Vic Godard
Biography
Vic Godard (born Vic Napper in Bristol, England) is a British singer-songwriter formerly of the punk rock group Subway Sect. He is now a solo performer. In 1976, Godard formed Subway Sect with three other fans of the Sex Pistols at the suggestion of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, who wanted another band for the line-up of the now legendary 100 Club Punk Festival in 1976. Other bands sharing the bill were the Pistols. The Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Buzzcocks and The Damned. Despit...
Vic Godard (born Vic Napper in Bristol, England) is a British singer-songwriter formerly of the punk rock group Subway Sect. He is now a solo performer.
In 1976, Godard formed Subway Sect with three other fans of the Sex Pistols at the suggestion of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, who wanted another band for the line-up of the now legendary 100 Club Punk Festival in 1976. Other bands sharing the bill were the Pistols. The Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Buzzcocks and The Damned. Despite their inexperience, Subway Sect made a successful debut at the festival. They appeared with The Clash and The Slits on the White Riot Tour in 1977 and released their debut single, "Nobody's Scared' / Don't Split It", in March 1978. While recording their debut album at Gooseberry Studios, the band's manager Bernie Rhodes suddenly fired the entire band except for Godard. Only one track from the album's recording sessions, Ambition, was released by Rough Trade records; the single was a major hit on the alternative charts.
Godard re-formed Subway Sect in 1980 with new musicians and released the album "What's The Matter Boy?" Following a summer tour with Buzzcocks, Subway Sect disbanded again. Guitarist Johnny Britten formed a rockabilly band but was soon forced to leave the group, at which point Godard stepped in to take his place. They recorded the album Songs For Sale in 1981, but were disappointed with the results and disbanded soon after. Godard also recorded an LP at Olympic Studios, called "T.R.O.U.B.L.E.", with a group of London jazz musicians known as Working Week, which was eventually released two years later by Rough Trade Records.
In the mid-1980s, Godard retired from music and became a postman.
In 1990, Godard wrote the song "Johnny Thunders", a tribute inspired by reading the obituary of the New York Dolls guitarist who had recently passed away. It was recorded at the home of Paul Baker, a fellow postman. Godard also recorded ten other tracks. The recordings eventually became the album "The End of the Surrey People" and was released on the Postcard Records label produced by Edwyn Collins and featuring the Sex Pistols' Paul Cook on drums.
Later in the 1990s, Godard formed the band Long Decline with Kenny Wisdom and Mark Perry (formerly of Alternative TV). The band released an album on the Overground label before disbanding in 1998, but re-formed in 2000 with Godard, Wisdom, Lee McFadden, and Mina Sassoon, among others. Godard contributed guitar and some songwriting, but not lead vocals,
In 1998, Godard released the album "Long Term Side-Effect" on Tugboat Records.
In 2002, Godard released the album Sansend., reprising the name Subway Sect once more.
In 2005, Godard's label Motion Records released the "Singles Anthology" compiling all A-sides and B-sides from Godard's career.
In 2007, as Subway Sect, Godard recorded the songs that were intended for the debut LP back in 1978, and released them as "1978 Now". The line-up includes original drummer Mark Laff. Original bass player Paul Myers also features on some of the tracks.
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