999 - Biography
By Oliver Hall
London’s 999 formed as a punk band in 1976, and their uncomplicated, feel-good rock and roll bridged the gap between the pop-punk of The Vibrators and the later working-class sing-alongs of the Oi! bands. After a disastrous bid for pop success in the early 1980s, 999 reemerged as a cult punk band, focusing more energy on touring than on studio recording. The band’s lineup has been remarkably stable for over three decades; all current members except the bassist are founding members. The bassist has been with the band since 1991.
Keith Lucas played in the pub-rock band Kilburn and the High-Roads with Ian Dury in the mid-1970s. Around 1976, Lucas appropriated the name of local drummer Nick Cash, who would one day drum with Fad Gadget. That same year, Lucas (now Nick Cash) and his childhood friend Guy Days formed a punk band. The band went through a series of names during its first year, calling themselves the Dials, 48 Hours (after the Clash song?), and the Fanatics before they settled on 999, named after the UK equivalent of 911. Cash and Guys met bassist Jon Watson through an ad they placed in Melody Maker, and chose Pablo LaBritain (né Paul Buck) after auditioning several other drummers. The band played its first show at the Northampton Cricket Club in January of 1977.
Also in 1977, 999 self-released their first single “I’m Alive” (1977 LaBritain, re-released 1979 United Artists), a regional hit that got them signed to United Artists. After the release of their other early singles “Nasty Nasty” (1977 United Artists) and “Emergency” (1978 United Artists), they unleashed a full-length debut album, 999 (United Artists), in 1978, which was produced by Andy Arthurs, who had also produced the Soft Boys’ single “(I Want to Be an) Anglepoise Lamp” that year. Martin Rushent, who produced The Stranglers and the Buzzcocks, produced 999’s second album, Separates (1978 United Artists), which opens with the Top 40 single “Homicide.”
Pablo LaBritain was injured in a car crash in 1979, and drummer Ed Case replaced him during his convalescence for 999’s US tour. Case drums on the 1978 studio album The Biggest Prize in Sport (1979 Polydor), though not on the companion live EP The Biggest Tour in Sport (1980 Polydor). 1980’s The Singles Album (Albion) collected their singles to date, both A and B-sides.
The Cash and Days originals on 1981’s Concrete (Polydor) incline towards roots-rock, as do the album’s covers of Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs’ “Li’l Red Riding Hood” and Allen Toussaint’s “Fortune Teller.” In 1983, 999 made an abrupt and bewildering stylistic change on 13th Floor Madness (Albion), a dance-pop album so soft and smooth it made Sade sound like Johnny Rotten by comparison. It is no surprise that 13th Floor Madness was poorly received. The band returned to rock arrangements in 1985 for the self-released Face to Face (LaBritain), after which bassist Watson left the band.
Danny Palmer plays bass on the 1987 live album Lust Power and Money (ABC), which was recorded in London. 1989’s Live and Loud!! (Link) and Live in L.A. 1991 (Triple X) followed, with Arturo Bassick of The Lurkers joining as bassist in 1991. You Us It! (Anagram), released in 1993, was the first new 999 studio album in almost a decade. 1997’s Emergency (Receiver) consisted of re-recordings of 999 hits, and they followed up with another, Takeover (1998 Get Back), the next year. Old live sets and demos filled several CDs in the years that intervened between Takeover and the next new 999 album, Death in Soho (Overground), which wasn’t released until 2007. 999 has released two DVDs: Feelin’ Alright with the Crew (2004 Cherry Red) – a video of a 1984 gig, and Nasty Tales (2008 Dream Catcher) – shot at a 2005 concert. The band continues to tour to this day.
