MARTIN NEWELL, frontman of 70s glam also-rans PLOD and mainstay of 80s psychedelicists CLEANERS FROM VENUS, plays a rare London show this weekend.
Now an established poet, Newell will be performing with Essex act THE HOSEPIPE BAND, who've set some of his works to music and who include former NEW MODEL ARMY bassist Nelson, also a former bandmate of Newell in the Cleaners.
The afternoon show takes place at the Union Chapel in Islington on Sunday 6 March and tickets are available here.
Having formed in Colchester in 1973, Plod's song 'Neo City' was included on 2003's Velvet Tinmine compilation and is rightly hailed as a classic of junkshop glam. After the band's break-up, Newell turned down an offer to join fledgling punks THE LONDON SS, later issuing a highly-regarded new wave solo single 'Young Jobless' before forming Cleaners From Venus in the early 80s. Signing to RCA, the band had some success in Germany, later starring in the book Lost In Music. Involving himself in various other projects, including a stint as lyricist for CAPTAIN SENSIBLE and recording an album with XTC's Andy Partridge, Newell has intermittently returned to the Cleaners name over the years, releasing a new album Rose Of The Lanes last year through Soft Bodies Records.
www.martinnewell.co.uk
