Societies Victims

Tilbs - guitar

Martin Hewitt - vocals

Scog - drums

Kevin Bradley - bass

This was the one of the bands that I joined, I did not help start up, it was already up and running. I do not remember how I came to join it, but I remember going to the practice room which was below “The Wheel” a nightclub in the West Walls part of Carlisle city centre; a large dismal room with a couch, an electric fire and a smell of damp. This was a punk band in the true sense of the word, thrash, fast and distorted. I was not completely into it if I was honest, it was more of an 80s punk band with no scope for doing anything different, 3 chord wonders and plenty of distortion, leather jackets and lots of attitude. All fine and dandy if you are into that sort of thing?

I had sprayed on my t-shirt “Words have failed, time for action” which was the chorus to one of my songs (I cannot remember if we performed it though?), but I think we did. I do not have a good memory of what songs we did? There was a song written by one of the group (not me) called “Societies Victims” which began “We are Societies Victims…” 

We did a cover version of “Warhead” by the UK Subs; and “New Rose” by the Damned. We did a song of mine (words and music) called “I.B.S.” (Independent British State) which they seemed to like a lot!

In the photo I am playing an Antoria guitar (left handed) plugged into a Laney valve amp with its own distortion. It weighed a ton, but it had a great sound. I have a bandage on my left arm as I used to pull the skin off my arm when I strummed…a trick borrowed from Joe Strummer (The Clash).

The photo was taken during a sound check; I do not know who took the photo? Martin looks poised and ready to go. I do not know if Skog’s drum kit was his own or borrowed. Skog was a good player as he was a good guitarist…and everything else.

The venue was a church hall in Denton Holm if I remember rightly?

I did not leave the band, I was kicked out. I do not know why…possibly because I was not that into it…not enough attitude or leather? They did not have the guts to tell me to my face I was out, they hand wrote it on a concert poster and stuck it to the practice room’s door “Tilbs your sacked”… also they stole my song “I.B.S.” and used it in their band, and they claimed it as their own. In one way I was flattered but in another way (whoever did it) I thought them cheating bastards. It made me learn about copywrite, as I got the song copywritten. I heard it being performed on stage at "Stars and Stripes" when they had become "D.O.S." and I was not too impressed with their attempts, it sounded like all the rest of their stuff.

The guitarist they got after me was Tony Styles (Stylo) a great guitarist and a nice bloke. Skog left sometime soon after too…I am not sure when? but before they became the next incarnation “D.O.S.”

In a way that where my story in this band ends, it would be nice to hear from others about what happened? If anyone wants to write about D.O.S. I can include it in another page?

All I know is that Stylo is now dead and Martin Hewitt is dead also. I used to go to Trinity school with Martin, and I saw him around town and at the gigs...R.I.P. to you both.