The Drones

Originating in Manchester, the British punk group the Drones included guitarist Gus "Gangrene" Callendar, bassist Steve "Whisper" Cundall, vocalist/guitarist M.J. Drone, whose given name was Mike Howells, and drummer Peter "Perfect" Howells. They first operated as the R&B-inflected pub act Rockslide before pivoting to punk once its opening waves crested. Active under their earlier configuration from the beginning of 1975, the ensemble adopted both its revised name and aesthetic upon adding Howells in October 1976. Within Manchester the Drones commanded a following comparable to that of the Buzzcocks, yet recognition beyond the city proved elusive, as demonstrated when XTC devotees rioted during the band’s support slot at a Roxy concert in Covent Garden. The group launched the O.H.M.S. label to put out the six-song 7" Temptations of a White Collar Worker in July 1977; Manchester scenester Paul Morley—soon an NME contributor, Art of Noise member, and author—produced the EP and served briefly as manager. The band next moved to Valer Records for the Bone Idol single, a strong seller issued only a few months after the debut. Further Temptations appeared in November and collected both sides of Bone Idol together with newly recorded versions of two tracks from the earlier 7". Morley had parted ways acrimoniously just before reviewing the album; much of the resulting hostility arose from his endorsement of rival acts, among them the young Stiff Kittens who later became Joy Division. Following the first LP the Drones signed with Fabulous, an Island subsidiary, but the sessions went unfinished and the band disbanded in 1979. Two decades afterward they regrouped to issue Sorted in 2000 on Captain Oi!.