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Formed: Battersea, South London, England, UK

Squatting punks, The Straps were more '77 sounding than their hardcore peers and even, at one time, had Andi Sexgang on board. They toured with The Damned, Sham 69 and Stiff Little Fingers. Their first bassist, known only to history as Green, died of a heroin overdose in 1978. They were a goodish band who suffered from a revolving door lineup policy, and a rather blinkered punk mentality.

Their debut single Just Can't Take Anymore was rockabilly-tinged and not that good, but Brixton was much stronger, a slab of forceful, tuneful punk. Unfortunately, their solitary LP The Straps was scrappy. A third single ('Omega Man', 1983) was never released and a second album, 'In Love With The New World Order', was planned for release in 2007 but never came out.

Singer Jock Strap (RN Johnny Grant) and original bassist Simon Werner later played in Bartok, with Strap going on to join Freakshow. Werner and original drummer Jim Walker played with The Pack, and Walker also played with Canadian punks The Furies, Public Image Ltd and The Human Condition. Other notable members were Stan Stammers (bass, The Epileptics/Theatre of Hate/Spear of Destiny), Luke Rendal (Crisis/Theatre of Hate), Andi Sexgang (bass, pre-Sex Gang Children) and Andy Forbes (guitar, The Wall).

Additional Information grabbed directly from Wikipedia:

In 2005, Captain Oi! Records issued a Straps compilation, The Punk Collection, and the reunited band (including Grant, Reeves, Stuart Phillips on guitar, Mark Hobbs on bass and Lloyd Dudley on drums) released the limited-edition album 'In Love With the New World Order' [was this ever released?] to coincide with that year's Rebellion Festival performance. The Straps played the Rebellion Festival three years running, until Grant suffered an accidental knee injury, and they separated again in 2008.

The band returned to the UK gig scene in 2012 for the ill-fated Last Jubilee and Punk by the Sea festivals, with a new lineup of Grant, Reeves, Davies and two new members: ex-Concrete Gods guitarist Phil McDermott and Morgellons bassist Mark Geraghty. As well as playing a now infamous DIY show in Southsea with Sham 69, UK Subs, Vice Squad and The Defects, this lineup played the legendary 100 Club with Chelsea and sold out a headline show at Camden's Barfly.

In August 2013, the band released their third studio album, Brave New Anger, recorded at Pat Collier's Perry Vale Studios.

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DISCOGRAPHY

Subsequent studio albums: In Love With The New World Order (2007), Brave New Anger (2013).

Singles & Albums

Just Can't Take Anymore (7", 1980)

Brixton (7", 1982)

The Straps (LP, 1982)

Extraneous Releases

The Punk Collection (CD, 2005)

Various Artists

Punk Territory Vol. 2 - G.B. 1979-82 Italy CD 1994 (Anthology): Just Can't Take Anymore

England Belongs To Me Vol. 4 UK LP 2000 (77 Records): Brixton

Riot On The Rocks Vol. 4 Spain CD ???? (Safety Pin): No Way Jose