Emerging among the earliest notable acts in Britain’s rockabilly revival, Whirlwind quickly became a forceful live draw throughout the U.K. and forged a fragile yet meaningful bridge between the roots-rock audience and the rising punk underground. Singer Nigel Dixon and drummer Phil Hardy, both regulars at Uxbridge’s Unit One Club near West London, launched the group in 1976 after bonding over their enthusiasm for first-era rock & roll. They enlisted guitarist Mike Lewis and bassist Chris Emo, then began dominating the London club circuit. A well-received residency at the historic Speakeasy elevated their profile in the capital, where they gained punk and new-wave followers by supporting the Clash, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, and Ian Dury & the Blockheads. Chiswick Records, already home to proto-punk outfits such as the Count Bishops, the Gorillas, and Johnny Moped, signed Whirlwind in 1977; after two singles the label issued the band’s debut album, Blowing Up a Storm, in January 1978. Hardy exited soon afterward, with Gary Hassett stepping in on drums. The group promoted its 1980 follow-up, Midnight Blue, through a major U.K. tour opening for Blondie, yet Hassett’s developing health problems and the record’s weak sales prompted the members to disband. Dixon later sang with Havana 3 A.M., the band led by former Clash bassist Paul Simonon. In 1993 cancer took Dixon’s life; the same disease claimed Phil Hardy that year. A 1995 anthology, In the Studio, gathered Whirlwind’s Chiswick recordings.
