From early gigs by Pink Floyd, Genesis and ELO to punk icons like the Sex Pistols and The Jam, our campus has hosted era‑defining acts across six decades.
I’m Will, one of the Hillingdon Herald student journalists. In this article, I’ll explore how Brunel became a magnet for counterculture, rock, punk, ska and Britpop.
As counterculture was in full swing in the 1960s, bands such as The Nice passed through the University, laying the foundations for psychedelic and progressive rock. The University was young, but there was already an appetite for music on campus.
At the end of the 60s, Pink Floyd passed through Brunel showcasing their early psychedelic sound that would inspire many bands and open people’s minds to what rock music can be. Around this time, students also saw one of the earliest Genesis gigs before the band had Phil Collins on drums and became the progressive rock titans of the 80s. Progressive rock defined much of the counterculture of the early 70s, big bombastic tracks of opulence, with bands such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes, Uriah Heep, Genesis, Soft Machine, Renaissance, Caravan, Hawkwind, Van der Graaf Generator and ELO playing and helping to define music. ELO‘s early gig helped them to define their direction as a legendary band. Elton John also played during this time with his signature glam rock sound and plenty of flamboyant stage moves. Legendary acts such as The Kinks visited after already securing their place in music history.
The ever presentness of progressive rock came crashing down as punk came along. A back to basics approach to music with grit, speed and political defiance. The Jam played one of their earliest gigs at Brunel in 1976. The Sex Pistols, who defined the public perception of punk, played Brunel when banned from most venues in the country due to their bombastic style and rowdy shows. The Stranglers played too with their high-energy shows. Other notable punk acts who played include Wire, The Adverts, The Undertones, The Rezillos and Magazine. As punk started incorporating more synths and other influences, it gradually transformed into post punk with Joy Division, with their hypnotic bleak pulsing rhythms, leading the charge. Other notable acts such as The Human League helped to define the sound by playing Brunel. Metal even came to campus with early shows from Motorhead and Iron Maiden helping create the new wave of British heavy metal. The politically charged ska movement came to Brunel through UB40 and The Specials. The University hosted bands that challenged what music could be, with cult classic prog punk legends Cardiacs playing some shows.
As the 80s got into full swing, many iconic acts visited, with indie legends The Housemartins playing. Synth-pop pioneers Erasure brought their upbeat, danceable tracks to an appreciative crowd. As grebo started in the later 80s, bands such as Pop Will Eat Itself, Mega City Four, Jesus Jones, Gaye Bykers On Acid and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin played. The indie movement and start of Britpop came to Brunel as The Stone Roses played just before they became one of the country’s most legendary bands. The other notable band that helped see Britpop into the zeitgeist was Ocean Colour Scene, who brought their Brit rock sound to Brunel.
Brunel also produced one of the UK’s most important indie bands, The Libertines, when founders Pete Doherty and Carl Barât met on Brunel’s campus before creating era-defining anthems.
Interested in finding out more about music at Brunel? Take a step back in time with our Brunel Rocks video.
(Images accredited to John Bates)