From the late 70's until the early 80's, I had been in more bands then is decidedly healthy, although feel that the Gambit of Shame were the definitive & most significant group I was ever in.

The Gambits had so many line-up changes that none of us can actually recall them all, although it's fair to say the real essence of the band was the one which was also the longest & most stable, containing Gary, Mike, Lindsay, Amanda & myself. Luckily this combination is also the one that recorded our now sought after single release & over-priced eBay item, 'No Bounds'.

I had been playing with Gary in other bands for a few years & I guess the Gambits were formed out of this situation really. Although Mike wasn't in the first line-up of the group, he had in the past also previously been in bands with Gary & so it all came together fairly logically I suppose.

Lindsay started life in the Gambit of Shame initially under the unlikely guise of 'roadie'. I can't really remember how Amanda came into the frame of things, although she added the classical touch & sex appeal, if that was ever such a thing we needed!

Gary & Mike continued the group after Lindsay, Amanda & I departed in 1982, eventually evolving into a new cocktail, Skin Side Out.

It was a heady time - the initial pangs of punk were still echoing, yet things were evolving in different ways. 'Substances' played a role with the Gambits & could take partial blame towards the demise of our band, with the paranoia & craziness it ultimately brings. Perhaps blaming the drugs are an easy anecdote for me to use regarding my head scarf crime in that infamous photo shoot.

I have a few favourite memories with the first being when we recorded our single…

We recorded it throughout a hot summers night, in what is now very trendy Hoxton, North London. When the session ended in the morning, Lindsay, Amanda, Ray (from Death Cult, our guest drummer) & hangers on went off, whilst Gary, Mike & myself went back to Robert Wyatt's house in Twickenham, where we spent some time drinking wine in his garden. Sleep wasn't required back then as speed was usually on hand & possibly why 'No Bounds' is such a fast song & practically over before its even begun!
 

I remember a gig at the Sportsman in Chorleywood…

I hadn't been to the dentist for 15 years & went on that day due to some pain. He took two back teeth out which put me in further pain & left me being unable to eat. Dentistry wasn't as good in those days as it is now, with my dentist from that period later getting the nickname, 'the butcher'. Consequently, I just drank loads - alcohol! As a result, I don't think I actually played a note, but just bounced on the spot in a pseudo dumb Sid Vicious manner. When we came off Gary's back was a bit carved up as the metal machine heads from my bass had been hitting him in the back, which I hadn't realised due to the drunkenness!

Other snippets include...

Seeing a car turned upside down & burning after student rioting on arriving in Coventry for a gig. At least we knew kind of what to expect.

We were playing a gig in Bedford & circuitry was installed in the venue whereby either the power went down if the volume was exceeded, or the music continued after 11pm. Well I can't remember which one it was but we managed to shut the power down! Our technique around this was to continue with an acoustic set. Gary sang, Mike got out his acoustic guitar, Amanda played her cello & Lindsay & I did backing vocals & danced. It went down great with the audience, not only enjoying the performance, but with our cheek at getting around the system.

A bygone era of past youth!

Paul Mex

January 2006