So, with “Nutz Live Cutz”,
their last album with A & M Records,
languishing in the bargain bins of record
shops, and A & M holding a further
2 years recording contract over the band,
the future was not exactly rosy. Keyboard
player Kenny Newton left to form Nightwing,
who carried on with their own brand of
Bombastic rock until 1984.
The only way that the remaining nucleus
of the band could stay together and see
out their two years of contract was to
sing for their supper at the Ship Hotel
in the Jersey Isles. So for two summer
seasons these scouse boys entertained
the holiday makers on those sunny tax
free isles.
But then fate took another turn. Geoff
Appleby, well-known record producer and
long time admirer of the band, hearing
of their plight and seeing a change in
the music scene with Punk bands being
replaced by a return to the harder more
refined days of yore (bands like Iron
Maiden and Samson were making the waves
in London), invited the band up to London
for a showcase gig at the Greyhound in
Croydon.
The band hit the stage at 8.30 p.m. to
a packed hall and were still playing when
the house lights came up, having been
called back to encore so many times that
the crowd had 2 versions of “Wall Banger”,
2 versions of “Sinner”, and a new song
called “Bootliggers”.
Britain’s number one heavy metal D.J.
Neal Kay was in the crowd. He was putting
together an album of tracks from all of
London’s up and coming new bands. The
album was actually complete, but Kay held
release of the album and asked Nutz to
quickly record their new track “Bootligger”,
and then added it on to his new album
titled “The New Wave Of Heavy Metal”.
The album was a smash hit and opened a
whole new genre of hard rock.
The newly formed Carrera Records were
the lucky label to get their signatures
to have a second stab at that elusive
stardom. Carrera promised the world to
the boys. New clothes were bought and
a new image designed (lots of leather
and bright colours) with more emphasis
on David Lloyd as the front man with his
mane of red hair and movie star looks.
Studio time was booked and the band given
as much time as they needed to put down
an album as they wanted.
At this point a name change was thought
to be a good idea (whether it was or not,
who knows?). So after the years of frustration
behind them, the title of “Rage” was decided
to be very apt, and suitable for the times.
Carrera Records were not a big company
and I believe they did the best publicity
wise for the first album “Out Of Control”.
It was also given a five star rating by
the new tome of Heavy Metal “Kerrang”.
“Out Of Control” is a perfect hard rock
party album with every song being pressed
along at full speed with a constant beat
running through proceedings.
The guitar solo on the opening track leaves
you in no doubt that Mick Devonport had
lost none of his chops during his sojourn
in the Jersey Isles.
The single from the album “She’s On Fire”
went straight to number one on the Bandwagon
Heavy Metal chart. With David Lloyd’s
vocals putting him at the top of the pile.
A showcase gig was set up at the world
famous Marquee club in London and immediately
sold out, so another second date was arranged.
In the audience were members of “Iron
Maiden”, “Def Leppard”, and “Judas Priest”,
all coming to see how this hard rockin
heavy metal is done by the big boys. Needless
to say the concert was a huge success
with perhaps “Thank That Women” from the
“Out Of Control” album being the high
point.
A tour of Britain’s smaller halls was
lined up and the band gigged everywhere
that people wanted to see them, adding
Terry Steers on rhythm guitar to fill
out the live sound. Terry was also great
at rabble rousing the crowd as John and
Mick showed off at the front.
Rage were on a roll, so it was back in
the studio to record the album that was
perhaps the pinnacle of their career,
“Nice ‘n’ Dirty”, with probably the most
politically incorrect album cover of all
time. As usual the boys wouldn’t back
off by changing the cover, therefore most
major record chain refused to stock the
album. So whilst you could go to the concerts
and hear all the great new songs such
as “American Radio Station”, “Wasted Years”
and new live set open “Silver And Gold”,
it was almost impossible to actually buy
the album. In hindsight, Carrera Records
should of put their foot down and changed
the cover, but that would of broken their
ideal of allowing artists their freedom.
“And anyway, lots of girls like touching
other girls”.
Then, once again, the world caved in on
the boys. First they went out on nationwide
tour with Uriah Heep on their Conquest
tour, by which time all of the members
of Uriah Heep hated each other and the
tour had to be terminated mid tour due
to the impossibility of getting the headliners
on stage all at the same time. Dreadful
revues didn’t help either. A Sounds Magazine
headline read “The Agony & The Ecstasy”
with a picture of Uriah Heep’s lead guitarist
under agony and Mick Devonport under Ecstasy.
The review went on to say the tour roles
should be reversed and Rage should headline.
This did not exactly help band relations
on the tour bus.
With the tour finished and Carrera Records
in financial trouble Rage were bundled
back into the studio for another album,
something with a cover that they could
sell. But after the experiences of the
previous few months the boys weren’t ready
and, quite honestly, the resulting album
“Run For The Hills” is patchy at best.
Carrera Records then collapsed in a financial
heap. This really was the end for “Nutz
/ Rage”, younger bands were coming through.
No matter how talented they were, their
day was over.
What is a travesty is that none of this
marvelous music is presently available
to the public. There must be a market
for this music. Mick, David, Keith, Kenny,
and Terry, wherever you are, thanks for
the memories.
John Mylett was tragically killed in a
motorcar accident in Spain two weeks after
“Rage” were put to rest. John was so convinced
that one day his band would make it, he
had previously turned down the drum seat
in Iron Maiden.
The bad as an epitaph recorded:
“So You Want To Be A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”,
under the name of “Spitfire” as they were
convinced that certain elements of the
press had it in for them. They tried to
have a hit under the name of Spitfire……….
Silly Fokkers.
Later the remaining members
of Rage gigged around the Liverpool scene
with David Lloyd forming a band with Steve
Morris called Sliced Bread. Steve Morris
turns up again in Garth Rocket and the
Moonshiners, which had a certain Ian Gillan
on lead vocals and Keith Mullholland on
bass. Keith Mullholland plays to this
day with Mick Davenport in covers band
the Space Cadets. The Nutz/Rage story
is one of a great band, great days, and
a great shame they never became stars.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
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1
