Jon the Postman

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Jon the Postman
Birth nameJonathan Ormrod
OriginManchester, England
GenresPunk rock, post-punk
Occupation(s)Singer, postman
Instrument(s)Vocals
LabelsBent

Jon the Postman (real name Jonathan Ormrod) was an English punk rock singer from Manchester. Among his various jobs, the best known was that of a postman, hence the nickname.[1]

Early life

Jon was a postman in Manchester in the 1970s and later spent years travelling and in various other jobs. He attended the first Sex Pistols gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. He was described as "a committed and omnipresent figure on the punk and post-punk scene in Manchester."[2] He became known for his eccentric behaviour at local rock gigs during the late 1970s, including those of acts such as Joy Division and The Fall. He first became known for waiting until headline bands had finished their set (sometimes before they had finished) before mounting the stage in a drunken state, grabbing the microphone, and performing his own versions of rock 'n' roll classics such as "Louie Louie".[3][4] The first time he did this was at a Buzzcocks concert at the Band on the Wall venue on May 2, 1977,[5] which he described:

"I think the Buzzcocks left the stage and the microphone was there and a little voice must have been calling, 'This is your moment, Jon.' I've no idea to this day why I sang 'Louie Louie,' the ultimate garage anthem from the 60s. And why I did it a cappella and changed all the lyrics apart from the actual chorus, I have no idea. I suppose it was my bid for immortality, one of those great bolts of inspiration."[6] "For some reason it appeared to go down rather well. I suppose it was taking the punk ethos to the extreme – anyone can have a go. Before punk it was like you had to have a double degree in music. It was a liberation for someone like me who was totally unmusical but wanted to have a go."[7]

He attracted a cult following and became a Manchester celebrity. He played his first gig on May 29, 1977, in support of Warsaw (later

Salford University.[9]
After he lost his job with the GPO, Jon travelled around Europe and spent five years living in San Francisco, before returning to Manchester.

Jon died in 2015.[10]

Legacy

Jon the Postman was portrayed by Dave Gorman in the motion picture 24 Hour Party People.[11]

Jon's antics in taking the stage and his incompetent performances were taken as a reference point for both other musicians and a politician. Mick Middles described how Chris Helme became a member of The Seahorses after regularly mounting the stage in a similar fashion to Jon at performances by a band which included future Seahorses drummer Andy Watts and bass guitarist Stuart Fletcher,[12] where he would, "lurch from the crowd, clutching a bottle in the manner of Manchester punk legend, Jon the Postman, and launch into impromptu vocals."[13] Music writer Steven Wells compared Sarah Palin to Jon the Postman in 2008, comparing Palin's public speaking to Jon's onstage performances.[14] Also in the band were, David Buckley, Tony Turner, Tim Lyons and Mark Harris. Mark Harris died on October 19, 2016, Tony Turner was found dead in Manchester 29 September 2022.[15]

Discography

Albums

  • John the Postman's Puerile (1978), Bent
  • Steppin' Out (of Holt's Brewery) (1978), Bent (as John the Postman's Psychedelic Rock 'n' Roll Five Skinners)
  • Jon the Postman's Legendary Lost Session (unreleased)

Compilation appearances

  • The Disparate Cogscienti (1988), Cog Sinister – 2 tracks credited to Jon the Postman's Legendary Lost

References

  1. ^ Birkett, Paul T. (25 August 2015). "Jonathan Ormrod obituary". Retrieved 17 November 2016 – via The Guardian.
  2. ISBN 978-0-7546-4057-8
    , p. 93
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1-901447-65-1
    , pp. 310–311
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-1-899598-01-4
  5. ^ a b Quantick, David "John the Postman's Puerile (review)", Q, September 1998
  6. ^
    ISBN 978-1-84115-146-5
  7. ^ Lee, CP (1998) "Liner notes: Jon the Postman's Puerile CD", Overground Records
  8. ^ Voiceprint Music – Jon The Postman – Puerile Archived 11 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ISBN 978-0-7119-9762-2
    , pp. 119–120
  10. ^ "Jon The Postman RIP - Louder Than War". louderthanwar.com. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  11. ^ Gorman, Dave "Acting", davegorman.com, retrieved 20 August 2009
  12. ^ Also in the band were David Buckley, Tony Turner, Tim Lyons and Mark Harris. Mark Harris died on October 19, 2016.
  13. ISBN 978-0-7119-7546-0
    , p. 218
  14. ^ Wells, Steven (2008) "Why Sarah Palin is totally rock'n'roll", The Guardian, 2 October 2008
  15. ^ Ethan Davies (10 October 2022). "Police hunt family of man 'found unresponsive' in city centre street". Manchester Evening News.

External links

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