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Baker's Dozen

Paid Attention: Johnny Dean Of Menswear's Favourite Albums
Wesley Doyle , June 23rd, 2014 08:11

With a new single from the rejuvenated Menswear recently released, frontman Johnny Dean talks about sax appeal, music as maths and why pop is as much about what you see as what you hear

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Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks
They were the first band that frightened me. I saw a TV exposé on punk that basically said this band will turn your children into morons. It had a shot of Lydon walking towards the camera with his fucking crazy eyes and I was just terrified! People laugh now but at the time the Sex Pistols were severely shocking, everyone was scared shitless of punks and punk bands. I used to live in Southend and during the holidays all the punks, rockers and mods would come down. I remember being outside WHSmith with my mum while these punks hung around and I just stood there staring at this guy with a mohican. He saw me and just winked and I suddenly got it: scaring people was fun! Menswear covered PIL's 'Public Image' as I kind of had an affinity with Lydon and the way he felt about being manipulated in the Pistols.