An interview with Kidder appeared on the well known PunkModPop Archives web site in August 2005.
Read it here and now at http://punkmodpop.free.fr/kiddabandview.htm
Thanks to Roger for being a strong supporter of the band in recent years.......
The Filth and the Glory - Lost Treasures of New Wave
Teenage kicks, adrenaline rush, sweaty palms - Is she looking my way?
There were always girls, you know the kind; angel like with a smile licensed to kill. And of course there were clubs, but not like these days, there were shy bowling shoes gently tapping in the darkest corner of the dance floor.
And there were bands! You picked them up by listening to the older kids. Maybe you even met them, the last of your allowance went to buying some bass player drinks. Then, the excitement of finding their records in the local record shack. They just got them in huh? I’m the first buying it? Sweet sensation I’m in the know! I’m hip with it!
Next day in school, bring out the magic marker, their logo hastily drawn on your parka. You are it! And she loves you for it. And now those older kids actually talk to you, If only to ask you for a fag.
Perhaps you should learn to smoke...
Then a list of New Wave lost treasures follows including:
The Incredible Kidda Band- Everybody Knows/No Nerve - Psycho records 1978
This insanely rare power-pop classic, changing owners at a price of £160, oozes of teenage rebellion and guitar-fuelled mayhem. The Kidda Band is one of the most obscure groups of the genre, and only released four singles during their brief period of glory. This single alone, however, does not reflect the qualities of a band that were one of the greatest of their time.
Last year (2001) Detour records released a collection of demos and studio tracks that is highly recommended.
© Mike Travis 2001 - 2005 [Published 22 March 2001]
The Kidda Band recently featured in the book "Godiva Rocks" about the Coventry (UK) music scene in the late 70s early 80s
Less punk and more new wave power-pop were the high-energy act The Incredible Kidda Band.
They had a huge following, especially in Germany for some reason. I had the pleasure to see them several times, they never disappointed. I am a proud owner of their 1978 single Everybody Knows. They were also responsible for the song Camphill Go Go, probably the only time Camp Hill as ever been immortalised on vinyl!
They often moonlighted as The Kicks (releasing 2 singles under this name Get Off The Telephone and If Looks Could Kill), just about all their material has been put out on the double CD Too Much, Too little,Too Late. They had another single Fighting the way Back released on Carrere Records in 1979.
Godiva Rocks - ISBN - 0-9544125-1-6 by Pete Chambers. Published by Tencton Planet Publications.
Left to the
future - The Incredible Kidda Band - Too Much, Too Little, Too Late! (Detour
Records 2000)
Being caught between trends the public hold in high regard, and a lack of support for not subjecting oneself to the mass hallucinations pushed on music buyers by those with the money to do so, is a hard universe to fly in. This is where we seem to find Nuneaton, England’s The Incredible Kidda Band.
In those fashion fascist islands, The Incredible Kidda Band looked like glitter tinged Teddy Boy leftovers, whose unpretentious hooks, innocence and simple rock n roll aesthetic would lend nothing to get them over with the class of 76’ punks then emerging, not to mention the already established, comfort driven pop star hierarchy that was being mummified into legend status about the same time (the Kidda’s were with us from 1976-1980). Even new wavers were suspicious of this type of honesty, as detailed in one of The Kidda’s finest statements, “I Don’t Care (If You Think I’m Square.) In essence, these five young studs were left for the future.
A towering revelation warms the cockles of my heart when I tear into this collection. The songwriting swallows you fast, spitting forth the type of hooks that have a life beyond simple melodic shape. Kidda songs are hard, dense creations, given an absolutely vital execution by a quintet of second generation Geordie toughs, who captured perfectly the thought process of young adult, just coming out of your teens life; Songs that build on plain concepts, suburban expectation and want. “Can I Take The Car Tonight” feels as if you’re on the cruise itself. The swagger of our protagonist in “Wait Til’ Your Father Gets Home” catches the attitude of a boy growing beyond parental guidance, while songs like “The Girl Said No,” “I’m Gonna Join The Army Now,” “Fighting My Way Back,” and the super sing along “Bullet In My Heart” all describe the age old conundrum of dealing with the opposite sex. “Saturday Night Fever” is the best slap at disco I’ve ever gotten stoned to, and “F.A.B.” has this conceited, lordly swing that struts ever so sweetly.
The rest of this enormous, 29 song wind up says just about everything you need to know about Kidda politics; Be yourself and you too can realize your full potential as a tight t-shirt wearin’, testosterone fueled English lad out for acceptance, freedom, and a good bit of nasty. Now who’s too old for that?
Frankie Delmane - from The Teenage Frames - www.teenageframes.com
Whatever happened to The Incredible Kidda Band?
Coventry Evening Telegraph (England), August 3, 2000 | by Alan Harris
BANNED from Weddington Social Club, links with ageing hellraisers The Rolling Stones ... The Incredible Kidda Band were the biggest thing to come out of Nuneaton. Reporter ALAN HARRIS caught up with former members of the band which never quite made it - but whose latest and only album is a big hit in Japan.
BANDMATES Dave Lister and Les Rollason look a far cry from what they did 20 or so years ago.
Dressed in everyday casuals, the pair's image belies their past penchant for fetching shirts and mullet hairstyles as they made their bid for stardom in the late seventies.
As members of The Incredible Kidda Band, they created an exciting and unprecedented buzz around Nuneaton and Coventry where they quickly attracted a huge following as they played to countless sell-out crowds.
Hitting the scene on the back of legendary punk bands The Sex Pistols and The Clash, the adrenaline-fuelled five-piece, which featured two pairs of brothers, enjoyed an unrivalled two-year-reign around the town with their catchy pop-rock tunes, including one called Camphill Go Go.
