Episode Details

Mark Laff in conversation with David Eastaugh 

He began playing drums as a teenager, being influenced by England's 1960s Mod fashion and music movement and the work of Keith Moon. After a failed audition for The Clash (he was one of two drummers to get a call back), his first drumming role was with Subway Sect, sharing the bill with the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Siouxsie and the Banshees for the Anarchy and White Riot tours, however he left the band shortly afterwards.

In April 1977, the 18-year-old Laff was recruited as a replacement drummer for the punk rock band Generation X, a few months before it signed to Chrysalis Records and released its first single, "Your Generation". He was Generation X's drummer through its two albums, the self-titled Generation X (1978), followed by Valley of the Dolls (1979); which saw the band amidst a heavy performance schedule across Great Britain gaining momentum, drawing recognition and impacting the British pop music charts with its releases.