Flamin' Groovies – Teenage Grease 1972

Ugly Things #71 (April 2026)

My 16 page account of the Flamin’ Groovies in Britain in 1972 is now published in what must be one of Mike Stax’s best ever issues of Ugly Things. Alongside my piece you’ll find the final part of the real Dave Laing’s monumental and utterly brilliant history of The Saints and Frank Uhle’s stupendous interview with the one and only Danny Fields. Laurent Bigot & Phillippe Migrenne’s story of les Lou’s is equally wonderful. There’s a whole lot more to dive into, so, as Mick Farren would have said, ‘get some’.

Flamin' Groovies – a look of utter boredom.

It was a typical Saturday night at the Ludlow Garage. The Flaming Groovies were burning up the amps and hundreds of the faithful were sprawled over their carpeted nirvana.

Standing in the rear was a tall girl wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket and blue levis and a look of utter boredom.

Nick Kent - 'Viva Rock'n' Roll Facism'

‘Critic’s Choice’ Let It Rock, January 1974. 30 UK and USA rock critics tell readers what they liked best about 1973. Along with Lester Bangs and Lenny Kaye, Kent liked the Stooges, only he saw them as a call to arms rather than just a good night out: ‘That hordes of deranged mutant-youth will spring up from the suburbs primed on Iggy Pop and wearing Keith Richard death-head face-masks to assassinate John Denver, James Taylor and Carly, and rock-writers who write turgid wank-analysis of Bob Dylan and Professor Longhair.’ Prescient . . .

I’ve kept Mike Leadbitter in the frame because he liked the Flamin’ Groovies’ ‘Married Woman’ 45 and so do I . . .