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Bio:
Originally a mid-70s covers band called Candy and thus never fully accepted by
some elements of the punk audience. Candy also included future Wizard Studios
owner and No Smokin'
leader Davy Smith.
Here is vocalist Jim Lyttle's capsule history of
the band:
"When Jim Lyttle returned to Belfast from London in mid 1976, he started looking for
musicians to start a band. The only muso's that were any good were a band
called Candy. Lyttle, having been involved in various rock bands since school
days, knew what he was looking for and after hooking up with Candy towards the
end of 1976, he convinced them they were wasting their talent playing covers
material and coerced them into becoming Pretty Boy Floyd & The Gems,
a band that would incorporate their rock background and the new found direction that
Lyttle had experienced in London that became punk."
"The band would continue playing the regular gigs they always did and by adding
more and more punk to their set a process of introducing punk to the Province
was established. By 1977 they had become a fully fledged punk band performing their
own songs together with all the punk favourites of the day. They played just about
everywhere the length and breadth of Ireland and they were the first to do so. They
played in places others feared to tread in those extremely dangerous times and always
to a packed house."
"Other cover bands around at the time followed suit and also became part of the
punk scene, but it is ironic that PBFATG seem to be the only ones to get slated
for this, yet they were the first to do so. But hey, at least they didn't get
any middle class English journalist to write their inflammable material for
them!" -- Jim 'The Rogue' Lyttle
PBFATG were certainly not the only covers band who became punks. Most bands start off
playing covers in one form or another, including Stiff Little Fingers (referenced in the
"middle class journalist" jibe) whose roots can be traced back to the Deep Purple inspired covers
band Highway Star. Crediting PBFATG with introducing punk to Ireland is a bit of a stretch IMO
but they were undoubtedly one of the early punk bands, signed to the now much collected Rip Off label.
Lyttle later formed a big hair & makeup heavy metal band called
Rogue Male
Unlikely to exist, or is confused with a different band.
Bio:
A punk, metal and R&B concoction, Rogue Male was concieved as a band containing the
aggression of punk, the energy of rock, the
sleaze of R&B and the power of heavy metal. Their first LP is more successful
than the second.
Steve Kingsley left after the debut and a session drummer plays on the second album.
Danny Fury was Kingsleys eventual replacement. Further lineup changes and the lesser nature of the second elpee led to the band
parting company with Music For Nations with an unreleased third album in the can.
Frustrated with his ex manager and label, Jim Lyttle sued both and eventually won
back the rights to all Rogue Male material after a 6 year long legal battle. However,
these setbacks had taken their toll and Jim retired from the music business.
In 2007 the Polish Metal Mind Productions label reissued both Rogue Male albums
and Jim recorded a new album "Nail It" with Bernie Torme (guitar/keyboards),
John McCoy (bass) and Robin Guy (drums).
Notes: All songs written by Jim Lyttle. Produced by Steve James.
We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can use, or spare copies of any releases, then please get in touch.