The First Night of Friars Aylesbury Phase Four 

19th August 2010

Friars press release 19th August 2010

FRIARS AYLESBURY PHASE FOUR LAUNCHES WITH BUZZCOCKS, PENETRATION and 999.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8^th -  Friars Aylesbury at the Waterside Theatre

Tickets go on sale Saturday August 28^th 11.00am 

Following the spectacular success of the final Friars Aylesbury Phase Three gig on June 4^th of this year with Paul Weller and John Otway, Friars moves in to a brave new world with its first Phase Four gig at Aylesbury’s new iconic venue The Waterside Theatre. 

Friars Aylesbury started on June 2^nd 1969 at the New Friarage Hall in Walton Street. After a year it was thrown out of this venue and lived in the wilderness for 9 months with the occasional gig in Bedford, Princes Risborough and Watford. Then in April 1971 Friars Aylesbury started up again at Aylesbury’s Borough Assembly Hall in the Market Square. The Phase Two Borough Assembly Hall period from 1971 to 1975 was in many people’s opinion the classic period of Friars. In the summer of 1972 David Bowie, Lou Reed and Roxy Music played Friars three Saturdays in a row. 

In 1975 Friars moved again. Phase Three was at the Civic Centre which established Friars as one of the best gigs for a band to play in the world.

This phase would last for no less than 35 years culminating in the Paul Weller gig in June of this year.

 Now Friars moves to the 1750 capacity Waterside which is its biggest venue so far. The New Friarage Hall had a capacity of 400, the Borough Assembly Hall 700 and the Civic Centre 1250.

 ‘It will be quite a challenge” says Friars promoter David Stopps. “The layout we will use at the Waterside is 1100 standing downstairs with the remaining 650 seated in the balcony, so it will be similar to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in that respect”  “I am confident that the magic Friars atmosphere that the 90,000 Friars members managed to create throughout the 41 years of Friars so far, will continue at the new venue.”

 This first date will feature legendary Manchester band Buzzcocks together with Newcastle’s Penetration and London’s 999. All three of these bands headlined at Friars Phase Three. Buzzcocks played Friars on 6^th May 1978 and 28^th March 1979. Penetration supported on that first Buzzcocks gig on 6^th May 1978 and then went on to headline on 25^th Nov 1978 and 20^th October 1979. Pauline Murray also headlined with Invisible Girls on 11^th Oct 1980 and played Friars last year with Stiff Little Fingers. 999 headlined Friars on 3^rd March 1979.

 Buzzcocks fronted by Pete Shelley are considered to be one of the most influential bands of their era and are still influencing bands today.  REM, Nirvana and Green Day all site Buzzcocks as major influences. They combined great songwriting with a street punk attitude which they still retain. Songs like ‘Orgasm addict”, ‘What Do I Get?’ the anthemic ‘Harmony in my Head’ and ‘Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)’ are regarded as British punk classics. As Pete Shelley says:

“Looking back on it now, what’s going on is like echoes of the Big Bang. You look around in society and the culture; so many things would not have been the same if there never was punk rock. It’s strange; it’s like a science fiction novel. But to us at the time, it just sprung naturally.”

 Penetration fronted by Pauline Murray are regarded by many as the English band that most personified the pure punk spirit of the punk era. Named after the Stooges song of the same name the band were formed in Ferryhill Newcastle by three friends Pauline Murray, Robert Blamire and Gary Smallman. They released their iconic first single ‘Don’t Dictate’ in late ’77 and then ‘Firing Squad’ in early ’78 which was followed by their first album ‘Moving Targets’. Penetration have Friars Aylesbury written right through them like a stick of rock and that’s why we wanted them back for this historic date.

999 only played Friars once and it was a total sellout. Singer Nick Cash who previously played in Kilburn and the Highroads with Ian Dury, in true punk style, took a portable amp and his guitar and played outside the venue for those who couldn’t get. That’s the sort of thing that stays in the memory. Their single ‘Emergency’ lived on the Green Man jukebox for years and embedded itself in Aylesbury social culture.

This first Friars Aylesbury Phase Four gig will be historic.

Tickets will be £20 and will be available from the new Waterside Box Office in Walton Street  (0844 871 7607) or online from

www.ambassadortickets.com/aylesbury or www.WeGotTickets.com. If purchased from the box office there is no booking fee.