The Blowmen were formed in a smoky bar in Bradford,
England in 1982, when a failed speed-dating enterprise left guitarist
Joe Canterbury, bassist Robert Meadows and drummer Phil York lovelorn, high and
dry. It was there that they penned the first draft of their song "High Street." The Blowmen were determined to carry the faltering torch of punk
rock into the
mid-80s and out the other side. Playing underground gigs in West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and East Riding of Yorkshire
soon grew tiresome, and The Blowmen sought an opportunity, on a wish and a prayer, to tour with their greatest influence: Johnny Cash. Attempting to meet him at a Louisiana State Fair in the
summer of 1984, they were dismayed to discover that Cash would not be in attendance. Frantic event planners were seeking a band in desperation, and The Blowmen, sensing opportunity, stepped up to play. The set they played resulted in the only known recording of their music, a live
track exemplifying a rare and unique style and attitude of
punk that pierces even the
soul of a contemporary listener. Some speculated that their concert would catapult them to fame in the States, but, alas it was not to be. The same evening of the performance, Meadows and Canterbury died of a massive heroin overdose. They are survived by York, who is best known today for his solo career and his brief stint off-Broadway starring in a
one-man show called The Blown Man.
