So, in the age old tradition of all rock bands, we advertised in Melody Maker, but never did find someone that felt absolutely right. However, we were keen to get gigging, so compromised and settled on some one who looked the part but in my heart I was not happy and as so often is the case when compromising for the wrong reasons, things didn’t work out with him.
Meanwhile Danny and William were becoming close friends and, as with Sputnik in the early years, there was so much laughter and camaraderie in the early days, so many great times together.
Another friend of ours, a restaurant PR called Alan Compton Batt suggested the name Fin de Siècle for the band, a name which means literally End of the Century, but also represents a cultural movement that the band really related to. The Fin de Siècle movement represented decadence, sensuality and a coming of age. Perfect. It also felt auspicious after that weekend in Paris.
We took our rehearsals to Nomis, the industry’s professional studios, and threw a big party on the final night for all our friends. It was the band’s first proper gig and it went down a storm.
True to Mclaren’s blueprint, we then set up shows in out-of-the-ordinary places. Many of these venues did not even have stages, which we had to build, along with everything else such as a P.A and lights. But it felt special and our first shows were invite only, at a new night club in Chelsea’s Sloane Street called “Montys”.
