Drones

The Drones formed in Manchester as a British punk outfit whose lineup featured guitarist Gus "Gangrene" Callendar, bassist Steve "Whisper" Cundall, vocalist and guitarist M.J. Drone (Mike Howells), and drummer Peter "Perfect" Howells. Their origins trace to an R&B-leaning pub ensemble called Rockslide that operated until the initial punk surge prompted a stylistic overhaul. Active under their prior guise since the start of 1975, the musicians adopted both their new moniker and punk approach once Howells joined in October 1976. Within Manchester their draw matched that of the Buzzcocks, yet audiences elsewhere proved far less receptive; during one support slot at a Roxy concert in Covent Garden, for instance, XTC fans responded to the Drones' set by rioting. To issue their six-track 7-inch Temptations of a White Collar Worker, the group launched the O.H.M.S. imprint in July 1977; Manchester scenester, future NME contributor, Art of Noise participant, and author Paul Morley produced the EP and served briefly as manager. Their follow-up arrived on Valer Records only months later in the form of the commercially stronger Bone Idol single. November brought the album Further Temptations, which incorporated the two Bone Idol tracks plus fresh recordings of a pair of songs originally heard on the debut EP. Morley had already departed on hostile terms in time to pen a review of the LP; much of the acrimony stemmed from his vocal endorsement of rival acts, among them the nascent Stiff Kittens, soon to be known as Joy Division. Following the first album the Drones moved to the Fabulous imprint, an Island subsidiary, but the resulting sessions remained unfinished and the band dissolved in 1979. Two decades afterward they reconvened to record Sorted, issued by Captain Oi! in 2000.