RIOT ACT (COVENTRY'S PUNK BAND 1979 /80)

RIOT ACT
The other day Stu Knapper contacted Hobo having discovered a tribute I'd put on the site to his late Brother Phil

Knapper who was a fellow musician and mate of mine. I'd been intending to put a blog on about his own band Riot Act for a while and here it is. Meanwhile Stu has been blogging himself on Vox both about his brother and his own band - Riot Act HERE.  From 1974 I was often round at the Knappers house in Binley on the outskirts of Coventry, jamming with His older brother Phil. Although Stuart probably didn't care for the hippy styule music we played that his brother was a talented guitarist and often had musicians around who over the years included Neil O Connor, Alex Murphy and John Gravenor with who Phil went to Finland with, the music making inspired him to form his own band in 1979 and storm the Cov Scene. The early history of the band and it's formation can be read on Stu's own Vox (link above) but here are some reviews and and interview from Alternative Sounds - a later music fanzine run by Martin Bowes during the Two Tone period.

I remember Stu being into Bolan and Steve Harley and
when Anarchy in the UK came out that was the lynch pin. I remember Phil putting Stu's 45 on the turntable and and bridge seemed to have been crossed. Phil dragged me off to Riot Acts first gig at Warwick University (not a bad venue for a first gig!) for a band competition - The Flys were there and many of the bands that appeared in Alternative Sound from which everything below is taken.
Sirens appeared on the Sent From Coventry album in 1979 as is  the song that currently plays when you open the top blog on this site or else you can hear it on Stu's own blog.

RIOT ACT

 

From Alternative Sounds – The Special Album (Sent From Coventry) issue – 1980

 

RIOT ACT

Formed just after Christmas 1978, consisting then of…James Conlon – bass, Graham Harris – drums, Steve Gaggini – guitar and Stu Knapper – vocals. The first gig was at the Warwick University Musicians Union Competition early in 1979. They played throughout the year to a good following, but played their final gig at the Coventry Matrix Hall Festival in October. The line up this time was Carl Plichta – bass Archie drums, plus Steve Gaggini guitar and Stu Knapper vocals. Steve and Stu wrote the band’s material, of which “Sirens” is perhaps not typical (the other stuff is a more basic noise) but is certainly one of their best songs.

 

………………

Alternative Sounds May 1980

 

Gigs

 

Riot Act (Review by TOM) HEATH HOTEL 6^th April Riot Act and the Wild Ferrets.

 

A new heavy punk band that’s been on the scene in Coventry for the past 3 months.

They consist of –

Stu – vocals

Steve –guitar

Murf – bass

Gray – drums

 

The band started with Strike Out, a fast heavy punk number which the crowd liked. I reckon RIOT ACT are better than the MEMBERS musically speaking. They have a very good presence, some feedback couldn’t be helped. The group didn’t mind the followers shouting SHAM 69 slogans, they’ve got a good crowd following but with the wrong people – it reminds me of two years ago when punk came into full swing.

 

RIOT ACT have got a good strong pulse beat, it keeps the adrenalin beating, it’s not boring. They keep going fast and loud and are very good fun with chanting lyrics. Tonight it was a very full house.

 

Other songs they did were Numbers, also a cover of Pretty Vacant – brilliant. They played for about an hour: their best numbers are – Strike Out, Pretty Vacant, Numbers and Tougher than You. I think they should drop Oh What a State, One way and Legalised Persecution.

 

The crowd went that mad that fighting broke out between Squad fans and Riot Act fans. – started by some roadies throwing glasses – boots going, fists flying, glass bottles flying everywhere. Two guys I saw were badly injured, blood pouring from forehead and cheek. – and to think that the Heath is only public house the punks have for seeing new bands, it’s disgusting that a thing like this should happen. After tonight there will probably be nowhere to see bands.

I HOPE YOU ARE ALL PLEASED WITH YOURSELVES YOU FUCKING LOUTS – YOU SPOIL IT FOR EVERYONE IN COVENTRY.

Now there might be nowhere to play, thanks to you.

As for Riot Act – they tried very hard to stop the trouble and violence, but it was too bad to do anything about it. Now you know how Jimmy Pursey feels about the trouble at SHAM 69 gigs. It looks like RIOT ACT will be banned from playing anywhere, and when they do play it will be a sell out just to see them play live. – Lots of luck Riot Act and keep it up STU.

 

One last thing – they should bring out an EP – the songs I would choose would be – Pretty Vacant, Tougher than You, Strike Out and Numbers which is my favourite.

..................................................

 

RIOT ACT AT THE SWANSWELL TAVERN JUNE 14^TH SUPPORTING THE WILD BOYS.

BY MATIN BOWES – PIC BY MARK.

 

Riot Act started their set just after 9pm. They have improved in the few months they have been playing – no doubt

partly due to frequent gigging, (unlike some bands).

 

They began with Strike Out, potentially a great punk song but it needs more

power behind it. They do some other catchy songs which are more powerful, notably Tougher than You, which grows on you and the simpler Oh What a State. Numbers has a good sound behind it and the lyrics are well meant but the words are too clichéd. “We are all numbers now” – we’ve heard it all before. Another song I dislike is their version of Pretty Vacant – it is just a poor copy of that classic song.

