First formed in 1975, the Canvey Island band joined the dots between pub rock and punk, enjoying a string of chart singles including 'Teenage Depression', 'Quit This Town' and the evergreen 'Do Anything You Wanna Do'. Despite a few line-up changes over the years, the band, still fronted by Barrie Masters, have shown in recent years that they're still a dynamite live act and are bowing out on a high.
It's not all bad news though, as next month the band get to christen a brand new local venue.
Club Foot at Burnt Mill Academy in Harlow replaces the Essex town's legendary venue The Square, which, after a long battle, closed a year ago with the Hot Rods playing the final night.
Hot Rods guitarist Richard Holgarth, a former co-owner of The Square and Burnt Mill student, says, "We are trying to keep live music going in the town. Club Foot is the nearest thing we have to a venue which can afford artistically to put music on in the town which does not follow the usual format of cover bands. It’s quite a gamble for pubs to put on original music and that’s what The Square was all about and we hope Club Foot will be about."
The Hot Rods play Club Foot, Harlow on 2 February with support from CYANIDE PILLS and LOS PEPES. Tickets priced £10 are available here.
The band also play Putney Half Moon this Saturday 19 January, and have festival appearances at Undercover in April and the Vive Le Rock-sponsored Strummercamp in May. Full dates are....
19 Jan - The Half Moon, Putney, London
2 Feb - Club Foot, Burnt Mill Academy, Harlow
17 Feb - The Roadmender, Northampton
9 Mar - Harpenden Hall, Harpenden (w/ Department S)
13 April - Undercover Festival, Margate
26 May – Strummercamp, Oldham
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