Stickin’ Boy: Taurus Trakker / Mick Jones

Taurus Trakker/Mick Jones: Stickin’ Boy ‘A Punk Rock Musical’

Soho, 1977, in the historic underbelly of London.  The vice trade, punk rock, addiction, obsession, violence, street humour. This is the World of Stickin’ Boy. 

The late Joe Strummer was a great believer in the power of positive thought and the determination of people to achieve goals via application of such energies. In a recent interview with Taurus Trakker frontman Martin Muscatt, he recalled Joe’s enthusings which most certainly ring true in relation to the band’s latest project, which has been the best part of a quarter of a century in the making…. says Richard David  as he gives LTW the full background to the project..

Stickin’ Boy is the title of a new Taurus Trakker double album which is the soundtrack to a dramatic play of the same name. The play will be staged in a six day run at the award-winning Etcetera Theatre in Camden between 5th-10th May. Billed as a ‘Punk Rock Musical’, STICKIN’ BOY is a unique interactive production which Muscatt himself describes as ”Gig Theatre”. The Clash connection goes further than Joe’s philosophical musings, given that Muscatt is Mick Jones’s cousin with the latter having been closely involved musically with Taurus Trakker for many years whilst also collaborating in the creation of the play.

THE PLAY

”Stickin’Boy started off as just me, Mick Jones and a laptop. This musical play we’ve been working on for ages is finally happening in May 2026, and I can’t wait to see it take form on stage” said Muscatt. Set in the seedy underbelly of Soho in 1977, the plot follows the journey of 20 year old Eddy, a young West London Punk who after quitting his dead end job, finds employment within the vice trade. Eddy tours the West End day and night decorating the interior of phone boxes with cards offering the services of Escorts, this in the pre-internet era when such literal ‘hands-on’ advertising was the prime tool of sex workers in the capital.

Drawn into the world of working girls, Dominatrix’s and Madams, Eddy develops a relationship with an Escort named Candy (Phoebe White) and soon finds himself attracting the attentions of ‘Psycho Jack’, a vicious rival Stickin’ Boy played by Benjamin John Durling. Jack is none too pleased that Eddy is encroaching on what he views as his patch and threats of violent retribution are soon forthcoming.

In conjunction with his affair with Candy, Eddy also starts to develop a gambling habit whilst at the same time harbouring dreams of Punk stardom as a guitarist, inside the heady musical revolution of the era. A ‘Psychic’ Madam played by Jennie ‘Belle Star’ Mathias, looks into her oracle and warns Eddy over his involvement with Candy, with her words swiftly manifesting into somewhat painful realities.

Whilst emphasising that ”I drew on many people I knew at the time” in terms of Eddy’s character, there are certainly auto-biographical elements inside the lead character’s journey. Fired from his own monotonous warehouse job in ’77, Muscatt found himself working in a Betting Shop in the Harrow Rd, wherein he rubbed shoulders with West London villains and characters of the time and started to indulge in gambling himself, something which he freely admits did not work out particularly well. It was in Harrow during this period, that he was introduced one day to a young musician called Kevin Rowland. ”A friend of mine introduced me to Kevin, telling me he was really into music and I met this passionate guy wearing huge flares and ‘Budgie’ style round collared shirts. When Dexy’s eventually emerged, he looked so different I did not realise for some time that it was the same Kevin!”.

Speaking about the betting aspects, Muscatt points out that in those days, Dog Racing Tracks were an integral part of working class London’s social landscape and enjoyed huge popularity. As such, young guys were easily seduced into a gambling lifestyle. In this same era, Muscatt also found himself working as a Stickin’ Boy in West London for a short time. In his words ”I lasted about three weeks, it was all I could stand!”. As his cousin soared to legendary status with The Clash, after periods on the dole and having embraced the Punk movement, Muscatt eventually became a Youth Worker and there are some terrific vintage photographs of the band playing football with the teenagers he worked with.

In its original format STICKIN’ BOY was conceived by Martin and Mick as a film script, with the pair starting work on the script in the early 2000s. ”We’d write pages of scenes and dialogue and then lay them all out covering the floor of my flat!”. In these early years, Muscatt also began working on the songs, with about half a dozen from the soundtrack album manifesting in that period. When Muscatt met former Alternative TV drummer Allison Phillips in 2006, their relationship led to the formation of Taurus Trakker, who in the decades since have become one of London’s premier Rock’n’Roll outfits.

When Jones’s career started to ascend again via his work with the Libertines and various other projects, the script went onto the back burner for a few years. By the time they began to revisit the project, it had evolved into a Radio Play format with Jones playing the role of the young lead character’s ”eternal hustler” father. (And most effectively too it has to be said.) After a period developing that blueprint, Muscatt then moved to the idea of a Punk Rock musical. ”Although it of course had its cornier aspects, I loved Tommy so it was thinking about The Who and those projects that brought me round to the musical idea”.

