Homelife (1979-1980)

There can’t be many bands from the punk/new wave era whose story involves anyone from Wham, Robbie Williams, Tears for Fears, Coldplay, Kate Bush, The Stranglers, Scars and mod revival acts. Here’s part of how it happened with Bristol band Private Dicks.

In the late 70s and early 80s, it was high-wire, booze-fuelled thrills and spills, near misses, near hits, dodging corporate music-business bullets, inventive songs and crazy gigs. Then the band became a cold, closed-case music business file.

That’s now been rectified. The release of Homelife on Bristol Archive Records finally gives proper presentation to a set of full-on classics. Homelife is a 40-minute collection of awesomeness, angst, anger and attractions: rough and ready at times, but still shining hard.