Saturday 7 May 2011

THIS IS THE END

Year - 1977.
Venue - The Ambassador.
Band - The End.
Not sure how much of a crowd was there but what they were seeing was not just another local gig, but the early stages of Dundee's "alternative" scene starting to shape up.
The End had Dennis on guitar, Colin doing vocals, Andy on bass, and an unknown drummer.
The Alternators were one of the other bands playing that night and there's a poster on the wall for their single that was released in January '78.
The details of the event are a bit sketchy but The End & The Alternators may have possibly been sharing the bill with Bread Poultice & The Running Sores.
Should be able to sort that out in the comments.
It was at this gig too that Colin met the members of Quick Spurts and later ended up joining them in addition to having a short stint playing bass in List-D.
And for these visual gems we have Colin Ramsay to thank.

19 comments:

  1. yahoo, i was there, hiya colin, last time i saw ye, on news, cycle couriering past neil kinnock. miss ye!
    i thought it was support to buzzcocks at ambassador, or was that the prefects, anyhow, i mind o that shirt, i coveted it, wasn't this 1977?

    fanta

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  2. Greetings Gordo,I never knew i was on news biking past Neil Kinnock,expected to be on Crimewatch tho,I had thought it was 77 but mists of time an all that,hopefully it might become apparent,if u wanna chat more an have f-book u will find a picture of my leg on it ,send a friend request.I remember Buzzcocks gig sure Prefects were supportin coz they came back to flat in Cleghorn St.hope all is good with ya.(weirdly i was on location location a while back walking on beach with my dog so much stardom eh!) Colin

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  3. I spot a "tank top" very punk ;-)

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  4. gggggrrr.. things not letting me comment today..

    Hiya colin :) how lovely to see your bad self. Im with Fanta on this and say its 77 too, as i had lost my sisters birthlines i borrowed to get in. a few,short weeks later i was of age and celebrated the fact in the logie bar with Alison B.. We were shocked to get served,as had grown accustomed to barstaff, pointing at doors as soon as we stepped in !
    Hope all is well x

    Lesley G

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  5. Hey Lesley,I still get some barstaff pointing at door if i try an go in,all is well with me,if u wanna chat do the f book thang. x

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  6. That night The End were supporting BP & the R S's. the best act that night was Peter Bernadetti (aprox)(the huge soul sax player) eating a full ashtray of butts+ash. Local wag Alan Bannerman said " What kinda brick will Peter shite tomorrow!'.

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  7. see that middle photie ?? im sure thats the crown oH my Head as i remember watching the band from that angle,, and wondering why such a good,enigmatic,fine handsome dream punk, was singing with a clubbie band.. added ye Mr R ... I am in the middle of taking a superinjunction out on myself. so no scurrillous goss please.. and ffs ignore fanta !! he will turn yer heid !

    lesley g

    P.S punk rock !! :)

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  8. The Alternators were top of the bill, wi' their boiler suits on. Two songs and I was off. Bread Poultice were brilliant - "Love me like a Joob Joob". Cant remember much about the End. Thought it was 1978 though...

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  9. What's the problem with boiler suits? I remember I saw Devo in 1978 - they all wore boiler suits and were brilliant!

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  10. on Devo I could understand, but the Alternators were a clubbie band that jumped on the bandwagon, and the boiler suits were meant to look "down n dirty" with the "kidz". Sigh.

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  11. I had thought the Alternators an Bread poultice were on same bill,ta Craig,we (The End ) were not approaching good ,I vaguely remba the boiler suit thing then again our drummer had a moustache eye make up ,school tie,bless him.Colin R ps Devoe also went on stage in sleeping bags at times.

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  12. Colin, nobody had a clue about what they were wearing though. I remember getting an old school shirt, ripping it up, painting "Clash" and "Vibrators" and (sigh) Graham Parker on it and going out. My mum said "yir no' goin oot dressed like that!". But I did. I also mind Steve Grimmond's stars and stripes breeks. And Vince at the Joeys wi' his Jam outfit on!!!

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  13. Sorry guys, never identified with the jam.......hi colin, hope life is treating you well, do I keep seeing you around Pimlico?

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  14. Hey , I think that this gig was 1978 and bread Poultice were actually healining it (unless of course these bands played the Ambassador all the time ) Reason I think it was 1978 was that I was 15 in 77 and I can remember drinking several pints of McEwans lager at the gig - doubt I "got served" when I was 15 - we were wearing white shirts and narrow ties (pinched from my dads 60's collection !)

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  15. Hey Vincnto,hope all is good with you,BUT it must be one of the clones of me that you sight in Pilmico coz I live in the land of Harold shot in the eye(hastings) for reasons unclear a picture of you popped in my head the other day of the time you ate a whole bag of sugar at my flat.Peace

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  16. Dennis' surname is Chapman and he still talks of supporting The Buzzcocks.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Just Looking Back At My Brothers Gigs Its 8 Years Since Dennis Passed Away . Any Way This Will Keep In The Vaults Of Time . If Anyone Still Remembers My Bruv , All The Best
      Stay Safe and Well.

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  17. offecHello all, Dennis Chapman here. This was a surprise to find. Andy Sturrock was the bass player and the drummer was Les Smart(not a psuedo name, real name). Colin left and we were a three piecce for a while playing the Art college and Tayside bar, plus others. Then we got John Ramsey ( a friend of Kieth Matheson,Big Blue 72,on guitar, lost the drummer and got a drum machine and a keyboard and became Krasnie Nievkev.Billy McKenzie was our first vocalist but never played live. He joined the Alternators with Dave Whyte(Boogaloosa) and half of Exhibition. Anyway good to see all the comments. I'm on facebook if you want to get in touch.

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