Along with the Sex Pistols, Clash & The Damned, The Boys were part of the mid-70’s UK punk explosion in London. In September 1975 singer/guitarist Matt Dangerfield left Mick Jones fledgling London SS to form a new band with ex-Hollywood Brats songwriter/keyboard player Casino Steel. Dangerfield’s art college pal, guitarist Honest John Plain, was soon drafted in and in mid 1976 Kid Reid & Jack Black filled the bass and drum roles to complete the line-up. Dangerfield had converted the coal cellar of his rented basement flat in Maida Vale into a recording studio/rehearsal room and 47A Warrington Crescent consequently became a vital hub for the emerging UK punk scene. Amongst others, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, Clash, Chelsea, Generation X and of course, The Boys, made early rehearsals and recordings there. In this hotbed of creativity Steel and Dangerfield quickly forged a prolific songwriting partnership. Armed with an arsenal of killer Steel/Dangerfield songs The Boys became the first UK punk band to sign an album deal in January 1977. Their self-titled first album was fast, alternately brattish and tongue-in-cheek, and gloriously anthemic. As Last FM put it: “The Boys made arguably one of the best LPs of the 70s with their debut album and provided the template for superior Pop Punk”. Over the years numerous bands have covered The Boys’ back catalogue - from Argentina to Germany and Japan to the USA - and even more artists have cited The Boys as a major influence.