Why

The common thread is an attempt to return to my childhood and a mythology of the early 1970s and culture as seen through that lensea. I sawpunk rock albeit through the eyes of a 12 year old and in a sense we were the pure punks as the older kids had turned from their Led Zeppelin, Yes, Genesis, Roxt music, Bowie et al to punk, where as my generation had seen virtually nothing to align themselves with before. There is nothing of real interest to say about punk. What really fires me up is something I was just too young to understand and stems from three specific moments from my childhood.
1; We were on holiday as a family somewhere down south west, one of the reasons I live down here is it reminds me of childhood holidays, the Glitter Band were playing. I saw three teenage girls as the sun was setting on an expansive area like a main road next to a park. Maybe Exeter? Looking up at thier faces I saw joy and a dusting of glitter on there cheeks, one had a silver star on her face, something I might have got at school for a good piece of schoolwork. I must have been 7 and was a Gary Glitter fan.
2; On our way home from a family holiday, maybe the same one, we had got back from Devon to Leeds by train and were waiting for a taxi. Suddenly an army of exhuberant Leeds United fans stormed out of the train station. They were all dressed in the fashion of the time, 3 star jumpers worn tight, high waistband oxford bags, tight round the groin, 12 to 15 button waistbands, pockets you could fit an exersize book in, cut half mast to show off either platforms or oxe blood polished doc martin boots. A look expanded upon by the Bay City Rollers.
3; Brog and Shy, a couple I saw walking round our estate, he dressed in falmer jeans, half past, tight wrangler jacket, she in 3 star jumper, long hair, bleached under side to a dark red cover. They were perfect.

There have been various attempts to recapture this time, Life On Mars, David Peaces Red Riding 4 books and the 3 part tv series it spawned. His Damned United too.

The closest I have found are Jake Arnotts book Johnny Come Home
Mott the Hooples all the young dudes

My fascination for this period stems from the last days of a happy childhood before things caved in. Punk marked the jump to personal nihilism, so small yeyt so well documented. This era that was the background to Glam Rock had no theoreticians, no art school types. No Malcolm McClarren, no Jamie Reed. The backdrop also had IRA bombs, Barder Mienhoff, power cuts, strikes, the 2nd world war was still in the eyes of older men, raccism was everywhere, Bernard Manning was on the Commedians as early as 6pm, TV was black and white and finished at midnight.

The earliest news memory I have was the Loft House colliery disaster.

My glam rock research came from the music I loved as a 7 year old. I saw a glam rock compilation in Sommerfields, 2 cd set for £3. It covered most of the bands of the era but no gary glitter. He has been editted out of history. I've always been a Slade fan and Claire got me the Slade boxset for christmas and I was off. At Paul Fryers new year party we were allk dancing to Do YOU Wanna Touch by gary glitter and Ballroom Blitz by The Sweet. I started buying up stuff I had lost years ago, Wizard, The Sweet, Mott the Hoople, more Slade, Nazsareth, Geordie, Chickory Tip. I have scoured the local CD shops but Gary Glittewr still eludes me, I had a vinyl greatest hits but, having no turntable, I left all my vinyl in a box in the street for the public to take thier pick. I tracked down a Gary Glitter video and a glam rock compilation video, mainly made up of top of the pops performances.
This isn't about forgiving his repugnant crimes and seeming lack of remorse but about my childhood, remembering his art and stopping the rewriting of history