Kilburn & The High Roads were a semi-successful pub-rock group formed in 1970 by Ian Dury and shy jazz pianist Russel Hardy. Described as six men waiting at a bus stop by DJ Charlie Gillet and named after Kilburn High Road, unsurprisingly in Kilburn, London they had only one album Handsome (though another "Wottabunch!" was released after Dury achieved solo success) and in 1973 supported The Who on the British leg of their Quadrophenia tour though their influence would outweigh any commercial success, most notable of those influenced are Madness and John Lydon, later Johnny Rotten of the infamous Sex Pistols, Rotten would emulate Dury's menacing stage presence and razor blade earings, meaning that in theory every band influenced by the Sex Pistols or the British 1976/77 punk movement owes a little something to the Kilburns.

Originally made up of older jazz musicians like Hardy and Ed Speight (who would collaborate with Dury later in his solo career) the band's original line-up (that is the line-up that played thier first professional gig)were Dury (vocals), Hardy (piano), Chris Lucas (drums), Keith Lucas (guitar), Humphrey Ocean (rhythm guitar)and Ian Smith (bass)- mostly students of Dury's at Canterbury Art College, where he was teaching. But the band suffered from a revolving door of members, within months much of the band had been replaced and Charlie Hart joined on bass and Terry Day joined on drums, Davey Payne was also inducted on Saxophone, Payne would work with Dury for years to come playing mostly old rock songs acquired from 'Chapel Market or somewhere' interspersed with some early Dury originals. Terry Day was replaced on drums by David Newton-Rohoman, a black percussionist who could barely use his legs and needed crutches, Newton-Rohoman would contribute nearly as much to the Kilburn's image as Dury himself (until he was fired during the Handsome recording sessions), Later Chaz Jankel would join in the band's final incarnation Ian Dury & The Kilburns.

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