But despite being signed up and releasing four singles - their debut 1978 single Everybody Knows received 1,200 advance orders - the hotly- tipped group never hit the big-time.
Bassist Les, aged 42, who now lives in Hinckley, said: "God knows how we didn't have a hit, it's one of life's mysteries for me.
"We were the biggest thing in Nuneaton. There was no-one prior to us and there's been no-one since, which is disappointing. The only bands there are doing covers.
"In those days there was rock, glam rock, two-tone, punk, so it was a lot more than just flares and platform boots.
"We got labelled as punk but we weren't really punk.
"Power pop was the best description of what we did."
The band's promising career saw their singles played on Radio 1 and they appeared on TV show Get It Together three times alongside ELO and Sir Cliff Richard.
Although the band went down a storm in Nuneaton, they also built up a big following across the Midlands on the strength of their energetic live shows.
The group's in-demand performances saw them playing up to six shows a week at venues including Coventry, Hinckley, Rugby, Birmingham, Kidderminster and Wales, and earned support slots with The Beat and The Troggs.
They had regular gigs at The Cherry Tree in Nuneaton, The Woolpack in Rugby and The Dog and Trumpet, Tiffany's, Mr George and the Robin Hood Club in Coventry, where they were kicked off stage for pogo-ing.
Guitarist Dave, aged 46, who lives in Arden Road, Bulkington, fondly remembers one infamous gig but says they were never violent and often served as match-making occasions.
He said: "In the early days we met with a lot of opposition from committees and there were even tickets going on the black market to see us.
"We were banned from Weddington Social Club because we played God Save The Queen by The Sex Pistols.
"The gigs were rowdy but it was all good-natured and there was never any trouble. We had some brilliant times and we've got fantastic memories but we never did drugs - our singer Alan was even teetotal."
He adds: "One of the most pleasing aspects was seeing people get together at our gigs.
"A few of them are now married and say they wouldn't be if it wasn't for us, which is nice."
The band released four singles under different guises - The Incredible Kidda Band, The Kidda Band, The Kicks - and moved to London in a renewed bid to find fame.
But after going through different sound changes, the group failed to make a breakthrough and split in the early eighties.
Dave said: "It wasn't for lack of trying because we worked very hard and we all had jobs but we never made any money out of it. Our live stuff was great but unfortunately our producers never captured that."
Although the pair are critical of people they worked with in the music industry, they are overwhelmed with the results of their new and only album, a 29-track compilation covering the band's glory years.
The recording - taken from old master tapes and even Dave's own cassette recordings - is selling well in Japan where the group's cult status has seen their original singles fetch amazing prices in the vinyl collectors market. One Japanese fan paid pounds 500 for all four singles!
Les said: "Collectors in Japan are fed up of mainstream bands like The Clash and want more obscure stuff.
"We were big at the time and the interest is due to the rarity of the singles.
"I would have never seen the songs again if this guy hadn't come along and done this for us."
Dave added: "We are very happy with this package because he's captured our era and it's a shame we didn't have this guy in the early days because we could have done more than we actually did."
Despite the short-lived and small-time fame of the Kidda Band, Les is delighted to see his brother and former group member John go on to live his rock 'n' roll fantasy - playing with members of the Rolling Stones!
Les said: "Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood asked him to play on their album for their pet band called The Dirty Strangers who have got a big Hell's Angels following.
"He joined them on a week in New York and went to a party round Keith's mansion.
"I'm quite proud of him and it's nice to see our band's legacy continue."
We were bigger than the Beatles . . . in Nuneaton
EX-SINGER Alan Hammonds is not shy to boast of his band's glory years.
"In Nuneaton we were bigger than The Beatles," he cries.
While doubters may scoff at the size of his claim, no-one can tame his passionate memories of the band's impact on the town.
"Nuneaton had not seen anything like it and I don't think that they have ever since.
"The town was in a coma and we brought it out of a coma.
"We played over 1,000 gigs and the large shows we did were fantastic.
"We found it really hard to get gigs in Nuneaton and only did working men's clubs at first - they had to put on nights especially for us because they were really wild.
"We got some good write-ups and got played on Radio 1 although it was no surprise to me that we didn't make it - but live we were untouchable."
Alan, who grew up in Camp Hill, Nuneaton, with his bandmate brother Graham "Kidder" Hammonds, is now living in London where he has prolonged his life in the spotlight in a rather different capacity - modelling.
The 45-year-old is posing before the camera for album sleeves, book covers, bill boards, and has just finished work for a Japanese mint commercial.
He is delighted with the band's new recording, although he vividly recalls the time he unknowingly threw a small fortune into the bin.
He said: "When we moved house about two years ago we dumped a lot of our records and my sister told me it was worth a bit - we checked and we'd thrown away pounds 25,000!
"We split because we'd taken it as far as we could and we sold the gear which left us with pounds 28 each.
"The guy who has put together this CD has done a fantastic job, especially with the art work.
"We're making more money now than we did then - we've just received our first royalty cheque of pounds 100!"
THE INCREDIBLE KIDDA BAND WERE:
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Alan Hammonds
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Graham "Kidder" Hammonds
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Dave Lister
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Les Rollason
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John Rollason
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Graham “Dick” Millington
Copies of the new album, Too Much, Too Little, Too Late! are available from www.kidda-band.co.uk.
We are lloking for all Kidda Band materials – send information or photos to mailto:kiddaband@18tilidie.com
COPYRIGHT 2000 Coventry Newpapers (The Coventry Evening Telegraph)
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