Vic Godard
| Vic Godard | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Victor John Napper |
| Born | Mortlake, London, England |
| Genres | Punk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1976–1985, 1990–present |
| Labels | Rough Trade, London, Postcard |
| Associated acts | Subway Sect, The Bitter Springs, The Long Decline, Working Week, JoBoxers, The Fallen Leaves |
| Website | The official web site of Vic Godard & Subway Sect |
Vic Godard (born Victor John Napper) is a British singer-songwriter formerly of the punk group Subway Sect. He is now also a solo performer, while continuing to appear with various incarnations of Subway Sect.
Born Victor John Napper in Mortlake, south-west London, Godard was raised in nearby Barnes.
In 1976, Godard formed Subway Sect with three other fans of the Sex Pistols at the suggestion of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, who wanted another band for the line-up of the 100 Club Punk Festival. Despite their inexperience, Subway Sect made a successful debut at the festival and were taken on by Clash manager Bernie Rhodes. They appeared with The Clash on the White Riot Tour in 1977 and released their debut single, "Nobody's Scared"/"Don't Split It", in March 1978. While recording their debut album at Gooseberry Studios, Rhodes suddenly fired the entire band except for Godard. Only one track from the album's recording sessions, "Ambition", was released by Rough Trade Records; the single was a major hit on the alternative charts.
Godard re-formed Subway Sect in 1980 with new musicians and signed to MCA Records sublabel Oddball, releasing the album What's The Matter Boy? Following a summer tour with Buzzcocks, Subway Sect disbanded again. Guitarist Johnny Britten formed a rockabilly band but was soon forced to leave the group, at which point Godard stepped in to take his place. They recorded the album Songs For Sale in 1981, but were disappointed with the results and disbanded soon after, most of the band going on to form JoBoxers. Godard also recorded an LP at Olympic Studios, called T.R.O.U.B.L.E., with a group of London jazz musicians known as Working Week, which was eventually released two years later by Rough Trade Records.
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