999 in Brighton

About

We are delighted to bring the legends that are 999 back to Brighton for another afternoon shindig.

999 are an English punk rock band, formed in London in December, 1976. Line-up consists of Nick Cash, Guy Days, Pablo Labritain & Arturo Bassick. 999 celebrated their first 40 years anniversary on 5th December 2016. The reason for their longevity is not airplay, massive publicity, hype or even a major recording deal but word of mouth and that "word of mouth" now extends to nearly every country on earth.

The frenzy and raw energy of the early days were captured by their debut single Im Alive" on the bands own Labritain label and sold well enough to become a minor hit. Next through their association with United Artists records the second and third singles, Nasty Nasty and the now classic Emergency were released both scaling the lower reaches of the charts and confirming 999 to be one of the major forces in the British New Wave Movement.

The first album titled simply 999 was released and was greeted with impressive sales and critical acclaim. Extensive touring took them throughout Britain and Europe where they now encountered full houses. The second album "Separates" was released and immediately the single "Homicide" leapt straight into the UK top forty without any Radio airplay and was banned by the BBC and most radio stations.

Early 1979 saw the band embarking on their first U.S. tour, which was an achievement in itself, as they were still without a record deal in America at the time. Response to the band was ecstatic, all the venues being filled and import albums being sold out in a rush of enthusiasm. The band were immediately booked for a return trip.

Since leaving United Artists 999 have recorded another eleven albums. Jon Watson was replaced in 1986 on bass by Danny Palmer and subsequently by Arturo Bassick in 1991. To date the band have completed 17 U.S. tours, 130 London gigs, 50 UK tours and 30 European tours visiting Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Yugoslavia, Japan, Argentina and Brazil.