Years active:

1977

Location:

Penzance

Band Members:                                         

Grev Williams (Guitar)
Tim 'Vulch' Chapple (Bass)
Terry Tempest (earlier Kim Sharp) (Drums)
Simon Parker(Vocals)                                                 

Thank you to Simon Parker for the information on The Vendettas.

Started life at Joe Public, performing in Autumn 1976 which likely makes them one of the first punk bands in Penzance if not the county. They then morphed into Johnny Stun and The Vendettas, then The Vendettas.

Played venues around West Cornwall, in particular Gulval Mead, Penzance Winter Gardens, as well as festivals.

Four-track EP of self-penned tracks (I Bin There, Inside Looking Out, Such A Pity, Red Lambretta) recorded at Sentinel Records in Newlyn but never released (now available on CD from me {sinbad.crew@virgin.net} if anyone wants one but to be honest although the band are pretty hot my vocals are shit)

Inside Looking Out  

Credited by some (though not us) as Cornwall's first punk band. Grev went on the play in various bands and still gigs sometimes. Vulch also played in several other bands and set up the now defunct Top Of The Hill record label at Canon's Town which brought out a number of CD compilations of local bands.

Other punk or punk-influenced bands doing the rounds at the same time or just after included An Alarm, Bride's Mother Iced Cake, Furry Vermin, Septic And The Sceptics.

Tim Chapple also remembers the band;

A gifted guitarist, Grev Williams went on to form “Johnny and the Moonlighters”, a very successful rock & roll trio fronted by Johnno Peake, and then joined up with Tim Chapple again as part of “The Any Excuse Soul Stars”. He currently plays an active part in the Cornish folk music scene.

Tim Chapple went on to form “The Rage” with ex Brainiac 5 singer Bert Biscoe, and then joined “Zambula” a very successful Afro Rock Band, featuring the much missed Tito on vocals. Later bands included “Brides Mother”, “Mississippi Burning”, “Any Excuse Soul Stars” and the instrumental “SGT Project” (with Ged Kingsford on drums, and Shane Bailey on guitar).

Tim currently plays bass with the Blues Power Trio “Devils Creek” (With Guy Rosewall on guitar and vocals, and Alan Ibbotson on Drums), who have released several albums to date, and gig regularly across the County – more info at http://www.myspace.com/devilscreek

Links to other bands: