Punk legends 999 have forged a devoted global following after almost 50 years of touring and are now set to headline Aberdeen.
The punk icons will headline Cafe Drummonds in the Granite City on Friday, February 23.
Formed in 1976 front-man Nick Cash believes the secret to the band’s longevity and enduring success is their connection with fans, old and new.
999 have completed 18 tours of the United States, 37 European tours and have played a far afield as Japan, Argentina and Brazil.
999’s connection with fans ahead of Aberdeen gig
Now Nick is relishing feeling a connection with Aberdeen fans when returning to the city.
Nick said: “We have been doing this for more than 48 years and it is our fans who have kept us going.
“Our music has been passed down through the generations and now we get whole families coming to see us.
“When we first started the British music press were very down on punk and new wave bands.
“They were also very anti-USA for some reason and said you should be bored with the USA.
“They said don’t go to the States, don’t sell out as you are an English phenomenon.
“However punk was also happening in the United States, although it was very different to England.
“So we went out there, got a van and toured all the little back-waters as well as the major cities.
“We also went to Brazil, Japan and the former Yugoslavia.
“We played everywhere and have built up a world-wide following through word-of-mouth.”
The global influence of legends 999
Nick (vocals/guitar) and Guy Days (vocals/lead guitar) initially formed 999 in 1976.
Within a couple of months they had teamed up with Jon Watson (bass) and Pablo Labritain (drums).
Their first gig was in January 1977.
Their influence continues to be felt globally.
Nick said: “I was in Berlin recently and there’s a Ramones museum there.
“There was a guy there who said he was a very young teenager in Magdeburg just after the Berlin wall came down.
“We played there and he said we gave him a poster and a record.
“He said we inspired him to go to Berlin where he is now the manager of the Ramones museum.
“Things like that make it really worthwhile.”
999: ‘Aberdeen has always been a great city for us’
Eponymous debut album 999 was released to critical acclaim in 1978 and included classic singles Emergency and Nasty Nasty.
Follow up Separates was released later that year and single Homicide crashed into the UK top 40.
Renowned for their passionate, high-energy shows 999 have a strong following in Aberdeen and the North-east.
Nick said: “Aberdeen has always been a great city for us and we love playing Drummonds.
“We are one of the few bands who always go further north than Glasgow and Edinburgh.
“We have played in Fraserburgh, Forfar and Arbroath which were fantastic gigs.
“People were amazed that we went to Fraserburgh but we had such a great time.
“For the first time we will be playing St Andrews at a new event called Party in the Poly Tunnel on Saturday which is a punk all-dayer.”
From touring with The Who to punk
Debut single I’m Alive was released on the band’s own Labritain label and racked up strong sales.
In early 1979 the band embarked upon their first tour of the United States, despite not having a record deal in the USA at the time.
All venues were sold out and 999 were immediately booked for a return trip across the Atlantic.
Prior to co-forming 999 Nick was a member of influential pub rock band Kilburn and the High Roads – fronted by Ian Dury.
He said: “With Kilburn and the High Roads we did the Quadrophenia tour with The Who which was great.
“Then punk started to happen and I was writing songs.
“A lot of people on that scene like Joe Strummer with the 101ers, myself, Nick Lowe with Brinsley Schwarz and Ian Dury went on to become more new wave, punk.
“That was a great burst of energy on the music scene.
“I was working with Guy Days, writing songs together just before the punk thing happened.
“Songs like I’m Alive and Emergency with a new feel.
“We sent a couple of demos to record companies and they were rejected.
“But when punk happened and we went out and played concerts the record companies that had rejected us came up with the cheque books open to try to sign us up.
“For the very same songs that they had turned down.
“They didn’t want to miss out on the action because they are all commercially based.
“But we said no to them and then released our own single I’m Alive which sold very well as an independent thing.
“From then it spiralled up and we started touring all over the world.”
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