Richard I owe you an apology for lumping you in with the GUEST tools who set out to kill this thread.
I now recall your name from discussions about recording gear...

Thank you for responding so positively.
We have much in common in history and attitude to 'real' indie music making and distribution...

I will never make back the many thousands of £££$ I've irresponsibly frittered on musical instruments and equipment,
but never expected to since my punk days in the 70s..

Back in the day, our band's self financed and recorded 7" singles..
posted to the BBC and played late at night by John Peel and Anne Nightingale...

That felt like exciting fulfilling achievement enough when we were 18 or 19...

Years of local musicians co-ops and collectives, where profit was anathema..
all that mattered was the music and sharing opportunities with like minded creative musicians...
giving young bands the chances to play on real stages with proper PAs..

I guess a lot of the punk indie ethic grew out of late 60s cottage industry folk LP releases
and old hippies in the Melody Maker / NME back page ads..

"Band members wanted - no bread heads...!!!"...

[too be continued...???]