Pawed
by Mott the Dog
Re-gigged by Ella Crew
A tour of Britain’s smaller halls was lined up and
the band gigged everywhere that people wanted to see them, adding Terry
Steers on rhythm guitar to fill out the live sound. Terry was also great
at rabble rousing the crowd as John and Mick showed off at the front.
Rage were on a roll, so it was back in the studio to
record the album that was perhaps the pinnacle of their career, “Nice
‘n’ Dirty”, with probably the most politically incorrect album
cover of all time. As usual the boys wouldn’t back off by changing the
cover, therefore most major record chains refused to stock the album. So
whilst you could go to the concerts and hear all the great new songs
such as “American Radio Station”, “Wasted Years” and new live
set open “Silver And Gold”, it was almost impossible to actually buy
the album. In hindsight, Carrera Records should of put their foot down
and changed the cover, but that would of broken their ideal of allowing
artists their freedom. “And anyway, lots of girls like touching other
girls.”
Then, once again, the world caved in on the boys.
First they went out on nationwide tour with Uriah Heep on their Conquest
tour, by which time all of the members of Uriah Heep hated each other
and the tour had to be terminated mid tour due to the impossibility of
getting the headliners on stage all at the same time. Dreadful revues
didn’t help either. A Sounds Magazine headline read “The Agony &
The Ecstasy” with a picture of Uriah Heep’s lead guitarist under
agony and Mick Devonport under Ecstasy. The review went on to say the
tour roles should be reversed and Rage should headline. This did not
exactly help band relations on the tour bus.
With the tour finished and Carrera Records in
financial trouble, Rage were bundled back into the studio for another
album, something with a cover that they could sell. But after the
experiences of the previous few months the boys weren’t ready and,
quite honestly, the resulting album “Run For The Hills” is patchy at
best. Carrera Records then collapsed in a financial heap. This really
was the end for “Nutz / Rage”, as younger bands were coming through.
No matter how talented they were, their day was over.
What is a travesty is that none of this marvelous
music is presently available to the public. There must be a market for
this music. Mick, David, Keith, Kenny, and Terry, wherever you are,
thanks for the memories.
John Mylett was tragically killed in a motorcar
accident in Spain two weeks after “Rage” were put to rest. John was
so convinced that one day his band would make it, he had previously
turned down the drum seat in Iron Maiden.
The band as an epitaph recorded: “So You Want To Be
A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”, under the name of “Spitfire” as they
were convinced that certain elements of the press had it in for them.
They tried to have a hit under the name of Spitfire … Silly Fokkers.
Later, the remaining members of Rage gigged around
the Liverpool scene with David Lloyd forming a band with Steve Morris
called Sliced Bread. Steve Morris turns up again in Garth Rocket and the
Moonshiners, which had a certain Ian Gillan on lead vocals and Keith
Mullholland on bass. Keith Mullholland plays to this day with Mick
Davenport in covers band the Space Cadets. The Nutz/Rage story is one of
a great band, great days, and a great shame they never became stars.
Musicians:
Mick Devonport - Guitar
David Lloyd - Vocals
Keith Mullholland - Bass
John Mylett - Drums
Kenny Newton - Keyboards (Hard Nutz & Live Cutz)
Nutz Albums:
Nutz
Nutz Too
Hard Nutz
Nutz Live Cutz
Rage Albums:
The New Wave Of Heavy Metal 1 Track “Bootliggers”
Out Of Control
Nice ‘n’ Dirty
Run For The Hills
2 Singles Not On Albums
“Bootliggers 81”
So You Wanna Be A Rock’n’Roll Star
When
the name of the author of a book is larger than the title of a book, you
know the author has become a public entity. Dan Brown, the author of the
tear away best seller The Da Vinci Code, is now in that category.
Mott’s CD review: From “Nutz” To “Rage”