Nottingham Punk band circa 1980/82

They featured vocalist John Lomas who would later front Nottingham punk band Verbal Warning. John told me the story of his first band.

Potential Difference were a Nottingham punk band from 1980-1982.

They comprised:
John Lomas on vocals
Lee Cooper on bass
Geoff Russell-Smith on guitar
Michael ‘Nipper’ Fisher on drums

Jez Thorpe, from Chellaston, briefly rehearsed with the band on bass and Mark Holland on guitar, but neither ever played a gig.

The band were based on punk but with some of the songs having a darker post punk edge. Eventually they tried to move with the times and rehearsed with a keyboard, which proved to be the final straw.

The band rehearsed at Chilwell Memorial Hall and, as none of them drove, equipment had to be loaded onto a big push-cart and wheeled there and back.

The band played five or six gigs before splitting, though all members struggle to remember exact details now!

But they do have one or two tickets and flyers to rely on.

PD’s live debut was definitely in 1980 at the now long gone Ireton Club in Attenborough.

A set of original songs was boosted by an eclectic selection of covers of Warhead (UK Subs), Tell Us The Truth (Sham 69) and Start (The Jam) along with a reggae version of a poem by Scaffold star John Gorman called Somewhere between Heaven and Woolworths.

Band compositions included songs like Too Late and Beyond The Image.

Vocalist John said: “I think the first gig was at Attenborough’s Ireton Club where we died a bit of a death on minimal band equipment.

“Best gig I recall was at The Imperial on St James’ Street in the city where we got our first ever encore supporting, I think, a Newark band called The Murmur.

“They brought a bus load of followers with them who were well on the beer and they really enjoyed us.

“I can also remember a gig at Bilborough College

“I still have two tickets for Beeston Shed shows (Beeston Youth & Community Centre).

“One was Saturday 11th July, no idea on the year, opening for Illegal Aid and Verbal Warning.

“I also have one for the Shed on Saturday, 18th April 1981 with Verbal Warning on first and then us in aid of the Shed Roof Appeal.

“My only other major memory of that era is after a gig at the Shed we had to wait for someone’s dad to help us ferry the gear home and I was left on the pavement while one lot was being taken to look after it and I could hear actual rioting going on in Beeston, an overspill of what had been going on in Nottingham, and hoping they wouldn’t head my way! I think that may have been 1981.”

Lee Cooper said: “Before any of us could drive we built a massive push-cart and used to shift gear a mile to and from rehearsal in it. I think my mum’s VW camper was a godsend.

Nipper added: “Looking back it was unbelievable how far we had to pull that cart and it must have been heavy with all our gear in it. It ought to have been a museum piece.”

On joining the band, Lee said: “I got speaking to Geoff in a shop called Music Plus – I was buying bass guitar strings and he was browsing records along with his girlfriend Louise, who I had known since we were small kids.

“He told me he was a bassist in a band as well and invited me to a practice and told me to bring my bass.

“So the following Saturday my mum dropped me off at Chilwell Memorial Hall.

“I listened, we talked, then I had a go at playing something and Geoff decided he’d swap to guitar if I was the new bass player -and that was it. I was in!

“At some point I bought Geoff’s Carlsboro bass amp head and then got a 15” speaker.

“That bass amp did more gigs than any of us and can be seen in the background of numerous Verbal Warning gig photos

“I was still 15 at that time and skinny.

“After several rough rehearsals we pulled that cart around to the Ireton Club for our first gig.

“I’m pretty sure I forgot just about every song and we had to stop and restart repeatedly – sorry lads but this was quite literally a schoolboy error. I think we hopefully did a better job the next time.

“Soon I found myself invited to join a number of other bands – probably more to do with the practicality of my mum’s campervan for shifting band gear than my musical abilities I’m sure.”

He added: “At 16 in late 1981 I was at Beeston College and would regularly pop over the road to Nicholsons Garage at lunch to see Verbal Warning’s Paul Tomlinson and Dave Smith who were both grease monkeys there.

“I recall the mess room there was a shithole – but Paul had a guitar and they would regularly break into songs.

“Before long I had started visiting their rehearsals at the Three Horseshoes pub on Middle Street, Beeston, and eventually I was lined up to replace Colin in VW.

“I did a few rehearsals there including at least one occasion where, as we started playing, we killed the electrics to the entire pub.

“At the time Adolf (VW drummer) was moving on and Wayne was joining. So I also did a couple of rehearsals at a hall beside the flats in Clifton.

“But just as a gig looked imminent, my teenage insecurities kicked in and I backed out.

“During, or maybe just before, this time, Potential Difference were still rehearsing and we did the gigs mentioned by John.

“I can’t remember the name of the band we supported at the Imperial, but I remember their crowd gave us a great reception.

“In fact I remember we’d got to the Imperial at lunchtime to set up and then went to eat at the Corner Arms pub on Shakespeare Street (pie mash peas and gravy)!

“We then watched the strippers and as the last one left the stage the MC uttered a phrase that we adopted – “Thank-youuuuu-Velvet!”

“After lunch we went to watch the film Hot Bubblegum – an Israeli Hebrew teen sex comedy dubbed into English. And then as the evening came it was back to the Imperial and showtime.

“For the gig we all changed clothes into a black theme. I was so skinny and chose to wear a shape clingy black speedo vest

“I think sometime in 1982 things wrapped up not long after Geoff bought a synthesizer and we’d added a cover of Kraftwerk’s The Model to the set.

“Geoff and me jammed together regularly in a side room at The Shed for a while and tried to recruit Mandy, who worked at Fox’s Music shop, as a further keyboardist and vocalist – and also because she was a great looking girl. But it didn’t happen.”

Geoff said: “I seem to remember we played five times. Ireton the first. I was genuinely surprised how word got around, and we got a good crowd. Two gigs at the Shed I think, one I can’t remember. We definitely peaked at the Imperial.

“I can remember when we were looking for a name, I asked a studious electrical apprentice from the REME workshops called Benny what he would call a band, and he said Potential Difference.

“I suggested it at the next band practice and it sort of stuck.

“I have a Potential Difference badge somewhere. I did have two C60 tapes. I’m not sure I can find them now or if they will still work. They must be worth a fortune now!”

John continues to front the modern day Verbal Warning.