Legendary Watford post-punk rock band Sid Sideboard and the Chairs are back – for one night only – at The Horns in Hempstead Road next Tuesday (July 8).

It’s been more than 30 years since the band delighted its many fans with tales of Dozy Rosie, Big Duggie, Leaping Larry and the like  – having much fun and even a Top 75 single along the way.

Although the band members have remained friends, and have continued to entertain in various groups over the years since, this is the first time since 1981 they’ve played a gig together.

“We’ve met all sorts of people who are looking forward to it,” drummer Spike Webb told me. “The material was very popular.”

“It’s a chance to relive our mis-spent youth,” added original bassist, now guitarist Jay “Tex” Bart. “It started as just a bit of fun but we’ve been astonished by the response.”

Spike added: “On Facebook, people have even been requesting individual songs from years ago. It’s incredible.”

Formed in 1977, the band proved popular not only in Watford but also in London and elsewhere quickly building up a following, playing at such venues as the Music Machine, the old Camden Palace and Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, in front of 1,500 people. 

The band can claim many firsts. They were, Spike told me, the first band to paint their logo on the M1 at the Watford turn off. “We just used to tell people on their way to gigs, to turn off at the Sid Sideboard sign,” he said. The notoriety even gained them a story in The Sun newspaper.

“Tickets for our first gig were in the form of badges,” he continued. That way, fans could get in and promote the band at the same time. Genius.

The band became known not just for the music, but for putting on a show. On one occasion, they furnished the stage like a living room, with sofas, armchairs – even a working TV. The telephone on stage had a microphone in it, so the band could talk to the audience as if they were on the phone.

The band made a number of records – the first of which, in 1979, was recorded at Jacksons Studio in Maple Cross. Gaz and Debs may not have troubled the charts, but it wasn’t long before they were signed to Red Bus Records, home to, among others, hitmakers Judie Tzuke and Imagination, on the strength of it.

The single Little Women followed, which received a lot of radio play, and a year later success seemed just around the corner when the single Bucket and Spade, a slice of cod reggae nonsense with a ridiculously catchy refrain, charted at number 72.

By then the band had split up, but were on standby to reform for Top of the Pops should the record rocket up the charts. Sadly it didn’t (although you can still hear it and others via YouTube).

To understand how close the band came to major success, Jay revealed that on one occasion in the late 70s the band was offered two gigs – one supporting a band they’d never heard of and another as headliners.

Understandably, they chose the headline show – not realising that the unknown band they’d been asked to support were The Police.

“A short while later Roxanne was number one and we were kicking ourselves,” Jay said.  

Of the original line-up, only guitarist Roger Carter was unable to make the reunion, as he’s moved away from the area. Consequently original bass player Jay is playing guitar on Tuesday night and Colin “Bomber” Ellesworth has been drafted in to play bass. It promises to be quite a night.

Sid Sideboard and the Chairs play The Horns, Hempstead Road, Watford, on Tuesday, July 8.