The Greedies

One of the more obscure supergroups to exist during the '70s was the Greedies (aka the Greedy Bastards). Thin Lizzy leader Phil Lynott (bass, vocals) quickly took an interest in the fledgling punk movement of the late '70s, and subsequently befriended members of such outfits as the Sex Pistols, the Damned, and the Boomtown Rats. With time off from Lizzy during the early and latter parts of 1978, Lynott sought to put together an ad hoc outfit comprised partly of Lizzy members, along with members of punk bands. It's unclear if it was Lynott's original intention for the group to rotate its bandmembers, but that's exactly what happened for a total of four shows during the year (with an additional one planned but canceled). A proposed show in February of 1978 in London was to have included a lineup of Lynott, Heavy Metal Kids singer Gary Holton, Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore, ex-Rainbow bassist Jimmy Bain, and Damned drummer Rat Scabies, but ultimately fell through. The group's first show to have actually gone down occurred in July in London, and featured a lineup of Lynott, Lizzy guitarists Scott Gorham and Moore, guitarist Chris Spedding, Bain, Lizzy drummer Brian Downey, and a pair of former Sex Pistols -- guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook. Unsurprisingly, the set featured versions of Lizzy tunes ("Jailbreak," "Boys Are Back in Town," "Don't Believe a Word"), as well as post-Johnny Rotten Pistols tracks ("Black Leather," "No One Is Innocent"), in addition to assorted other tracks (including a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Jesus Children of America"). The Greedies were put on hold for several months in 1978 while Lizzy toured the U.S., but by December, the multi-membered group was ready to roll again, with a slightly altered lineup (Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof was...