What Is This Awful "Punk" Stuff?

    These kids with their hairdos and their torn clothing! Photographer Romany WG took these photos at the gigs he attended in London in the late '70s.

    Katie Notopoulos
    by Katie Notopoulos

    BuzzFeed News Reporter

    Adam and the Ants - 100 Club, 1978.

    Flickr: romanywg

    The Damned - Roxy Club, 1977

    Flickr: romanywg

    "Captain Sensible and Dave Vanium taken at the Roxy Club Feb. 21st 1977.

    The Roxy opened on 14th December 1976 with Generation X. I went along but got too pissed to take photos. I do remember talking to Jeanette (who I knew from working at Acme Attractions with Don Letts) who later went on to play in 'The Flowers Of Romance' with John Lydon.

    Stood on the speakers on the side of the stage with my Pentax Spotmatic and 200mm lens. My ears were pounding for 3 days solid."

    Adam and the Ants. Vortex, 1977.

    Flickr: romanywg

    "Adam and the Ants and Spizzoil 'Where's Captain Kirk' supporting Siouxsie and the Banshees, they just didn't come any better. Have some great photos from this gig, one of a kid in the audience in full bondage mask getting kicked in the face by one of the bouncers onstage."

    Siouxsie and The Banshees - Vortex, Halloween, 1977.

    Flickr: romanywg

    "With Adam and The Ants supporting. Not a bad line up for a quid!"

    Siouxsie and the Banshees - Vortex, 1977.

    Flickr: romanywg

    "Headlining with Adam and the Ants and Spizzoil.

    Had wanted to see The Banshees for so long but this was my first time. When I say The Banshees, I really mean Siouxsie.

    We both used to work at the same place in 1976. Leo Burnetts Advertising Agency on St Martins Lane. She would come to work made up like a china doll."

    Iggy Pop - Music Machine, 1978.

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    Joe Strummer Music Machine, 1978.

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    Joe Strummer Jimmy Pursey Music Machine, 1978

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    The Damned - Roxy Club, Feb 21, 1977.

    Flickr: romanywg

    Dave Vanium - Roxy Club, 1977.

    Flickr: romanywg

    "Dave Vanium of the Damned was joined by a member of the audience for a number or until he was thrown back into the crowd.

    Notice the very 'unpunk' haircuts at the front of stage. Posers with mohicans and clothes from Sex didn't enter the scene till later on and even then very few could afford the clothes, so just made their own."

    X-Ray Specs. The Red Cow 1977.

    Flickr: romanywg

    "The Red Cow in Hammersmith was one of my favorite places to see bands. Very small but never too crowded. Always easy to get to the front of the stage to take photos. Lots of spitting though (as can be seen by the large gob on Poly Styreens left shoulder)"

    PolyStyrene - X-Ray Specs, 1977.

    Flickr: romanywg

    The Stray Cats - The Venue.

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    Penetration - Ealing College, November 10, 1977

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    "I was the only photographer there and Pauline Penetration posed for the camera all night."

    Adam and The Ants - The Vortex, 1977.

    Flickr: romanywg

    "Love the guy in the mask. Also you can see the bouncer on the stage putting his boot into some kids face."

    The Rezillos - The Nashville Room, 1977

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    "Expensive! £1"

    Ian Dury. Croydon Greyhound 1977.

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    Madness - The Venue New Years Eve 1980.

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    Buzzcocks - The Vault, Brighton, 1977

    Flickr: romanywg

    "We were expecting to see Howard Devoto fronting the band but found out that he had just left the group. Very dissapointed as he was the voice on their current Spiral Scratch EP with the amazing 'Breakdown' track. I do remember getting up on stage, well I say stage but they were on the same level as the crowd, and singing with Pete Shelley for one track. No photos though."

    Iggy Pop, 1978

    Flickr: romanywg