 

Otherwise I think Riot Act have got potential, some of the songs are developing and have more depth to them, giving a lower, heavier sound, comparable to the Pistols on Submission / Satellite etc.

 

One last thing, to the band – write some more songs lease, ‘cos the set is bit short.

 

………………………

THE RIOT ACT – INTERVIEW FROM ALTERNATIVE SOUNDS 1979 BY MARTIN BOWES

AND STU KNAPPER.

 

Down to Virgin Records one dinner time to drag Stu Knapper out from behind the counter in order to do this interview. We ended up on some grass by the side of the road near Tescos, ignoring people looking at us as they walked past.

 

WHEN DID THE GROUP FORM?

 

STU Just after Christmas 1978. The group consisted then, and still does of Stu – Vocals, Steve – Guitar, Murf – bass and Gray drums.

 

WHAT WAS THE FIRST GIG?

Warwick University, the Musician’s Union Competition, the first one after that was at the Godiva, supporting the Wild Ferrets…

Me and Murphy, the bass player, started the band originally, with me on guitar and him playing bass, just jamming in his garage on a 100 watt  bass amp, then we got Steve in on Rhythm guitar amps I stopped playing guitar and concentrated on the vocals. We borrowed about £500 to buy all our equipment, from HFC Trust in Nuneaton, we’re paying back about £30 a month as a band. We bought a PA and amp for Steve, he bought a new guitar. From then on we just started playing about.

 

WHO WRITES THE STUFF?

 

Me and Steve write the songs, occasionally we do individual ones, like Strike Out – Steve wrote that on his own but

the majority of them are joint efforts.

 

THE INFLUENCES AND LIKES BIT

 

I’m gonna have to rip off God’s Toys here. Well for me and Steve it’s really Bolan, both of us are really crazy about Bolan. Mine are Bolan and Steve Harley (Cockney Rebel) and then the punk bands. David Bowie slightly of course the Pistols and the Damned, they really are what I got into. Steve’s more T Rex, although he does like the Clash and the Pistols but we’re mostly into Bolan and that Glam Rock.

I wouldn’t say that’s influenced the music, not at all but that’s what influenced us to go out and do it.

 

ARE THE BAND GOING TO START WEARING GLITTER ON STAGE?

 

Yeah, we’re trying to change the image, cos we don’t feel we’ve got any sort of image – most people are going in the mod direction, we don’t want anything to do with that, we want to go in the opposite direction, more towards glam, with the glitter, and maybe a bit of make up here and there as well. Not heavily made up, it’ll just be glitter and sort of – pretty.

 

Apparently we’re all gonna be wearing jump suits on stage now, so it will go with it. It’s no good going on with a leather jacket and Martens.

 

IS THE MUSIC GONNA CHANGE THEN?

 

No I don’t think so.

 

WHAT ABOUT STUFF LIKE SIRENS?

 

We’re trying to get more stuff like that, that is going towards the Pistols, reminds me of Submission.

 

I THINK YOU’VE GOT MORE OF A FUTURE WITH THAT

 

Yeah, actually we’re trying to get more heavy but Oh What a State and things like that, a lot of kids like them. It is actually about some of our mates who smashed up this local restaurant, the Vineyard in Binley, cos they didn’t like the steak – it was originally called Oh What a Steak but we decided to change it – they caused an argument, this guy brought the dogs down and there ws this big heavy scene, like these cowboy things with chairs going through windows and everything.

 

WHAT’S STRIKE OUT ABOUT?

 

Well we writ it…(wrote it) Yeah wrote it, when the country was in a turmoil over all these strikes, everyone was on

fucking strike, and we just wrote it about that – the lyrics are “You and me we’re gonna see, what the world is meant to be” – The world ain’t meant to be like this, all strikes, everybody out of work, and every fucker protesting and marching down the streets – that’s what it’s about. Tougher than You – people think we’re trying to say “We’re tougher than you” but it’s not that. It’s just taking the piss out of all these gangs who walk around the streets saying – we come from Binley or Woodend or Canley, and we’re fucking harder than you lot, and go around spraying Canley Aggro – it’s taking the piss out of those kind of people really.

 

HAVE YOU GOT A MANAGER?

 

Not as such, I do most of the arranging for gigs and the badges and that, I arrange all them and design them – that’s why they are not very good!

 

HOW’S THE MONEY SIDE?

 

We’re still paying off the debt and we’re still trying to get the bread together for the single. We had the tapes back

from Small Wonder yesterday – they said they were interested but the lyrics were lacking, but they thought Sirens was really good.

 

WHAT WAS THE TAPE?

It had Strike out, Sirens, Return of the Jets and One Way it was a good tape – well produced, done at Woodbine Recording Studios.

 

WE MENTION THAT PLACE EVERY ISSUE

HOW MUCH DID IT COST YOU?

 

It was £6 an hour. We did 5 hours and altogether it came to £45, with the master tapes and 2 cassettes.

