AKA: THE MAGNIFICENT GONADS / GARY AND THE GONADS / MAX 'N' GAL (THE BROTHERS GONAD)
Formed: Charlton, London South East London, England, UK
Oi!/Punk Pathetique also-rans led by Garry Bushell, Sounds scribe, one-time manager of Cockney Rejects (and The Blood), mastermind of the Oi! albums, minor media personality, novelist, and former writer for The Sun. They tried very hard to be funny, and sometimes they actually were: check out the charming 'I Lost My Love To A U.K. Sub' and 'S.E.7 Dole Day' (a cover of The Monkees' 'Pleasant Valley Sunday') are pretty good. Bushell's backing band in their early '80s heyday consisted of members of The Business and The Blood. At some point they were managed by so-called poet Garry Johnson. By the turn of the '90s they had mercifully stopped, but there have been numerous reformations since.
Of the band itself, Bushell aka Gal Gonad was and is the only constant. The musicians were basically pick-ups from established bands on the Oi! scene. Variously, the following scene stalwarts have helped out: Steve Kent and Mark Brennan (The Business), J.J. Bedsore and Mark Brabbs (The Blood), Barry Damery (Infa-Riot), John Fisher (Combat 84), Tony Frater (Red Alert etc), Tony Feedback (Angelic Upstarts) as well as pianist Frankie Flame and Ron Rouman aka Lol Pryor (one-time manager of The Business and co-founder of Link Records with Brennan). 'TNT' on the Total Noise #1 compilation EP features backing from the Cockney Rejects.
Bushell's reputation as a hardcore right-winger was foisted upon him by the ignorant, and is largely down to the controversy surrounding the Strength Thru Oi! LP and his years spent as journo for The Sun. He has never been a Nazi, and has spoken out against fascism with passion and clarity. Whenever I've seen him interviewed - or read his articles - he comes across as a perfectly alright bloke. The Gonads were vocal supporters of the Anti-Nazi League and played gigs for Prisoners' Rights. Old Boots No Panties is the only album by this lot I own, and it is surprisingly entertaining.
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DISCOGRAPHY
Subsequent studio albums: Oi! ... Back And Barking (1999), Schiz-Oi!-Phrenia (2001), Old Boots No Panties (2006), Live Free, Die Free (2009), Built For Destruction (2013), London Bawling (2016). Greater Hits Volume One: Plums (2011) and Greater Hits Volume Two: The Mutt's Nuts (2012) are actually stuffed full of new versions of old songs.
Singles & Albums
Stroke My Beachcomber Baby (7", 1977)
Pure Punk For Row People (7", 1982)
Peace Artists (7", as The Magnificent Gonads, 1982)
Delilah – The Punk EPic (7", as Max 'n' Gal (The Brothers Gonad), 1983)
Live - The Official Bootleg (2xLP, 1984)
Extraneous Releases
South London 5 Hull 4 (Full Time Result) (LP, split with The Blood, 1988)
Live And Loud!! (LP, 1988)
The Revenge Of The Gonads (LP, 1990)
Punk Rock Will Never Die - The Best Of The Gonads (CD, 1994)
Various Artists
Carry On Oi! UK LP 1981 (Secret): Tuckers Ruckers Ain't No Suckers
Bollocks To Christmas UK 7" 1981 (Secret): (I'm Dreaming Of A) White Christmas
Total Noise #1 UK 7" 1982 (Total Noise): TNT
The Secret Life Of Punks UK LP 1982 (Secret): I Lost My Love To A UK Sub
Oi! Oi! That's Yer Lot! UK LP 1982 (Secret): Getting Pissed
Wave News 2 - Independent Smash Hits Germany LP 1982 (Intercord): Pure Punk For Row People
Son Of Oi! UK LP 1983 (Syndicate): Jobs Not Jails / [as Gary & The Gonads:] Lager Top Blues
The Oi! Of Sex UK LP 1984 (Syndicate): S.E.7 Dole Day
Oi! Chartbusters Volume 3 UK LP 1988 (Link): Joys Of Oi!
Oi! Chartbusters Volume 4 UK LP 1988 (Link): Gonads Theme
Oi!.. The Picture Disc Vol. 2 UK LP 1988 (Link): Jobs Not Jails
A Guaranteed Mug Free Zone UK LP 1988 (Link): Jobs Not Jails
Oi! Chartbusters Volume 5 UK LP 1989 (Link): Eat The Rich
The Joys Of Oi! UK LP 1990 (Link): Joys Of Oi! / Eat The Rich
The Oddities Of Oi / The Joys Of Oi! UK CD 1993 (Step-1 Music): Joys Of Oi!
Secret Records: The Punk Singles Collection UK CD 1993 (Anagram): I Lost My Love To A UK Sub / Punk City Rockers
Oi! Oi! That's Yer Lot! / Back On The Streets EP UK CD 1993 (Step-1): Getting Pissed
Secret Records: The Punk Singles Collection Volume 2 UK CD 1995 (Anagram): Punk Rock Will Never Die / Got Any Wriggly’s John / She Can’t Whip Me
Razor Records Punk Collection UK CD 1995 (Anagram): Delilah [as The Brothers Gonad]
Lords Of Oi! UK 3xCD Box Set 1997 (Dressed To Kill): Joys Of Oi! / Gonads Theme / Eat The Rich
Oi! This Is England UK 3xCD Box Set 1999 (Dressed To Kill): Joys Of Oi! / Gonads Theme / Eat The Rich
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Links
The Gonads - Punk Rock Will Never Die! - Nice, information packed site
