Chris Elvy was the original bassist in ANWL, who was there right from the very begining of the band's formation, along with Magoo, Animal and drummer Tony Shaw. He was in the band for much of 1980, before eventually being replaced by Winston by the end of that year. The following interview with Chris was conducted via email. Thanks Chris for your time!
 

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1.Please could give us a bit of background info on yourself (where you were born/raised/educated etc)?

Chris “I was born and bred in Tunbridge Wells. All the schools I attended were in Tunbridge Wells. I went to St John's Junior School with Tony Exall (Chris's brother). We lost contact for a few years but got back in touch in our mid teens.”

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2. From what age did you start to become interested in music, which bands were you into?

Chris “I really started getting into music through watching TOTP when I was 14/15. My first heroes were Alice Cooper and Roy Wood. For the next few years up to the beginning of the *)s my main hobby was watching live bands. I'd go up to London and anywhere within travelling distance to watch any live music I could from Pink Fairies, Motorhead (13 times) to Kate Bush (5 times). I saw Black Sabbath, The Tubes, Alice Cooper, Blondie, Siouxsie, Buzzcocks, Slits, Clash and literally hundreds more. I have always loved live music and all its excitement and imperfections.”

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3. Could you tell us about the early formation of ANWL - how and when did you form the band? Did you know Chris Exall before forming the band? Who came up with the band name ANWL ?

Chris “I would go and see any live bands locally that I could and it was at a gig in the hall above Tesco in TW that I bumped into Tony Exall when I was 21. I mentioned that I had a guitar and wanted to be in a band. He introduced me to his brother (who I vaguely knew already). Chris wanted to start a band so we arranged to have a jam at my house in Queens Road (top floor bedroom). Although I had a guitar, I couldn't play it and didn't have an amp anyway! Chris came round and after a couple of hours we had our first five or six numbers. Within a week we had a name. Chris bought Tony along to a practice a week or so later and then Nick not long after that. We progressed to practising in a room behind a records shop in Upper Grosvenor Road. Chris Exall was definitely the initial inspiration and songwriter of ANWL. I'm sure the band name was his idea.”

 

4. Your first gig was at St Mark's Hall in March of 1980 - what sort of set list were you playing then, was it original material, or covers?

Chris “The first gig was without Nick and we did as a three piece (under some influence!). Nick took over vocals in all subsequent gigs. The first set was a combination of covers such as The Beatles/Help and Under The Light Of The Silvery Moon to our own stuff such as Nowhere and So What.”

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5. When & why did you leave the ANWL.. and what happened to the drummer Tony Shaw, did he also quit at the same time?

Chris “I stayed about a year or so playing in many local gigs infront of a good local hard core fan base. It was great fun. I love playing places like The Six Bells in Chiddingly. After a year or so I was replaced by Winston Blake. It was probably a good move as I may not have fitted in with the future image of the band. I did briefly join another local band called The Underground Tigers but I really was quite rubbish at the bass and soon drifter away from playing. The punk scene in TW was great in the early 80s. Live music fun. There were better musicians around but I think we had more fun!!”

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6. After the ANWL, did you go onto play in other bands.. and are you still involved musically today?

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Chris “I live in Cornwall now where we don't get much of a good music scene. However I became a teacher and one of my shy retiring pupils became a drummer in a good young band that play punk and thrash metal.

Tony Shaw stayed on in the band a little longer than me. He now lives in Thailand but we are still in contact. I last saw Chris last year playing with his latest band The Cockroach Squad in what used to be The Village Inn/Castle in TW. I also bumped into Nick a year ago at a gig in TW. I still travel up to see mates in RTW a few times each year.

I have nothing but fond memories of ANWL and the music scene at the time. Good days. Energy and excitement. One little story. As a band we once went to see The Ramones in Camden (1981). Chris and I were thrown out by security through a back door onto the street while dancing to the band. How's that for street cred? Dancing too vigorously to the Ramones!!”