Biography

The Drones were a British punk band, specifically from Manchester, comprised of guitarist Gus "Gangrene" Callendar, bassist Steve "Whisper" Cundall, vocalist/guitarist M.J. Drone (Mike Howells), and drummer Peter "Perfect" Howells. They began as an R&B-influenced pub band named Rockslide but made the transition to punk after its first waves struck. Having gigged in their first incarnation since early 1975, the band made the change of name and style after acquiring Howells in October of 1976. Local popularity of the Drones rivaled that of the Buzzcocks, but outside of Manchester was another story entirely -- as an example, unappreciative XTC fans at a Roxy show in Covent's Garden took to rioting during their opening set. The Drones set up the O.H.M.S. label to release the six-song 7" Temptations of a White Collar Worker in July of 1977; the EP was produced by Manchester scenester, future NME scribe, Art of Noise member, and author Paul Morley, who managed the band for a brief period. The group landed on the Valer Records label for their second release, the rather successful Bone Idol single, which was issued only a couple months after their debut. The LP Further Temptations was released in November, containing both sides of Bone Idol and re-recorded versions of two songs from their first 7". Morley had acrimoniously extracted himself from the group just in time to review the record; much of the shared venom had to do with Morley's support of the group's competition, including a young band called Stiff Kittens -- the band that would later become Joy Division. After their first LP, the Drones signed with Island offshoot Fabulous. The sessions were never completed and the band split in 1979. A couple decades later, they reunited for 2000's Sorted, released on Captain Oi! ~ Andy Kellman