Alternative TV

In July of 76' Mark Perry left his job as bank clerk and started to do the very first punk fanzine called Sniffin' Glue. He used name Mark P. 'cause was afraid that government will cut his unemployment check if they will know that his "an editor". Writing does fill his ambitions so he started a band in March 1977 (some sources says in July 1976, but .). The line-up was at that time: Mark Perry (vocals, guitar), Alex Ferguson (guitar), Micky Smith (bass), John Towe (drums). Towe did also play in Generation X. In summer Tyrone Thomas came to play the bass and in autumn Towe stopped playing in ATV and was replaced by Chris Bennett. The first record was a flexi (Love Lies Limp) which was given away with Sniffin Glue in September 1977. Soon also Alex Ferguson left the band - to form Cash Pussies. and when they change bass player once again (now Dennies Burns) the best know line-up was ready. Which was: Perry (vocals, guitar), Burns (bass) and Bennett (drums).

The first "real" single (How much longer? / You bastard) (Dec `77), was raw power on both sides and pretty much of its time, unsophisticated, angry, and as street-cred as a razor-scar. Subsequent single releases were increasingly complex, conveying more of the artistic vision but at the expense of immediacy, sincerity and those loveable wrong notes.

At this time Perry also became the director of Step Forward Records (owned by Copeland who also owned Deptford Fun City). Perry signed band like Chelsea, The Cortinas and The Models to Step Forward.

Perry had always refused to compromise and, by refusing to kiss the corporate ring, he blew any chance of becoming a star; he settled for being a bit of a legend instead. At the end of `78, having shaken off everyone except the faithful Dennis Burns (admirable bass guitar), Perry strode boldly into the undergrowth of hippiedom and the avant-garde. ATV split in April 1979, same time as the single The Force is Blind was released.

He (and Burns) teamed up with art-school wierdo Genesis P Orridge for a while, toured with Here & Now, changed the name of the band a couple of times (becoming The Good Missionaries (1979-80) and The Door and the Window). In 1980 Perry mad a solo record and after that he formed Reflections (know also as Reflections with Nag) and he even re-formed the old line-up in 1981 to record the LP Strange Kicks.