THe weird thing about that band for me was that my cousin Denise Whittle, whom I'd not had much contact with, was living with one of the band.

I didn't find this out til several years after the band had split up. I visited my Aunt Nora, and she told me.

I must have walked past my own cousin lots of times, because I ADORED the Brownsville Banned. They were regulars at the Blackthorn folk club. I saw them at Jim McPhee's club. Birmingham Rep folk club. I even turned up for that disastrous Birmingham Folk Festival that went broke before it started and no one played.

They were EPIC. If anyone doubts the destructive power of the middle classes, it has to be the fact that 'alternative' and much inferior comedy and performing talents of the footlights gang were getting and ballsing up and pissing away creative opportunities thick and fast - whilst my favourite group were splitting up.

They appeared on the cover of Bob Williamson's album. Bob told me they had a tough time in the Working Men's Club - but really they were the only venues open to working class northerners of that generation - like myself in fact.