Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival


Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival is a hit double-LP of live recordings taken from various bands – mainly power pop, pub rock, punk rock and new wave groups - that played the Front Row Festival at the Hope and Anchor, Islington between Tuesday 22 November and Thursday 15 December 1977. It reached number 28 in the UK Albums Chart.
The Hope & Anchor has been described as a "seminal live venue" in 1977, catering for "both emerging punk / new wave bands and the numerous pub rock acts operating on the live circuit at the time". The same author called the album as "eclectic" with "superb performances from artists like the Stranglers, the Only Ones, X-Ray Spex, the Saints and the Suburban Studs alongside staple pub rock acts".

Original track listing

Side one:
  1. "Dr. Feelgood" by The Wilko Johnson Band, produced by the Wilko Johnson Band
  2. "Straighten Out" by The Stranglers, produced by Martin Rushent
  3. "Styrofoam" by The Tyla Gang, produced by Mark Dodson
  4. "Don't Munchen It" by The Pirates, produced by Vic Maile
  5. "Speed Kills" by The Steve Gibbons Band, produced by Mike Robinson and Peter Meaden
  6. "I'm Bugged" by XTC, produced by John Leckie
  7. "I Hate School" by The Suburban Studs, produced by Del Spence
Side two:
  1. "Billy" by The Pleasers, remixed by Tommy Boyce
  2. "Science Friction" by XTC, produced by John Leckie
  3. "Eastbound Train" by Dire Straits, produced by Dire Straits
  4. "Bizz Fizz" by Burlesque, produced by Geoffrey Haslam
  5. "Let's Submerge" by X-Ray Spex, produced by Falcon Stuart
  6. "Crazy" by 999, produced by Andy Arthurs
Side three:
  1. "Demolition Girl" by The Saints, produced by Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper
  2. "Quite Disappointing" by 999, produced by Andy Arthurs
  3. "Creature of Doom" by The Only Ones, produced by Ed Hollis and The Only Ones
  4. "Gibson Martin Fender" by The Pirates, produced by Vic Maile
  5. "Sound Check" by Steel Pulse, produced by Godwin Logie
  6. "Zero Hero" by Roogalator, produced by Robin Scott
Side four:
  1. "Underground Romance" by Philip Rambow, produced by Chris Briggs
  2. "Rock & Roll Radio" by The Pleasers, remixed by Tommy Boyce
  3. "On The Street" by The Tyla Gang, produced by Mark Dodson
  4. "Johnny Cool" by The Steve Gibbons Band, produced by Mike Robinson and Peter Meaden
  5. "Twenty Yards Behind" by The Wilko Johnson Band, produced by the Wilko Johnson Band
  6. "Hanging Around" by The Stranglers, produced by Martin Rushent

Personnel