== The Stiffs: Original and current line-up: == '''Phil Hendriks''' (Lead vocal, Guitar); '''Ian 'Strang' Barnes''' (Guitar, Backing Vocals); '''John McVittie''' (Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals); '''Tommy O`Kane''' (Drums). ''Other members of The Stiffs have included: '''John 'Juice' Mayor''' (Drums, Backing Vocals);''' Nick Alderson''' (Bass Guitar); '''Mark Hurlbut''' (Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals); '''John Wade''' (Guitar, Backing Vocals); '''Steve Fielding''' (Bass Guitar); '''Mark Coleridge''' (Drums); '''Rick Cook''' (Drums); '''Jim Devlin''' (Guitar, Backing Vocals); '''Rob Fidler''' (Bass Guitar).'' ---- UK Pop-punk band The Stiffs formed in 1977, as a bunch of 15 year old schoolkids. Their first single 'Standard English' was released in early 1979 on their own Dork Records label. The much more impressive follow up "Inside Out"/"Kids on the street" was also released on Dork Records in December 1979 and both sides became instant favourites of BBC Radio One`s John Peel, who was quoted as saying on air that it was 'the finest record in the entire history of the universe'! EMI quickly snapped the band up and re-issued 'Inside Out' on their Zonophone subsidiary in early 1980. The single 'Volume Control' was released by Zonophone in November 1980 but it`s lack of chart success prompted EMI to release the band from their contract and cancel plans for an album. The Stiffs signed to STIFF Records in January 1981 for a one-off single 'Goodbye my love' (a cover of the 1975 UK hit by The Glitter Band), whilst the band went out on a UK tour with the U.K.Subs. Despite massive radio airplay 'Goodbye my love' failed to hit the Top 50 and the band were once again without a record deal. Several line-up changes ensued, but the Stiffs didn`t release another single until 1985 with 'The Young Guitars' 12" single...once again on their own Dork Records. After incessant touring the band folded in 1988, leaving behind a fairly large legacy of unissued material. In 1999, Captain Oi! Records put together "The Stiffs-The Punk Collection"...an album featuring the bands singles plus the best of The Stiffs` previously unreleased material. A Live reunion of the original line-up in July 1999 spawned the "Volume Control - Live" album, released by Receiver Records in 2000. Several festival appearances followed. 2001 saw two further compilation albums appear. "Innocent Bystanders" on EMI covered the band`s early period, whilst the "Stiffology" album (Angel Air Records)filled in the gaps in the band`s fragmented career between 1981 to 1988. Phil Hendriks toured Japan with a revamped Stiffs line-up in 2002 to promote the re-issue of 2 of the band`s singles by '1977' Records and recorded a brand new Japan-only single "Four Winds". The original line-up reconvened in November 2005 and the reunion show was filmed and recorded for the "Let`s Activate" DVD, released on Dork Records in August 2006.