Gutter Brothers

The Gutter Brothers are an English skiffle and rock band which was active from 1985 until 1993. Since 2003 they have occasionally performed live together and in January 2008 recorded a new album which is due for release in August 2008. They formed in early 1985 after singer and washboard player Tony Green arrived in London from his native New Orleans and met Tea Chest Bass player Dennis Johnson performing on the street in Covent Garden with skiffle duo Slap and Tickle. Over the course of the following eighteen months there were several personnel changes but towards the end of 1987 the line up had stabilised with the addition of guitarists Chris Cawte and Steve Turner and drummer Jeff Walker. Up to this point their repertoire had largely consisted of skiffle versions of blues and R'n'B standards. During the preceding year Dennis Johnson had started producing lyrics which the rest of the band had begun putting to music and so in early 1988 they wrote and recorded a self financed album entitled Isometric Boogie which they sold on the street and at an increasing number of self promoted gigs in and around London. The album was produced by old friend Jez Coad (who subsequently produced all the rest of the band’s released material) and went on to sell around 30,000 copies. Whilst still in the process of recording the album they were spotted playing on the street and invited to play on the LWT series First Exposure alongside a then relatively unknown Steve Coogan. This led to them being asked to play live on MTV Europe, the first band to do so on the recently launched channel. Other TV appearances over the following year included ITV’s Night Network and Juke Box Jury hosted by Jools Holland. The Gutter Brothers, the band once described as ‘The loudest band in skiffle’ by none other than Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, are back!