Punk’s A Wave Of Change: Cvlt Nation interviews Janny (formerly of The Deformed)

For some of us – young generation, 70’s and 80’s UK punk is just a story we read from a random blog or magazine’s articles, but for Janny its a HISTORY he has been a part of, a story to tell to young punks! I friended with Ste “Janny” Jantzen (formerly of The Deformed) on facebook, and got a chance to interview him about good ‘ol days of The Deformed, CRESS and also punk’s raddest moment back in the early 80’s. For those who dont know The Deformed, they were a “goth flavoured” punk band from Wigan (North-West, U.K.) formed in the early 80’s, put a track on Crass Records compilation LP and recorded a couple demos and two EP’s during their active years. Check out Cvlt Nation’s interview with Janny, punks not dead!

• Hi Janny, whats up? You used to be a vocalist for a ‘goth flavoured’ punk band The Deformed, can you tell us a bit about the band – when did it all started and what inspired you guys as teenagers to form a band?
Punk was growing everywhere in the winter 1977, when me and Ian Whittle (RIP) was hanging about in shop doorway’s at night bored stiff and wanted to form a band. So very early 1978 after seeing a local punk band THE NAUGHTY BOYS (which had a school friend in it, who later formed a good band called Altered States – also Dave Bloor was on guitar who later joined us), and thinking we want to do that. It was going to be me on drums and Ian on bass , then we got a friend to join us – Dave Smith on vocals , and we came up with the name NO ENTRY. We also became friends with Dave B. from The Naughty Boys and he helped us practice, and then he left his band and joined us then we came up with a new name THE DEFORMED. We mainly did SEX PISTOLS songs with about five of our own songs also with a couple of THE ADVERTS and a couple UK SUBS songs. When CRASS’ “Feeding Of The 5000” came out we used to do “Banned From The Roxy”, and at the end of a gig I used to sing “Do They Owe Us A Living”!

• Being featured in Crass Records’ “Bullshit Detector Vol. 2”, also gigs with so called ‘anarcho’ punk bands at the time. Were this enough to described that The Deformed was an ‘anarcho’ punk band?
The singer (Dave S.) left in December 1979, then I took over on vocals, Dave Bloor’s brother Pete B. who had been in a couple of bands before (The Plague, also X-Pose) joined us on drums. Then we started writing plenty of new songs, so our set would be mainly our own songs with a few cover songs added in for the fun of it. We sent a demo off for “Oi! The Album” and “Bullshit Detector Vol. 1” but didnt get on any of them, but we sent a demo off for “Bullshit Detector Vol. 2” and this time we had a song put on the A-side called “Freedom”. We didnt really see ourselves as an “Anarcho Band” , we was just a “Punk Band” with anarcho songs, sort of – if you know what I mean. Also at the time the other local bands like The System, The Insane, The Deceased, The Piss Artists, The Aborted – who we played plenty of gigs with – I just saw them as we was all from the same “CLAN of Punks”, but looking back we did all have our own blended styles!

• In the early days, The Deformed played a more ‘fast tempo’ punk style, later changed to more slow and ‘gloomy’ direction. Whats with the musical shifting? Any certain reason?
I got sent to a “Detention Centre” (prison) in October 1981, in that time Ian W. (bass) left the band – then in January 1982 I left the band. Joe Oaks joined on bass and Ste Fairhurst joined on vocals, still playing a punk style music but after a few line-up changes they blended their punk style into a goth style.

The Deformed circa ’82-’83

• Well “Blind Faith” is one of my fav ‘goth punk’ records, its like a mix of Amebix, Killing Joke and UK Decay to me. Musically, what bands that really inspired The Deformed?
“Blind Faith”, well they were inspired by the bands you stated – a slower deeper dark side, the likes of Amebix, Killing Joke, etc.

