Unlike most of the pub rock acts of the 1970s that offered a high-energy, DIY take on R&B, Eddie and the Hotrods' tougher, more explosive sound helped set a template for the punk scene.
Formed in Southend, Essex in 1975, frontman Barrie Masters led the band with a wild energy and soon started making waves on London's gig circuit alongside Dr. Feelgood and Joe Strummer's group The 10ers. Live EP 'At the Marquee' captured the excitement of the early shows and the band made the top 40 with single 'Teenage Depression' in 1976 before their hit 'Do Anything You Wanna Do' reached number nine in 1977.
Albums 'Teenage Dream' (1976), 'Life On the Line' (1977) and 'Thriller' (1979) became cult favourites but, despite the band's clear influence on punk, they were left behind as the scene grew and the likes of The Sex Pistols and The Damned arrived. They split in 1981, but a reformation in 1992 led to tours of Europe and America, celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2005 with new album 'Better Late Than Never'. It was followed by 'Been There, Done That.' in 2006 and then '35 Years of Teenage Depression' in 2011.
The band has faced many line-up changes over the years, but their most recent consisted of Barrie Masters, Simon Bowley, Ian 'Dipster' Dean, Richard Holgarth and Chris Taylor. Founding member, guitarist Dave Higgs died in 2013 and singer Barrie Masters died in 2019.
