Vic Godard (born Victor John Napper) is a British singer-songwriter formerly of the punk group Subway Sect. He is now also a solo performer, while continuing to appear with various incarnations of Subway Sect.
In 1976, Godard formed Subway Sect with three other fans of the Sex Pistols at the suggestion of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, who wanted another band for the line-up of the 100 Club Punk Festival. Despite their inexperience, Subway Sect made a successful debut at the festival and were taken on by Clash manager Bernie Rhodes. They appeared with The Clash on the White Riot Tour in 1977 and released their debut single, "Nobody's Scared"/"Don't Split It", in March 1978. While recording their debut album at Gooseberry Studios, Rhodes suddenly fired the entire band except for Godard. Two tracks from the album's recording sessions, "Ambition"/"Different Story", were released by Rough Trade Records; the single was a major hit on the alternative charts.
Godard re-formed Subway Sect in 1980 with new musicians and signed to MCA Records sublabel Oddball, releasing the album What's The Matter Boy? Following a summer tour with Buzzcocks, Subway Sect disbanded again. Guitarist Johnny Britten formed a rockabilly band with Chris Bostock, Sean McLusky, Rob Marche and DC Collard, but was soon forced to leave the group, at which point Godard stepped in to take his place. They recorded the album Songs For Sale in 1981, but were disappointed with the results and disbanded soon after; members of the band, without Godard, went on to form JoBoxers. Godard also recorded an LP at Olympic Studios, called T.R.O.U.B.L.E., with a group of London jazz musicians known as Working Week, which was eventually released two years later by Rough Trade Records.
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Links to Peel[]
In an 2021 interview with Resonance FM, Vic Goddard revealed that out of the punk bands that arose in the late 70's, Subway Sect was a personal fave of Peel:
"I didn't actually realise Peel was a big fan of ours until I heard what he said about the session quite recently he said like, out of all the punk groups, that came through like in the Sex Pistols, this is one of the most interesting groups, watch out from them, and we split up" [1]
Subway Sect did a couple of sessions for Peel in the 70's and the DJ continued playing Vic Godard's material especially his solo career and his various incarnations of Subway Sect.
Sessions[]
1. Recorded: 1977-10-17. First Broadcast: 24 October 1977. Repeated: 18 November 1977
- Chain Smoking / Parallel Lines / I Don't Split It / Nobody's Scared
2. Recorded: 1978-11-29. First Broadcast: 04 December 1978. Repeated: 09 January 1979
- Watching The Devil / Stool Pidgeon / Double Negative / Head Held High
Other Shows Played[]
- 17 August 1978: Nobody’s Scared (single) Braik
- 27 October 1978: Ambition (7") Rough Trade
- 02 November 1978: Ambition (7”) Rough Trade
- November 1978 (BFBS) (1): Ambition (7") Rough Trade
- 16 April 1979: Nobodys Scared (7") Braik
- 28 August 1979: unknown
- 15 April 1980: 'Nobody's Scared (7 inch)' (Braik)
- 15 April 1980: 'Ambition (7 inch)' (Rough Trade)
- 01 May 1980: Split Up The Money (7”) MCA
- 21 June 1982: unknown
- 03 April 1985 (Muriel Gray): 'Don't Split It (LP-A Retrospective (1977-81))' (Rough Trade)
- 03 November 1996: ‘Stop That Girl (2xCD - We Oppose All Rock & Roll 1976-1980 )’ Overground
- 30 November 1996: ‘Double Negative (2xCD - We Oppose All Rock & Roll 1976-1980 )’ Overground
- 19 February 2000 (BFBS): 'Nobody's Scared (2xCD-Twenty Odd Years)' (Motion)
- 23 February 2000: Nobody's Scared (2xCD: Twenty Odd Years - The Story Of...) Motion
- 14 March 2001: Ambition
- 15 April 1980: 'Split Up The Money (7 inch)' (Oddball)
- 03 July 1980: Birth And Death (LP - What's The Matter Boy?) MCA
- 14 July 1980: Stand Back (album - What's The Matter Boy?) Oddball
- 22 January 1981: Stop That Girl (7") Rough Trade / Oddball
- 15 April 1985: Chain Smoking (LP - A Retrospective (1977-81)) Rough Trade
- 15 May 1985: Ambition (LP - A Retrospective (1977-81)) Rough Trade
- 05 August 1985: Nice On The Ice (12" - Holiday Hymn) Él (Benelux)
- 28 August 1985: Ice On The Volcano (12" - Holiday Hymn) Él (Benelux)
- 06 September 1985 (BBC World Service): Ice On The Volcano (12" - Holiday Hymn) Él (Benelux)
- 23 April 1986: I'm Going To Write A Musical (LP - T.R.O.U.B.L.E.) Rough Trade
- 05 May 1986 (BBC World Service): Tidal Wave (LP - T.R.O.U.B.L.E.) Rough Trade
- 06 May 1986: The Devil's In League With You (LP - T.R.O.U.B.L.E.) Rough Trade
- 19 May 1986: 'Tidal Wave (LP-T.R.O.U.B.L.E.)' (Rough Trade)
- 17 July 1993: ‘The Water Was Bad ( CD single)’ (Postcard Records)
- 17 July 1993 (BFBS): The Water Was Bad (EP - Won't Turn Back) Postcard
- 23 November 1999: 'Place We Used To Live (split 7" with Secret Goldfish)' (Creeping Bent)
- 05 October 1996: No Love (Now) (7" - No Love (Now) / She's My Best Friend) Garcia
- 27 October 1996 (BBC World Service): No Love (Now) (7") Garcia