• Rest of the members went on to form Cress, honestly I don’t know much about them. Which of you?
Pete B. who started on drums, then on vocals also formed a Hawkwind style band (as well as being in The Deformed) called The Atomic Space Cakes, playing gigs at the same places and the same time sometimes. So The Deformed (Dave B. and Joe O.) and The Atomic Space Cakes (Gaz and Ste) and Pete B. who was in both bands began to merge into one band called CRESS, doing CRASS’ covers and their own “Anarcho-punk” style (really good in my opinion).

CRESS

• How about you Janny, any band that you went to after The Deformed broke up?
After I left The Deformed I was going to start a band with Cuzy (RIP) ex-Piss Artists’ guitarist , and possible Ian W. ex-The Deformed’s bassist, we rehearsed a couple of times but nothing came of it.

• Whats your favorite gigs with The Deformed, and also concerts you ever been to when you were a teenager?
The best Deformed gigs were most of them, they were all a good laugh in one way or another. We didnt take things seriously, we just had a good drink and had a good blast! But really, a few gigs when I was on the drums, because I could see everything what was going on although it was from behind haha, plus supporting DISCHARGE at our local punk club TRUCKS (Wigan, North-West, U.K.) and the last gig I played with The Deformed, but I enjoyed most of them really. Well the best gigs I’ve been to was Sham 69 in November 1978 as I was really into them, they were brilliant, I was right at the front aged 15 years old. And CRASS, they were hypnotic, it felt like the revolution was right here, right now, right this minute! I’ve never felt a more powerful feeling gripping me than at those early CRASS gigs in 1979/80 our local club TRUCKS and at Manchester Mayflower club! Also a DISCHARGE and UK SUBS gig in Manchester, 1980 at The Factory/Russell Club. There was load’s of violence that night, it was mad place to be but the band’s were all fired up with energy, it was brilliant! Oh also Exploited /Discharge/Anti-Pasti/Chron-Gen’s “Apocalyse Now Tour” at Manchester Polytechnic, amazing night! The drummer for Discharge was Bambi (played on the “Why?” 12″), he used to be in The Insane (a Wigan band).

CRASS at Wigan TRUCKS

• You grew up in the UK punk’s glorious days (which I really envy you), can you tell us about that rad moments, the dudes and the scene?
Growing up in the punk scene at that time when it was still growing and changing was just full of excitement, it was like a wave of change in music, clothing, attitude. It was like load’s of misfit’s from “day-to-day society”, just blended in and fit just perfect with all our different ways and attitudes, and the music just staired it all up! Just great times back then, people – my generation made themselves free from a lot of hassles of tradition and rules, and just enjoyed it to the max – it was colourful as well ha ha!

• How about the positive punk a.k.a goth movements? Were you into the scene back in the days?
I liked some of the “goth” scene, but my heart was into punk and the roots of it. But I like bit’s of different kinds of music, but with the basic banging of the drums with the head down and just pumping it out – and not just because it looks good on T.V. or sounds good to make money (nowadays, I’m my own movement – how I want, when I want , and if I want, haha).

The Deformed

• This one seems a bit like a random question, I see that you are a fan of Sex Pistols and The Clash. What do you think about Rudimentary Peni’s “Rotten To The Core”?
The “Rotten To The Core”, I think it’s just that Joe Strummer and Johnny Rotten became what they were against. So I think the song is really about what they became, and not what they was. I personally feel that The Clash went on far, far too long and I don’t think that The Sex Pistols should of reformed.

• Any new bands that you really dig recently?
There are just too many bands to single out, as I like some bands from past and present times with a different depth day by day, some really gritty hardcore can tickle your ears just as much as a light tune but with deep lyrics.

• I’d like to say thanks for the time, any last words for the Cvlt Nation readers out there?
Last words, you shouldnt box yourself into one set scene, you should open your ears to different stuff or give it a try. Because a lot of it does blend into other styles, and the ones that stand out to you (yourself) is what puts the fire in your heart beat. Like CRASS isnt the most musical of bands, but yet it soaks right into your mind and heart!

Janny with his nieces, around ’80-’81

*Photos provided by Janny.
Related links:
• The Deformed’s fanpage
• The Deformed on NNNW Records
• The Deformed on myspace
• CRESS official website