User:Drewster12

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ANDY JAMES Andy 'Drew' James (Born 22 September 1960) is a Musician, Photographer and Poet.

Having prieviously been the frontman of 'Victimize' a hardcore punk band which formed in 1977, Barry boys, Bryn Merrick and Andy Johnson made the musical transition from playing early seventies rock to playing out and out punk. Merrick and Johnson soon started putting together some original material together, with their limited musical talent

They recruited Andy James on vocals after running him over with a car because he was the only punk in town and they needed a frontman!.

His lyrics were issue led and typical of the time Grunwick, Headlines, This is The Age, Baby Buyer, Hi Rising Failure and Where Did The Money Go. The bands first gig was in early 1978 under the name of Red Alert & The Rejects. They continued to gig and soon gained a reputation as a hardcore punk outfit on the Cardiff pub scene building a strong army of followers throughout 1978.

In late 1978 they were signed by local business man Richard Haines first as The Victims then as Victimize to avoid confusion with a band already existing with the same name. He financed the first single Baby Buyer/Hi Rising Failure.

The single sold well, and was a staple playlist single for John Peel and the Annie Nightingale radio shows.

With no second single forthcoming various members came and went including Guitarist Peter Hopkins who later commited suicide and Roman Jugg who later joined the Damned.

The band was joined by guitarist Roman Jugg and drummer Jeff Davies and were now supporting bands like the Adverts, Stiff Little Fingers, UK Subs, Skids, Gang of Four, John Cooper Clarke and The Damned.

Phil from 'Really Free Punk' wrote the following "Nice to see Victimize, saw them twice ' back then', though they were called 'The Victims'….They used to have a really mental following - all Barry punks and Cardiff football hooligans. When they played with my brothers punk/metal band Mad Dog at the Great Western in Cardiff there was trouble all night"

Around 1980 for all intents and purposes the band folded after playing a London Hammersmith show with Ruts D.C. (after the Ruts frontman Malcolm Owens death on 14 July 1980)and supported by the Anti-Nowhere League.

Strangely Richard Haines then released Where Did The Money Go / Innocence, allegedly with no original members of the band which seems a little off as the vocals are remarkably similar.

Roman Jugg and Bryn Merrick left Victimize and joined The Damned.

Andy James and Andy Johnson formed a comedy duo called 'The Warhead Sisters' with no real intent of seriousness. Nothing came of the group and they promptly split. Andy James was totally disengaged with music by this point and looked to express himself through visual means.

He decided on screenprinting as a medium and was very proficient in the process, but decided to persue a career in photography, which he did from 1999 to 2017,working in the arts and printed media.

Andy James is believed to be exploring the art of the spoken word on stage and is currently a Poet and Photographer living in Cardiff S.W. and is the owner of BAYTOWN PHOTOGRAPHY