Music

Jonn and the boys

"We were just a bunch of lads who met at Halesowen College back in 1987. Pretty much all of us were in different bands. We didn't really know each other."

It's ironic really then that just three years later, every teenager in the Black Country would know of them.

They were - and are - Ned's Atomic Dustbin and, along with The Wonderstuff, they remain one of the area's most well known breakthrough bands of the last 20 years.

The famed logo

In 1990 Ned's Atomic Dustbin hit the national scene, with chart toppers 'The Ingredients' and, most memorably, 'Kill Your Television' receiving airplay up and down the country.

Their unique blend of alternative rock and moshing metal led to three successful albums, international tours and a slew of merchandise covered in the band's unique logo (see image).

But it all happened almost by accident.

As lead singer Jonn Penney explained recently to Brett Birks and Louise Brierley on BBC WM Introducing:

Ned's Atomic Dustbin circa 1991

"I put a poster up at college saying that I was looking for a band because all I can do is make a noise with my mouth.

"The weird thing was at the first rehearsal we had we had a drummer who wanted to play bass, a guitarist who wanted to play bass and we had a bass player who'd never played bass before!"

Click the link at the top of this page to listen to the entire interview.