Progress was slow, combined with the band’s growing reputation as a live act and the recording of five Taurus Trakker albums. Jones often joined them in these endeavours but the play would not evaporate from Muscatt’s mind. In the period leading up to Covid, work began in earnest again and they began to muster a cast. Rehearsals and script readings commenced and a professional Director came onboard for a period. ”Things were progressing well and we finally thought it was going to happen and then Covid struck”.

Having conversed with Muscatt at that point and hearing his enthusiasm at the progress, I can well understand as to how frustrating it must have been when the epidemic kicked in solidly. However, they used this period to write further songs which would end up as part of the soundtrack. When the mass suffering and lockdown restrictions finally ended, work was resumed yet again, with Muscatt deciding that he’d adopt the Punk DIY ethos and now direct the play himself.

”We lost the Director due to other work commitments and I just thought sod it, I’ll do it. I couldn’t face going through all that process again and by now we were just desperate to finish it and get it on somehow”. With no previous Directorial experience, Muscatt decided to embrace the Mike Leigh-Ken Loach methods and allow the cast maximum improvisation inside their roles. ”It was a gamble but the only way in which I could see it working to be honest and it kind of appealed to me anyway given the dovetailing with that original Punk Rock spirit”.

With a full cast finally assembled, rehearsals resumed in various locations with Muscatt simultaneously crafting the soundtrack album. That in itself was some undertaking but after watching a play at the Etcetera Theatre, Muscatt, the band and cast were elated when the management decided to give the project a run.

”We’d been rehearsing in the back room of Jennie Belle Star’s Charity Shop and other places and I’d long abandoned the laborious question of applying for Arts Funding, so I sold a few vintage guitars and just threw everything at it. When the Etcetra went for it, it was a great moment. After all these years, it felt like Joe’s beliefs were finally bearing fruit, we were going to have small Theatre run which was just brilliant!”.

In terms of staging, the play will utilise an innovative format. Taurus Trakker will perform all the songs live with four of the female actors doubling up as guest vocalists in-between scenes. ”Phoebe, Jennie, Jojo and Ella Morgan are terrific singers in their own right and via this format, their talents are showcased to the max. The whole cast has worked so hard and with great commitment and I’m massively pleased that they’ll now enjoy this exposure. Lead actor Tom Patrick Coley will also be singing a song”.

Asked as to what has been his main driving force in finally delivering the project, Muscatt does not hesitate. ”Mick’s been great all along the road, the cast have been fabulous but my partner Allison (who also plays an Escort), has been the bedrock for me. She’s a Buddhist and again thinks outside the box in modes that in many ways also reflect the old Punk ethos. She’s definitely been my main inspiration and she’ll be drumming that night too so she’s got her work cut out!”.

THE VINYL ALBUM

The STICKIN’ BOY soundtrack album is a truly remarkable work. Featuring original Radio-flavoured script dialogue from Mick Jones, further spoken excerpts from the cast and a truly brilliant collection of songs highlighting Taurus Trakker’s musical dexterity, it somehow manages to combine music and speech in a dynamic, cohesive narrative reflecting the play’s plot and themes. Muscatt is an absolute master of weaving 50 years of Rock’n’Roll inspiration and stylistic elements into his songwriting and the album highlights this in stunning fashion.

‘Truth Or Dare’ opens things musically and is a classic uptempo rocker with a powerful hook driven by Muscatt’s trademark rocking guitar style. ‘Punk Rock Grifter’ sees Muscatt’s son and bass player Zac Muscavdo take lead vocal duties on another rousing anthem, one hailing the arrival of Punk Rock as the potential salvation for many young people stuck inside a previously mundane existence. Stickin’ Boy Eddy being a prime example of such youthful layers.

‘It’s A Game’ is a Stones style psychedelic ballad with some lovely slide guitar and a haunting vocal from Muscatt. ‘Stickin’ Boy’ arrives as a Who-flavoured title track with atmospheric vocals and a lyric telling the story of Eddy’s foray into the vice trade. It’s a song powered by another strong hook and some tasteful eastern style guitar passages.

‘Mandy, Tuesday and Wendy’ tells the story of the female characters work and lifestyles. Biting lyrics include memorable phrases such as ”I’ll show you all the tricks” and as to how the punters must ”Take their punishment like a man” when they are knelt before Mistress…In keeping with a great London cultural tradition, there are certain slices of vaudevillian flavourings that surface here and there on the album, another element that adds notably to the rich overall tapestry.

