The Wasps

The Wasps

The Wasps are a London punk band formed in 1976. The group consists of Jesse Lynn-Dean, Johnny Rich, Gary Wellman and Steve Wollaston. They are associated with British punk and 77-style punk.

Early shows and reputation

The Wasps play at punk venues including the Vortex and the Roxy, and they attract favourable attention in NME. They also become known for contentious live performances, which include violence and fireworks, and they clash with reviewers in Sounds.

Recordings

The band releases seven singles. These include Teenage Treats and Can't Wait for '78, both released in 1977, and Rubber Cars, released in 1979. Can't Wait for '78 also appears on the Live at the Vortex LP.

Later history

After Rubber Cars, legal conflict over the rights to the band's releases leads to the single being withdrawn, and the group soon disbands. In 2003, Hyped 2 Death's Overground label releases the compilation Punkryonics, which gathers the vinyl releases and adds seven unreleased tracks. The band is also linked with the Teenage Treats punk compilation series, which takes its name from their debut single.

In 1977, a fan is beaten to death by bouncers at one of the band's UK tour shows, adding to the controversy around the group.