The Adverts were an English punk rock band formed in 1976 that existed until late 1979. They were one of the first punk bands to achieve mainstream success in the UK; their 1977 single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" reached No. 18 on the UK singles chart. The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music described bassist and founding member Gaye Advert as the "first female punk star".

History

The band was formed in 1976 by T. V. Smith (Tim Smith) and Gaye Advert (Gaye Black). Smith was from the town of Okehampton in mid-Devon, and Advert was from Bideford, a small coastal town in North Devon. After relocating to London, the two young punks recruited guitarist Howard Pickup (Boak) and drummer Laurie Driver (Muscat), and the Adverts were born.

The Roxy, London's first live punk venue, played a crucial role in the Adverts' early career. They were one of the pioneering bands who played at the club during its first 100 days. The Adverts played at the club no fewer than nine times between January and April 1977. In January 1977, after their first gig supporting Generation X, the band impressed Michael Dempsey so much that he became their manager. Their second gig supporting Slaughter & the Dogs was recorded, and their anthem "Bored Teenagers" was included on the 1977 UK Top 30 album The Roxy London WC2. In February, shortly after the band's third gig supporting the Damned, they signed a recording contract with Stiff Records. In March, the band supported the Jam at the Roxy.

In April, the Adverts recorded the first of four sessions for John Peel at BBC Radio 1. They split up shortly after the accidental death by electrocution of manager Dempsey. Their last gig was at Slough College on 27 October 1979. After the band ended, T.V. Smith continued with Cross as T.V. Smith's Explorers, then Cheap, and finally as a solo artist from the 1990s onward.

In regards to their legacy, critic and author Dave Thompson argued that "nobody would make music like the Adverts and nobody ever has. In terms of lyric, delivery, commitment and courage, they were, and they remain, the finest British group of the late 1970s".

Former members who have died include Cross (died 9 July 2012)

  • "Safety in Numbers" / "We Who Wait" (1977, Anchor Records) <small>UK No. 52</small>
  • "No Time to Be 21" / "New Day Dawning" (1978, Bright Records) <small>UK No. 34</small>
  • "Television's Over" / "Back from the Dead" (1978, RCA Records)
  • "My Place" / "New Church" (1979, RCA Records)
  • "Cast of Thousands" / "I Will Walk You Home" (1979, RCA Records)

EPs

  • The Peel Sessions (1987, Strange Fruit Records) <small>UK Indie No. 18</small>

Sources

Further reading

  • The Life & Times of T.V. Smith by Dave Thompson (1988, Private)
  • The Adverts on www.punk77.co.uk
  • The Adverts on Punkmodpop
  • Interview with The Adverts on Trilogy Rock (Spain)
  • Crossing the Punk with TV Smith Interview on Lafuriaumana.it