Mark Perry

One of the first to spot the oncoming onslaught of UK punk, Mark Perry (b. London, England) was a bank clerk who, inspired by the Ramones, started the Sniffin’ Glue (And Other Rock ‘N’ Roll Habits) fanzine in mid-1976. After leaving his job and shortening his name to Mark P., he and south London pals such as Danny Baker became the unofficial media messiahs of punk rock. Sniffin’ Glue only lasted until August 1977, but by that time Perry was working on several labels and his new band, with Alex Ferguson, Alternative TV (signifying Alternative to TV). He had previously played in a trio called the New Beatles with Steve Walsh and Tyrone Thomas. Perry soon adapted the new band’s name to ATV as everyone was either mispronouncing or misspelling it anyway. Their first release was a flexi-disc on the Sniffin’ Glue label. This was later reissued on Deptford Fun City, a label set up by Perry (in conjunction with Miles Copeland). ATV released several albums on DFC before becoming the Good Missionaries in 1979. After one album, Fire From Heaven, Perry left and recorded as the Reflection, the Door And The Window, and as a solo artist. There were just two 1980 singles credited to him but he also cropped up on various compilations. ATV re-formed in 1981 for Strange Kicks only to break up again. Perry’s album, Snappy Turns, also appeared in that year. ATV re-formed for a second time in 1984, initially for a gig at the Euston Tavern in Kings Cross and this re-formation lasted about a year. They split up just long enough to give themselves time to re-form again and stayed together until 1987. More recently Perry was involved with Baby Ice Dog, before reforming ATV in 1995.