I fucking loved the Godfathers. There's no other way of saying it.
If I had to describe them - I know I don't, but I will anyway - I'd summarise them as a brilliant blend of punk and rock'n'roll with something '60s r'n'b and garage going on too. Snarling, punchy, catchy and dressed in sharp suits, the Godfathers had everything I wanted from a band in the mid '80s, including attitude. Born from the ashes of the Sid Presley Experience this was a group that needed to be there at exactly that time.
I could have chosen any of a number of their tracks as an all-time favourite song, but perhaps the one that stood out to me the most early on was their second single, 'This Damn Nation', released on 12" in March 1986. But they had me at their first release, 'Lonely Man' and my love for them continued for a good few years.
I was lucky enough to see them live twice, details fade but I'm pretty sure both times were in 1988 at the Town & Country Club. What I do remember is that vocalist Peter Coyne and his brother, bassist Chris Coyne, looked like proper geezers you wouldn't want to mess with. Guitarist Kris Dollimore was a ball of energy, leaping about and throwing guitar hero poses which might sound crap except that he looked like he was simply born to move that way... he was rather cute too. They gave it everything, and everyone got hot.
Click on link to listen...
The Godfathers: This Damn Nation
