In 1976 I found myself in London looking for a band to join. Back then the music magazine, Melody Maker ads were THE place to get gigs. What I didn’t know then is that I was witnessing a massive change in music triggered by the emergence of punk rock.
One day I spotted a interesting sounding ad for a “guitarist for a band with major management deal”: it sounded serious. I called the number and spoke to a guy named Paul Ballance, who turned out to be the lead singer of the newly formed Warm Jets. My English wasn’t really good enough for a phone conversation, but I managed to get a time and a place for an audition. So a few days later a mate with a car drove me and my gear to a rehearsal space: Alaska Studio underneath dingy railway arches in Waterloo. It wasn’t my scene: I was into Miles Davis and prog rock and they were into post-punk New Wave kind of stuff. But they were welcoming lovely guys and they were as curious about me: a Polish guitarist with little English, as I was in them. In fact I spent (I think) 5 years playing with the Warm Jets, we toured Germany and the Irish Republic and released four singles: Sticky Jack, Big City Boys and as the Electric Eels: I Don’t Wanna Go to Moscow, Not in love (with the Modern World). We sold at least 30 units to our families… Here’s a video we did in the iconic Bridge House in Canning Town, London in 1978. Paul Ballance – vocals, Milton Reame-James – keyboards, Maciek Hrybowicz – guitar, Paul Jeffreys – bass, David Cairns – drums.
