On the back of Death In Buzzards’ Gulch the band stepped up its efforts at wider fame. McLaughlin’s intricate guitar play and Gore’s imposing stage presence became more and more pronounced.

By now the setlist was moving away from self-penned numbers towards the ‘good time, sweaty, bluesy, always adventurous’ according to one reviewer. There were few better live bands around.

Not the best time, then, to take a break from playing, which is what happened between mid ’79 to late ’80. ‘Just when we had a bit of momentum going, we seemed to stall,’ says Gore, looking back. ‘Other things took over and we lost our way temporarily.’

Kelly is more forthcoming. ‘I think the hiatus was probably down to frustration at not having had more success, a shift in musical direction, and our trademark bloody-mindedness. Nobody could tell us anything. It was us against the world.’