Menace

There are three different artists/bands: 1. Menace (British Punk Band) Menace consisting of Charlie Casey (Bass) Steve Tannett (Guitar) Noel Martin (Drums) Morgan Webster (Singer)were London’s first generation no-nonsense boot boys, pre-dating Sham 69, who overtook them in terms of mass popularity, and the Cockney Rejects. They formed in 1976 at the Hope And Anchor in Islington when Webster met the other three members and were soon playing the Roxy. Their high-energy, unpretentious sets won them few admirers in the inkies, but they swiftly built a strong following that brought together both punks and skinheads. They’re often cited as the first to unite this potentially volatile mix. However, there was nothing premeditated about the audience they attracted. “Sham were more overt in their leanings towards skinheads,” Martin told me. “We had that crossover thing. We liked that idea.” Menace were initially signed to Miles Copeland’s Illegal Records and made their debut in August 1977 with ‘Screwed Up’ backed by ‘Insane Society’. Charlie Harper of the UK Subs bought the very first copy when he bumped into Martin picking up the first box of singles from Copeland’s office. It was good, honest, working class sloganeering (“If we’re the working class/Why ain’t we got jobs?”) and more musically adept than you might imagine. Sniffing Glue trumpeted that they “are the best punk band in England today!” after witnessing some highly charged early shows a...