Ponderosa Glee Boys (1979-1982)

The Ponderosa Glee Boys formed in the summer of 1979, its founding members being Tomo (a.k.a. Tommo, vocals, later Rebél da Fé, President Beate Route) and Carl Eaton (a.k.a. Karl, bass, later Always the Now), plus Steve Coy (drums, later Dead or Alive) and Dave Banks (guitar). They played their first gig at the Lincoln’s Inn, which apparently was a disaster. After a couple of months the Glee Boys recorded their first demo at S.O.S. with John Tuite (Big in Japan, Pink Military, Faction), who also played on some of the tracks. To strengthen their act the band played a couple of low-key gigs at the Somali Club (on Parliament Street, apparently a prostitutes’ hang out) after which they were ready for Brady’s, supporting such acts as Martian Dance, Theatre of Hate, Generation X and Killing Joke.

In 1980 Roger Hill wrote about the Ponderosa Glee Boys: ‘[they] are the funniest band to play Liverpool stages since Pete Hart led the Naughty Lumps to oblivion. They veer from the unexpected optimism of UK’s OK to the rocky extremes of From Beyond to the laid-down neo-reggae. All their songs sound different and none of them finishes with a stick This-Is-Pop flourish!’

At about this time inevitable Records started to be interested in the band and gave the Glee Boys some studio time at S.O.S. for more demos. The band opted for Martin Dempsey’s studio, in Rossendale, but didn’t get along with Dempsey at all, this resulting in not doing any recording.
In 1981 Banks was replaced by Brian Swenson and, in July, this line-up recorded a Peel Session with three songs (Scream or Change Your Mind, Creation, Ritual) two of which were planned by Inevitable Records as the band’s first single (but never materialized).
In this period they played the Inevitable Nite Out at the Royal Court (with other bands like Dead or Alive and The Room). They also played the Hamilton Club in Birkenhead, where they smashed the support act’s equipment, and had to make a quick exit. After supporting the Killing Joke on their return to Liverpool, tome played his last gig with the band at the Futurama, Stafford Bingley Hall.

People from the scene remember:

‘Karl had been a ted in the early days & took to beating up punks for fun! I don't remember why, but he & Jamie (Ellery Bop) must've swapped clothes one night coz Karl became a blond Sid lookalikey & Jamie beat the Clash to the London Calling look! Anyhow the Glee Boys started about 79/80 Jamie having taught Karl how to play bass. They should have made it. There gigs always ended in a riot with Karl or Tommo or all of them jumping into the crowd for a punch up. They played all over the country’

(Thanks to Mada: http://forums.myspace.com/t/1922486.aspx?fuseaction=forums.viewthread )

When Tomo left to form Rebél da Fé with ex-members of Psycamesh (Gay Williams, Mark Robson, Steve Hadden), the Glee Boys line-up underwent some major changes. Eaton became lead singer, leaving bass playing duties to new member Bob Davies (later Change to the East) and Gordon Longsworth (former Motion Pictures, later Foundation) joined on guitars. In 1982 Longsworth was replaced by Ian Martin (later President Beate Route, ironically with Tomo) but before the end of the year the Glee Boys split. At the time, as Stuart Wood (Change to the East) remembers, Bob Davies, after rehearsing with the Glee Boys remained at the rehearsal place and formed a new band.

Here’s how Graham Trust (of No Exit) recalls Carl Eaton and the Ponderosa Glee Boys:

‘In June [1982] I bumped into Carl Eaton, a neighbour and associate of mine since childhood. He was a natural blonde blessed with the physique of a farm labourer. His future lay in his physicality, maybe as a nightclub bouncer, I supposed. How wrong I was. Unknown to me he was the lead singer and bassist with ‘The Ponderosa Glee Boys' who had played not only Liverpool but other towns and cities. The Glee Boys gained a reputation, not just for the quality of their music, but also for their eagerness to exchange blows with members of the audience. Now that they'd disbanded Carl was writing and recording by himself. He played me a cassette of his latest song ‘Sorry' (recorded at SOS Studios behind Stanley Street). I was impressed by the standard of his writing, playing and singing, and by the fact that he used a drum machine (state of the art, don't you know). Most of all I loved his use of the word "sorry". Carl's song was the lyrical catalyst for my own ‘Anything You Say', which I developed over the summer.’

(see: http://www.noexit-thevow.co.uk/history/1982 )


ponderosa glee boys - ritual