The Nipple Erectors

The Nipple Erectors (A.K.A. The Nips) At the start, the Nipple Erectors consisted of Shane MacGowan (vocals), Shanne Bradley (bass), Roger Towndrow (guitar) and Gerry Mcllduff (drums). Just like any other punk band of the time period, the Nipple Erectors were an original bunch dressed in tacky clothes and had developed a sound all their own. Their style was regarded as punkabilly. Not exactly punk, not exactly rockabilly, but an crazy mixture of the two. Shane and Shanne were the members who originaly put the band together. In June of 1978, the Nipple Erectors recorded their first single, "King of the Bop." "Nervous Wreck" was on the B-side. At that same session they recorded "Stavordale Road N5" and "So Pissed Off" which were not released until the release of "Bops, Babes, Booze and Bovver" (singles collection LP, released in 1987). After having released their first single, the eager band played more shows, succeding in the developement in a nice sized local following. Deciding the Nipple Erectors was too corny a title for the band , they shortened their name to "The Nips." Then going by their new name, they released a second single, "All the Time in the World" w/ B-side "Private Eye" also on the Soho label, near the end of 1978. The next couple of years saw a change in the band line up and two more singles were released as well as a live recorded LP "Only the end of the Beginning" (1980). According to the "Bops, Babes, Booze and Bovver" record folder, the line up had changed from Roger Towndrow to Gavin Dougles (guiter) and from Gerry Mcllduff to a guy named Grinny (drums). In addition to their live LP from 1980, they released yet another single, "Gabrielle" w/ B-side "Vengeance" on Chiswik Records. "Gabrielle" was sort of a poppier love ballad which wasn't all that bad but it didn't make it to the top of the charts like the band had hoped for. The B-side, "Vengeance" on the other hand was sort of a "You screwed my girlfriend, so I'm gonna break your head" type of song. Their last single "Happy Song" w/ B-side "Nobody" to Love" was released in 1981 on Test Pressing Records and was produced by the well known singer of the "Jam" Paul Weller. According to "The Lost Decade" (a Pogues documentary by Ann Scanlon), there were a few more band line up changes throughout the existence the Nips. I am not sure of all the names but I do know that one of the temporary guitarists was James Fearnley, soon to be the accordianist of the Pogues. The only two members who stayed in the band from start to finish were Shanne Bradley and Shane MacGowan. After the disbandment of the Nips in late 1980, the band members went their seperate ways. Shane started working at a record store and eventually acted as a occasional replacement in (future Pogues member) Spider Stacy's band "The Millwall Chainsaws." Immidiatly following the break up of the Chainsaws, Shane and Jem Finer (future Pogue) started "Pogue Mahone", soon to be rechristened "The Pogues." Sometime in the early 80's Shanne Bradley joined a pop/Irish band called "The Men They Couldn't Hang." James Fearnley went on to attempt to a writing career but instead was talked into joining Pogue Mahone. As for the many other temporary Nips members I haven't a clue. NOTE: I could be slightly wrong about the band line up history. If you notice anything misinforming, please don't hesitate to correct me