The Adverts
 With
their raw, enthusiastic immaturity, The Adverts were a bright but
short-lived light of the punk era, and their bass player Gaye
Advert was one of the first female 'stars' of punk rock.
The band were formed in 1976 by TV Smith and Gaye Advert
(pictured at right), both from Bideford, a small coastal town in
Devon.
After relocating to London the two young punks recruited
guitarist Howard Pickup and drummer Laurie Driver 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 less
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 UK Top 30 album Live At The
Roxy 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 1977 The Adverts recorded the first of four sessions
for John Peel at BBC Radio 1. Days
later, their debut single, One Chord Wonders, was
released. In August the band released Gary Gilmore's Eyes,
a controversial song based on the wishes of an American murderer
that his eyes be donated to medical science after his execution.
Surprisingly, the band's follow-up single, Safety In
Numbers (October), did not chart. The Adverts fourth single
released in January 1978, No Time To Be 21, scraped into
the UK Top 40.
Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts was The Adverts'
debut album and was released by Bright Records in March 1978.
Unfortunately, despite releasing some more well-regarded singles,
The Adverts were not able to maintain the momentum and their
career stalled after the release of their second album, Cast
Of Thousands.
The album was a huge departure from Crossing The Red Sea,
with the opening title track awash in sweeping orchestral
arrangements, grandiose piano, wild synthesizer and massed choirs.
Elsewhere, the album actually featured tubular bells!
They split up shortly after the accidental death by
electrocution of their manager, Michael Dempsey. Their last gig
was at Slough College on 27 October 1979.
While Tim Smith continued in the music business, ultimately to
release solo albums, Gaye (real name Black) gave up music and
followed a career with Social Services. Driver (real name Muscat)
moved to Iceland - the country not the shop - and sadly, Howard
(Pickup) Boak died from a brain tumour.
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