Medway scene

Of Medway musicians, the best known is Billy Childish[1] (from Chatham) who formed punk band The Pop Rivets in the late 1970s, and later formed Thee Milkshakes, Thee Mighty Caesars, Thee Headcoats, The Buff Medways, The Musicians of the British Empire and The Chatham Singers, among others. His inspiration has led to many other bands forming who now have a worldwide cult following.[2] Other acclaimed bands have included The Prisoners, The Dentists, The Claim and Thee Headcoatees. The music often draws heavily on the tradition of garage/punk/rock'n roll/raw-blues-music from the 1950s and 1960s, hence references to the "Medway Delta".[3] Records have been released on Big Beat, Media Burn and other small indie labels, as well as Childish's own Hangman Records and Hangman's Daughter, and latterly Damaged Goods Records.[4] There has also been an accompanying, though not so well known, poetry scene, started by The Medway Poets in the late 1970s; Childish was a member of this group. There is also a crossover into art with the Stuckists art group.

This list is incomplete

• Holly Golightly
• Wolf Howard

• V/A - Medway Powerhouse, Vol One (LP) Hangman, 1987[15]
• V/A - Medway Powerhouse, Vol Two (LP) Hangman, 1987
• V/A - Medway Powerhouse, Vol Three (LP) Hangman, 1988
• V/A - Medway Powerhouse, Vol Four (LP) Hangman, 1989[16]