On ‘Eddy Don’t Care’, ‘Candy’ i.e Phoebe White, delivers an authentic bluesy chugger with some tasteful guitar and soulful vocals, as she recounts her growing romantic attachment to Eddy. It’s a fine performance, furnished once more by Muscatt’s accomplished arrangement skills. The song initially originated from a jamming session with Allison Phillips on drums and Muscatt on guitar. In discussing this track, Muscatt described to me as to how Mick Jones rewrote the original lyrics. ”When he first heard it Mick said to me, the lyrics are not sharp enough in direct relation to the story so I’ll rewrite them for you. So I agreed and he made a great job of it.”

With sirens ringing, ‘Psycho Jack’ is another London style beater telling of the warnings Eddy receives about another notorious Stickin’ Boy who is soon hunting for his blood. Lyrically it describes Jack’s birth in a council flat and his disparaging father, whilst some great guitar work combines with powerful bass and drums.

‘Reverse The Charges’ chronicles a tense call to the Operator as the caller pleads for a reverse charges phone call, over a pounding drum beat augmented by nice keyboards, cool vocal harmonies and some great soulful vocal wailing on the fade-out. There are some great drop-out passages, again reflecting Muscatt’s encyclopedic musical influences.

‘I See’ is an ice cool Grove-style reggae track with some lovely chord changes, Zac’s pulsating bass line, splendid ‘Lovers Rock’ style vocals from Jennie Belle Star, further enhanced by guest instrumental input from members of the ‘The English Beat’ and ‘Bad Manners. ‘Life Of Sundays’ recalls Eddy’s Dad’s catchphrase via a ghostly vocal and more superb guitar work.

‘I told You So’, an evocative, Ray Davies style dreamy waltz, warns of the perils facing someone who thinks they’re ”sitting on top of the world” whilst ‘Today My Name Is Mandy’ is a full on Soul track featuring a wonderful vocal from Jojo O’Donoghue. ‘Pushover’ features another powerful lead from O’Donoghue, this time on a storming guitar driven rocker laced with some terrific solos, with ‘Little Box Of Lies’ being a hypnotic tale of romantic dishonesty built around a notable riff. O’Donoghue again delivers a classy vocal performance with some effective harmonies adding to the mix.

The album closes with ‘So Far Down’, a sublime slow Deep Soul ballad featuring Krysten Cummings on vocals. It’s a stunning finale with some ace economic guitar work from Muscatt, a blistering lead performance and a fine sax solo. If somebody told you this was recorded in Muscle Shoals, you’d have no problem believing it instantly. Cummings who was at one stage a cast member, hails from Philadelphia and this is one of the oldest songs on the album, coming from the project’s early years.

STICKIN’ BOY is a fantastic album, one moving effortlessly from genre to genre and if there was any true justice in the music business, this would be a major UK release. The production is consistently top class as are the musicianship and vocal aspects. It’s an album containing songs which ooze rebellion, frustration and heartache, all that fused with poetic lyrical content capturing not only the essence of the play, but a vivid audio kaleidoscope of a now long departed era in modern British social and cultural history. An era in which Punk Rock emerged as a life changing experience for a whole generation of young British people.

It may have been a hell of a long time coming but it was well worth the wait. As to future progressions, the project’s PR agent Luigia Minichiello said: ”In my view, Stickin’ Boy is a monumental project which I hope to see eventually as a major West End Theatre production and/or British movie. I truly believe in it as a piece of work and am hoping that the Etcetera Theatre run will be another step towards it achieving those heights.”

CAST
Eddy – Tom Patrick Coley
Candy – Phoebe White
Mandy – Jojo O’ Donoghue
Tuesday – Allison Phillips
Wendy – Ella Morgan
Madame O – Jennie Belle Star
Psycho Jack / Mr Conway – Benjamin John Durling
Bob (Eddy’s Father) – Derek Gibbs
Mature Eddy – Martin Muscatt

CREATIVES
Written and Directed by Martin Muscatt
Additional Material – Mick Jones
Musical Director – Martin Muscatt
Designer – Al Blizzard
Producers – Taurus Trakker
Stage Props/Management – Julie Evans, Rebekah Farmer

PERFORMANCE DATES:

5–10 May 2026 (six nights only)

Etcetera Theatre, above The Oxford Arms
265 Camden High Street, London NW1 7BU

PRESS CONTACT: For press inquiries, interviews, and further information, please contact: Publicist – Luigia Minichiello – 07768 447 854
luigiahushpr@gmail.com or Luigiamini@gmail.com

Tickets on sale now from:  Stickin’ Boy — Etcetera Theatre

SOUNDTRACK ALBUM AVAILABLE IN VINYL, DIGITAL AND CD FORMAT (CD CONTAINS EXTRA TRACKS) FROM: Stickin Boy | Taurus Trakker

Richard David.  March 2026