 

HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF BRINGING OUT THE SINGLE YOURSELVES?

 

Yeah, that’s what I want to do, but we need the bread – it’s gonna cost me £257, that’s for 500 copies, if you want

another 500 pressed it only costs £165. That’s on the Woodbine Studio, if you want your own label it will cost more. He’s got his own label called the Woodbine Street Label.

 

SO YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING REALLY?

 

No but hopefully it will be out before Christmas.

 

WHAT ABOUT PLANS FOR GIGS?

 

We’ve got one coming up in Northhampton, which is in September. We can’t practice at the moment cos we use a school, and the schools are on holidays so its all locked up.

 

WHAT DO THE REST OF THE GROUP DO?

 

Steve’s a glazier, Gray works at Standard Triumph and Murf moulds ashtrays! I worked down Keresley Pit for 3 years, I just got pissed off with it. We’re all really dedicated to the band.

 

WHY DIDN’T YOU WANT THE REST OF THE BAND HERE?

 

Wellbecause – if we were all sitting round here and you ask a question – lets say you ask me the opinion of some band in Coventry – and I start answering the question seriously and someone shuts out from behind “Fuckin’shit”, then you’re gonna put down “What do you think of them – Fucking Shit”. So that’s why we wanted to do it our own, cos we didn’t want any hassles. A lot of people say we slag bands off as it is – which is totally untrue. A lot of people said we went slagging Squad down….which is why there was aggro at the Heath – we didn’t like Coventry punks, I don’t know where it all came from, it’s a load of bullshit.

 

THERE’S NO TROUBLE NOW?

 

No everyone thought there was a lot  of friction between the two bands, between Gus and me, but me and Gus get on alright.

 

WHEN YOU STARTED YOU SEEMED TO HAVE YOUR OWN FOLLOWING SEPARATE TO THE REST OF THE BANDS

Some of it was mates, I think that was mainly cos there was only Squad around at the time, then suddenly all these bands pop up everywhere – the Wild Boys, Homicide, God’s Toys etc. then suddenly the place was packed with bands – they were really good bands as well.

 

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE BAND’S NAME?

 

Well I was going to call the band RIOT in the first place – but there’s a group called Riot. I was listening to this Steve Harley album and there’s a track on it called America the Brave – one of those lines in it goes – “He summoned his ragged troops and read them the RIOT ACT”. It was It was gonna be RIOT ACT 79 but that’s too much like SHAM 69. So we chopped off the 79. I wanted to change it to the LAST HEROES but I was voted out by the rest of the band on that.

 

WITH RIOT ACT YOU IMMEDIATELY THINK OF A REAL PUNK BAND

 

Well that’s what we intended to do when we first came out, you couldn’t class us as anything else.

 

WHAT IF YOU WANT YOUR GLITTER IMAGE?

 

That’ll still be good, like Love and Kisses have got a great way, everyone thinks they’re some shitty band like Guys and Dolls, then suddenly they come on and they are really good. Maybe it’ll work the same way with us – with the glitter and sort of soft touch with the hard name. I don’t know how they’re gonna take it.

 

HOW WOULD YOU SEE YOURSELVES IN A YEARS TIME?

 

In a years time, maybe the Glam rock thing will have come back again and we’ll all be big stars!

 

OR MAYBE NOT

Or maybe not yeah, hopefully we’ll still be together, and hopefully our music will have progressed towards the Sirens part of our music.

 

HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF ADDING TO THE LINE-UP?

 

I have, I’d love a saxophone, I’d love synthesiser and keyboards, there’s loads of things but they just wouldn’t fit us anyway. With keyboards it’d sound like SHAM 69 and they were fucking terrible when they brought the keyboards in. Hopefully we’ll be getting a lead guitarist, but we don’t know anybody who fit in at all.

 

HAVE THE BAND ANY POLITICAL IDEAS?

 

Well, we did the Anti-Nazi League gig because we were being bagged as a National Front band (to prove otherwise). I think that’s the last thing we will do on the political side because we just want to stay out of it, its music business not politics. We’ve no plans for any other political gigs.

 

YOU GOT BANNED FROM PLACES LIKE THE HEATH

 

Well the twice we played there we had trouble, the first time there was all that aggro and the place was closed down for 2 weeks, everyone was blaming us but it wasn’t our fault at all. The second time the bouncers threw me and 2 of my mates out before we even played on stage. We got back in and afterwards the bouncers really liked us – and asked the manager if he would have us back again.

 

……………………..

 

Well he did have them back, as they played there a few weeks ago with Love and Kisses and should be playing there again during September. …Coventry’s punkiest punk band.

 

Interview by Martin Bowes.

 

Review of Riot Act at the Heath with The Wild Boys and Love and Kisses – August 18^th 1980 by Martin Bowes – Alternative Sounds.

 

RIOT ACT were next, they were wearing glitter tonight! They got the crowd dancing (their fans) and got an encore. Stu dedicated Pretty Vacant to Alternative Sounds and One Way to Johnnie. A successful gig for them, which was good because they hadn’t played in Coventry for a while.