The Fegs

Named after the Ferguslie Park area in Paisley, the Fegs were Kenny (vocals),
Joe (guitar/vocals), Paul aka Lamp (bass), and Eddie (drums). Fed up with
watching other bands play, the Fegs formed in 1979 and started doing support
slots for the Mentol Errors, which was handy as Eddie drummed for both bands.
They recorded the track 'Mill Street Law And Order' for the 'Ha! Ha! Funny Polis
but, not long after this, Kenny left the band, leaving Joe on guitar and vocals. On
the release of the EP, the Fegs were featured in Sounds in 1979, and on the
front page of the Paisley Daily Express (January 11, 1980), both under the
heading "Punk Record Hits At Town's 'Funny Polis'". The photo to the left
appeared on the front page of the Express listing the three people as Joe,
Eddie, and Paul. However, the guy in the middle is not Eddie - he was a
stand-in for the photo. The newspaper had to print an apology after a complaint!

After Kenny left and Joe took over on vocals, the Fegs played many gigs as a
three-piece, one of the most memorable being in Whiting Bay on the Isle of
Arran, just after the Lurkers played there! The Fegs may have been the
second punk band to play the island.

The photo to the right is from Arran, and shows the Fegs, theMentol Errors
and a girl called Ellen who went out with the Mentol Errors' singer, Davie.
Ellen's brother was Wullie, the singer of the Zones, who had a big record
company backup at the time. The rest of the band were the remnants of PVC2
and the teenybop band Slik after Midge Ure had left to join the Rich Kids with
Glen Matlock.

Details of the Fegs are a bit sketchy, but Joe provided the following.

The Fegs' first gig was possibly in the Ferguslie Community Hut, a sort of
non-glorified scout hall in the middle of the housing scheme. They also played
the first (and only) Ferguslie Festival. Gigs in Ferguslie at that time could be
quite hairy affairs as the locals from that end of the scheme didn't appreciate a
mob of punks invading their turf! As a four-piece, they possibly also played in
Easterhouse (Glasgow), the Fan Club in Leeds, and the first time they played
at the bandstand on the Broomielaw in Glasgow.

They also played the Trades Council with Matt Vinyl and the Decorators. The
Scars may also have played that night as Joe remembers talking to Bobby
King their singer.

Another memorable gig was on a warm, sunny day at the bandstand on the
Broomielaw in Glasgow in the summer of 1979. Included in the line-up that
day were the Fegs, the Poems (with Rose McDowell of Strawberry
Switchblade on drums and heavily pregnant), Sneex from Renfrew (who were
on the first Paisley EP 'Spectacular Commodity'), and a band called Raw Deal
from Bothwell who went on to become the Bluebells. Joe and Lamp had been
at a party in Glasgow the night before the gig and turned up, still hungover, to
a very large crowd. On stage, Joe thought it would be a laugh to impersonate
Pete Townhend with his 335 Copy guitar and smashed it to pieces. This
earned a standing ovation but he would later regret it for two reasons: 1. it was
his only guitar and 2. it was given to him as a present!

The Fegs may also have played with the Flowers and Shake (Jo Callis's band
after leaving the Rezillos) in Edinburgh as Joe remembers playing guitar with
him in the dressing room, but not much else.

The Fegs lasted for just less than a year. On splitting, Joe went on to join
Defiant Pose. There are some studio recordings of the Fegs that have never
been released.