Here’s a fascinating time-capsule of a documentary about an admittedly niche-interest band who achieved their most valuable cultural currency during the politically-charged 1980s, and who achieved a subsequent second act that achieves considerable emotional heft. It also functions as an insight into a vanished world, not all that long ago, in which ranting poets, skinhead pubs, Letraset fanzines and – yes – the Deutsche Demokratische Republik actually existed.
Hailing from Harlow in Essex, a postwar new town designed to alleviate London housing shortages – hence the band’s name – the Newtown Neurotics apparently became a big deal in the town in punk’s second wave, though in truth they never really broke through to national recognition, tending to play second or third on the bill to bigger names. No one at any point suggests it might be because lead singer and songwriter Steve Drewett sported very Roger Daltrey-ish big hair, at a time when such stylings were a punk anathema, or that their band name was a tad ungainly compared to their peers; Drewett getting a no 1 crop and the band dropping the “Newtown” bit were good moves, though possibly a little too late to make a drastic difference.
