TV Smith

TV Smithwas founder member, singer and songwriter for theAdverts,who formed in late1976and were one of the leading bands in the first wave of Britishpunk rock.

In early1977they performed regularly at the newly-openedRoxy Clubin London, and gained cult success with theStiff Recordssingle "One Chord Wonders." Their next release, "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" became a top twenty hit record, leading to radio and TV appearances and extensive media interest.

A further single,No Time To Be 21,also entered the charts, and the band spent the rest of the year playing live, including major tours withThe DamnedandIggy Pop.

The album that followed in early1978, "Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts," is still considered a genuine classic of the era and is often citedasone of the twenty best punk albums ever released.The Adverts released one more album,Cast Of Thousands,before they split in1979.Slammed by the critics at the time, the album was later re-releasedto universal acclaim, and described byMojomagazine asthe long lost punk album that rivals The ClashsLondon Calling.After The Adverts broke up, TV went on to formTV Smiths Explorers,who gained a UK chart hit in1980with the singleTomahawk Cruise,then at the end of the80sformedCheap, who payed many gigs in the UK and Europe, and released one albumRIP - Everything Must Go.In the early90sTV turned his hand to solo gigs at the suggestion of punk poetAttila The Stockbrokerand released the acoustic-inspired albumMarch Of The Giantson theCooking Vinyllabel.Since then he has established himself as the leading solo performer of the punk rock scene and has released many albums.

He has also been involved in a number of collaborations with other bands, most notably with German superstarsDie Toten Hosen,who performed as TVs backing band on the albumUseless.TVmost recent album is entitled Handwriting, and was released in April2024on theEasy Actionlabel.Recorded in collaboration with renowned producer and multi-instrumentalistGerry Diver, the pair created a record with a thrillingtotally new musical landscapeusing no conventional rock instruments.

Many critics called it the best album of his career, and following its successTVis already working on new songs and planning a new collaboration withGerryfor future release.Fiercely independent and proudly embodying the original spirit of punk rock, TV performs as an acoustic solo artist all over the world, as well as playing occasional gigs with backup bands.

Over the past few years he has supported Stiff Little Fingers, the Damned and Ruts DC on major tours in the UK, and played headline tours throughout the UK, Europe, the U.S.A and Japan.

In 2025 he set off on a world tour which included the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Ireland, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and North America, and he already has many gigs planned for 2026, including a tour of Australia.