Slaughter & The Dogs may seem no more than a footnote in the story of punk but they played a key role in its creation.

As a home-grown band from Wythenshawe, they were in the right place at the right time to support The Sex Pistols at their historic show at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall on 20 July 1976.

That’s the one where almost all the handful of people present went on to form a band of their own (Buzzcocks, Joy Division, The Fall… er, Simply Red).

Slaughter & The Dogs were ahead of them all, and were ubiquitous on the punk circuit throughout 1977, though they had broken up before the release of their debut album Do It Dog Style the following year.

Previously performing as Wayne Barrett & The Mime Troupe, they renamed themselves after two of Barrett’s favourite glam albums (Bowie’s Diamond Dogs and Ronson’s Slaughter On 10th Avenue).

This minor classic was their debut, followed by the equally memorable Where Have All The Boot Boys Gone. I love the trebly crackle of the guitars screeching out of the grooves, like those early Slade singles.

It was the first release on Rabid Records, thanks to financial help from Rob Gretton, soon to become manager of Joy Division.

The group consisted of Barrett (vocals), guitarist Mick Rossi, bassist Howard Bates and drummer Mad Muffet. When Barrett left there was talk of another young Mancunian, Steven Morrissey, joining as lead vocalist, but in the end Mick Rossi took over the job himself.

Adding guitarist Billy Duffy, they made a second album, Bite Back, under the name Slaughter before Duffy left to form Theatre Of Hate.

Since then there have been various reunions and the band’s status has retrospectively gathered acclaim, thanks to props from fellow Mancs like New Order, The Stone Roses and, indeed, Morrissey.