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It's been several decades since I was a regular reader of the NME but I did see the headline of a recent Courtney Love interview. Apparently she's not called 'Love' anymore. It's not her real name. She is not, in case you were wondering, a relation of Walter's. Her real name is Courtney Michelle Harrison. No more Courtney Love, she told the NME, as it is a form of repression. Her representatives on Earth have since denied she is to change her name.Ìý
As punk rock names go, 'Courtney Love' is not even in the top fifty.
"What would your top ten punk names be then, old Mickey ?" I hear you ask.
"Oh well, if you're sitting comfortably....."

1. Johnny Rotten. Allegedly called that because of the state of his teeth. It also has an appealing Victorian London sound to it.
2. Captain Sensible. Named by an unhappy (and sarcastic) member of pub rock band, at the Mont de Marsan festival in France in the summer of 1976, who disapproved of Ray Burns' hilarious punk rock antics.
3. Joe Strummer. He plays rhythm guitar. That means he strums it. So he called himself Joe Strummer
4. Dee Generate. Drummer with Eater, he was fifteen years old. Provided inspiration for anyone who was called Dee for short. Like Dee O'Neill, who went by the name of Dee Mented for about three weeks in 1977.
5. Poly Styrene. Singer with X Ray Spex, her real name wasn't even Polly. Great name for someone who wrote songs about things being plastic and modern.
6. Richard Hell. Called himself that in 1973 before punk names were profitable and popular. Also invented the safety pin.
7. Sid Vicious. Real name either John Ritchie or John Beverley, so to avoid confusion his good friend John Lydon (see Rotten) came up with something more memorable. Immortalised the name by dying young. Not to be recommended.
8. Iggy Pop. Actually, he could have stuck with Jimmy Osterberg and would still have been king.
9. Johnny Thunders. Low down on the list as he may have borrowed it from a Kinks song.
10. Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone. They weren't real brothers. Did you know that ?