Formed in 1976, The Adverts were a punk band that comprised of TV Smith (Tim Smith) on vocals, Gaye Advert (Gaye Black) on bass, Howard Pickup (Howard Boak) on guitar and Laurie Driver (Laurie Muscat) on drums.
Propelled into the emerging punk music scene via their live performances, including shows at the infamous Roxy venue in London’s Covent Garden, the band played alongside other emerging punk bands, such as Generation X and Slaughter and the Dogs. They soon signed to Stiff Records and toured with label-mates, the Damned, while releasing their debut single ‘One Chord Wonders’.
During their three years together, the Adverts released a total of seven single; ‘One Chord Wonders’, ‘Gary Gilmore’s Eyes’, ‘Safety in Numbers’, ‘No Time to be 21’, ‘Televisions’s Over’, ‘My Place’ and ‘Cast of Thousands’, in addition to two studio albums; ‘Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts’ and ‘Cast of Thousands’.
There is much more to Gaye than her time with the Adverts though; Gaye is also a prolific artist. Gaye’s art career began before the formation of the Adverts, at Bideford’s School of Art. Gaye followed this by attending South Devon Technical College where she qualified as a graphic designer.
Gaye has designed record sleeves for PIL, Alvin Gibbs and also the Ruts’ Paul Fox memorial album, ‘A Tribute to Paul Fox’. In addition to this, her work has featured in a number of books; ‘The Truth of Revolution’, ‘Brother’ by Lisa Sofianos, ‘Robin Ryde & Charlie Waterhouse’, ‘Black Metal Colouring Book’ (feralhouse) and ‘Growing Up With Punk’ by Nicky Weller, Barry Cain, Russell Reader and Den Davis.
Gaye: My work references my past, and explores contrasts – between attraction and horror, control and chaos, rough and smooth. I am inspired by surrealism and artists including Hieronymus Bosch, Goya, Leonora Carrington and the Chapman Brothers. Also horror films and books, extreme music, Victorian grottos, and my own dreams, which I have been basing work on recently.
Gaye Black Upcoming Shows:
- August 1st – 4th, 2019: Rebellion Festival Art Show, Winter Gardens, Blackpool
- August 2nd – September 9th, 2019: Acton Open, W3 Gallery, London
- August – September, 2019: Cash is King 2, Saatchi Gallery, London
- November 8th – 10th, 2019: Punk Rock and Roll Art Show: Underdog Gallery, London
- Some of Gaye’s artwork is currently being displayed at Waterloo Square Garden Gallery, Alfriston, East Sussex
SEE/ PURCHASE GAYE’S ARTWORK HERE.
To be continued… Part 2 HERE.
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Copyright © 2019 John Wombat & Ruth Moreira
John Wombat 
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