few cents.

Before taking over The Hot Spot on Saturday, May 6th, we caught up with Perry to find out where all this music comes from, and where it takes him…

I don’t recall exactly when I was first attracted to music. Four or five. My cousin across the road used to bring home Elvis and Buddy Holly singles, 1958 or ’59 probably. I sat with one ear jammed against the speaker. “Why?” They would ask. ‘Bloody obvious’ I thought. ‘Can you play it again?’

Played tympani in the school orchestra, after a couple years apprenticeship as cymbal crasher. Thought I might play drums. Then the Shadows came along and that settled matters. Every kid suddenly wanted a Stratocaster.

10-year-old John keeps the Hamlet beat

I started working with live bands at 15, in 1967. Mobile discos hadn’t yet appeared and there was plenty of work for bands. We were soon playing 4 or 5 nights a week. By the time I played the first proper Glastonbury in 1971 – in those days, a free festival featuring the Pyramid Stage – I was pretty much in the groove.

At Pilton, I hooked up with some underground bands and toured endlessly with a loose collective that included The Pink Fairies and Hawkwind.

With Evan Dando Clapham Common

Moving to London in 1975, I hooked up with Peter Perrett and we started putting together The Only Ones.

Since then I’ve worked with loads of people. Among the most recent – and the most enjoyable – are the Texan singer Alejandro Escovedo, and from the Lemonheads, Evan Dando. Played Kilkenny Roots Fest with Alejandro and the Roundhouse in London with Evan.

Last year I did an album with Martin Stephenson, during lockdown, and this year we’re touring it round England, Wales & Scotland – and now Ireland.

The tracks that can still make me break down and cry are…

Jeff Beck Let Me Love You, Baby
The old Willie Dixon/Buddy Guy chestnut given a twist by my favourite line-up Jeff Beck Group. Nicky Hopkins on piano, Ron Wood bass and – before he turned into such a lemon – Rod Stewart, in his pre-Faces prime, on vocals. Beck always put a spin on songs and arrangements, avoiding the traps of so many of the more plodding British Blues Bands. Misses every cliche going! Never dull, never obvious — and quite often never there.

I lose count of the times I went to see Beck play only to find he’d cancelled. On one occasion, late 1968 in Bath, he cancelled at lunchtime and his manager Peter Grant sent down his ‘other group’, a new lot billed as the The New Yardbirds (aka Led Zeppelin).

The musicians I love are dropping dead at a terrifying rate these days, but Beck… hard to believe. So good I always considered him immortal.

Taste Blister On The Moon
I’d seen Hendrix, Peter Green, Townshend, Clapton, Bert Jansch & co playing in small clubs and dancehalls — but Rory Gallagher was the first great guitarist I’d seen who was nearer to my own age. Taste blew in like a hurricane.

They were always gigging and I must’ve seen them half a dozen times in ’68 to ’70. There’s something about seeing bands when they’re on the rising curve.

Toots & The Maytals 54-46 Was My Number
Another band I saw many times. In the 70s, Toots played the Lyceum in London every year. I saw Bob Marley there in ’75 – the famous live album was cut that night – but for my money Toots was more fun. Great vocal trio, great songs. Jamaican music with a hint of Memphis. And the Lyceum was a fine place to see music. Equally great place to play. The Only Ones did 4 or 5 shows there. Lovely sound onstage, lovely sound out front.

Evan Dando Laying Up With Linda
The GG Allin song given a melodic twist on the Lemonheads album Varshons. Played this recently with Evan in Dublin and at the Roundhouse in London. We did the album at Fort Apache, where the Pixies and many other Boston bands recorded.

The Who Happy Jack
Another band who were always on the road, I first saw The Who in 1966, and maybe a dozen times thereafter.

Easily the most exciting band in the country (till Hendrix blew in and gave them a run for their money). We toured America with them (much later, 1980, and a different era). I’ve picked a clip of them live from 1970. Keith Moon in excelsis. The camera can’t take its eye off him…

Bert Jansch Chambertin
Jansch was a prodigy. Half the world’s electric guitarists – more if you exclude those with Bad Taste – are in awe of him.

I was discussing this piece with Gordon Giltrap, who I met just the other day, at a show in Athy. We agreed it is perhaps Jansch’s most difficult composition. Bert swore blind that he had -never- attempted it onstage. However, I was able to show him the evidence – a fine live recording from Newcastle City Hall the River Sessions. (A series which also includes a live Giltrap show). Jansch, Davey Graham, a whole generation of wonderful acoustic players all gone now. Love the Live in Newcastle version too.

Jimi Hendrix The Wind Cries Mary
I was lucky enough to see Hendrix when he first appeared in England. I saw him several times but that first showing – Jan ’67 – I had no expectations. No preparation, no records beyond the Hey, Joe single. No idea of what he could do. Came out of the gate like a thunderbolt. And he was funny! He was having such a great time. Nothin mean about him. In those days he was a happy man…

All his Guitar Circus was fabulous but I found his most poignant playing on the ballads – like Little Wing and the gorgeous The Wind Cries Mary. So did he.

American Soul
I’ve hardly left room for that fabulous generation of soul singers I grew up listening to – Solomon Burke, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett. I could easily pick 10 from them alone… Let’s choose a live clip of Sam & Dave from the 1967 Stax/Volt tour of Europe. Backed up by Booker T & MGs and The Memphis Horns.

Martin Stephenson & John Perry Frattern Star 
The current single. I don’t usually pick my own tracks but this has as good a guitar sound as I’ve recorded recently. Done during COVID lockdown when you couldn’t bring a band together and play. Tracks cut separately. Bass and drums were done in Scotland; then I did my guitars at Pete Holidai’s studio in Dublin. That’s Pete from the Radiators and Trouble Pilgrims. For me, it’s still a funny way to work… sitting alone in headphones, playing with a tape instead of live people. But it worked alright here…

You can find out more about the Perry here and Stephenson here as the two friends hit Greystones tonight for another night of punk survival and spiritual revival. Details here.