Farewell to a guitar hero and one-off house punk

Roy Collenette    Farewell to a guitar hero and one-off house punk.

Guitarist, songwriter and much-loved ‘Area Cadet’ Roy Collenette from the Southampton-based band Radioactive Bones died on 23 Might 2025.  Ged Babey collects collectively tributes from his mates, fellow musicians and followers to recollect a singular, inspirational man and musician.

Roy had requested for a no-fuss, family-only funeral. A celebration of his life/gig is within the planning phases and will likely be introduced sooner or later. Will probably be a Saturday, within the Autumn, centre of Southampton and will likely be publicized regionally and on-line.

On social media when the information broke that Roy Collenette had been taken from us, there have been greater than 300 and fifty condolences posted inside 24 hours, primarily from the Southampton music scene but additionally from the Free Pageant/ Carnival Punks scene in Bristol and past.

He was a type of characters who everybody beloved. He was a fixture on the native pub venue and later free-festival music scene together with his varied bands. Within the late 90’s you couldn’t miss him together with his lengthy, inexperienced dreadlocks, beard and smile.  He both drove his transformed Hearth Engine or rode a pushbike.

Radioactive Roy, Inexperienced Zone, Roy Ridiculous the Area Punk Monk (as he known as himself in The Inexperienced Egg within the late 90’s) and Kaptin Ping (his alias in The Unlawful Quartet within the 1980’s) was one of the crucial naturally gifted guitarists not solely in Southampton, however the county, if not the nation.

When Louder Than Struggle reviewed Radioactive Bones, Eye In The Sky album I mentioned:

 …personally I’d price him as the most effective guitarists I’ve ever seen. He’s Slash, Thunders, Dick Dale and Daniel Ash all rolled into one, a virtuoso who retains a punk-rock angle. I beloved the Bones as an instrumental band mixing up Surf-Punk, Area-Rock and a Dubby really feel however his singing, one minute Lemmy, the following a bizarre kinda Pete Murphy vocalising make this even higher…

The album made quantity 7 within the LTW Albums of The Yr 2013 as reported right here:

He was apparently ‘guitarist within the very first line-up of Sigue Sigue Sputnik’ within the 80’s.  The 2 drummers Ray Mayhew and Chris Kavanagh had been additionally from Southampton, and there’s a newspaper slicing (that no-one can discover) which proves it, however Roy was ‘whitewashed from their historical past on the time, not to mention now’  based on my supply. Roy was a maverick expertise although, he would by no means have fitted in with Tony James imaginative and prescient.

The 2 space-rock energy trios he subsequently fashioned, The Inexperienced Egg and Radioactive Bones, consisted of Roy, drummer Pete Hutton and his companions on the time. Debbie (Inexperienced Egg) and later Yaz (Radioactive Bones) on bass. They each recorded and self-released cassette and CD albums, often giving them away totally free. They’re each on Discogs I used to be happy to see.

Earlier, within the late 70’s/early 1980’s Roy was within the bands Pow Patrol 51 and The Unlawful Quartet, the latter of whom had been the most effective unsigned bands of their day: at all times in comparison with Bauhaus – however with many different influences from Thunders to U2 to the Treatment and the Damned. They solely recorded one demo tape, nevertheless it nonetheless sounds outstanding to at the present time.

What follows is a collage of peoples reminiscences of Roy and his bands, tributes to a singular particular person and condolence messages to his household, which make up the story of his life in music.

Howard Bowden
He was our guitarist in Pow! Patrol 51 – we had been obsessive about The Smiths, not least Moz-esque nice mate Richard Cotton, and we lined Barbarism Begins At Residence after they carried out it on The Tube weeks earlier than the album got here out. Clearly we claimed we wrote it. Roy turned up one night time having bought Johnny Marr to signal his Fender Strat at Pompey Guildhall the night time earlier than. He was a incredible guitarist and actually candy man. Final time I noticed him was about 10 years in the past at a celebration – we noticed one another, grabbed maintain and flung ourselves across the dance ground.

Pete Wilson (from the Unlawful Quartet)
RIP Roy, you had been definitely a one off and one of the crucial gifted guitarists on the scene. All these mad occasions all of us had collectively again within the day. Shine on you loopy diamond ❤️

John Joe Bo  (Mindless Amelia / Lo-Fi Poet Band)
I’ll fondly keep in mind all of the incredible gigs & mini festivals our bands did collectively from Mindless Amelia with The Inexperienced Egg until Lofi & Radioactive Bones days. What a musical legend & a stunning, humorous man to be round. We instantly bonded over a shared love of Gong, Hawkwind, spacerock & punk music. We jammed, drank & smoked & in all probability nicked just a few riffs from one another, too, through the years! He might make an acoustic guitar sound like a rock live performance. I used to like simply speaking absolute gibberish with Roy, cos he was hilariously fluent in that lingo. I can nonetheless see his impish grin in my head. I don’t keep in mind paying for a single Radioactive Bones / Inexperienced Egg cd or tape. Roy principally simply gave them out, cos he wished individuals to benefit from the tunes. The world simply gained’t be the identical with out his distinctive, artistic, madcap spark. My coronary heart goes out to mates & household. As Greg from The Delays properly mentioned, “Wherever all of us got here from, that’s the place we’re going”. See you on the opposite facet, you pretty, inexperienced, punk, pixie spacelord!

Perry Flatt ( Flying Alexanders / Zombie’ites)
We had been all fortunate to share the identical venue with him many many occasions. On a private observe I put him up there with Bruce Roberts as an affect on my guitar makes an attempt. By no means bowing to conformity or mainstream monotony he tried to push the boundaries. Fly excessive our pal, the Moon shines tonight.   (Ged – Roy’s affect on Perry’s newest band I acknowledged right here and at his greatest Perry will get very near being as-good. xx)

Martin Cavell (UX Diver)
Someday in 1990. A dialog with Roy.

“You’ve painted the Hearth Engine inexperienced. Cool!”

Roy answered: “Yeah, we’ve painted all the things inexperienced: my guitar, my hair, all the things and I’m going to eat nothing however broccoli for an entire month to see if I flip inexperienced! “

Just a few weeks later, I stumble upon Roy once more:

“How’s it going Roy?“

“I don’t really feel very properly, the physician says I’ve to eat one thing else, however I’ve gone barely inexperienced, don’t you suppose?“

Emma Wetherell (One Lifeless Hunter)
Martin, I keep in mind you telling me this story again within the Joiners days (30 years in the past) in all probability not lengthy after I had simply met Roy and the Inexperienced Egg….. I believe it was your manner of explaining him.

Nathan Brown (Haywire/AFU / Abrazos)
Amongst many issues Roy mentioned to me:

“Do you imagine in evolution?”

Yeah

“What, you suppose you had been descended from an ape?”

Yep, why, the place do you suppose individuals got here from?

“My grandad was an alien”

When he was given his prognosis he deliberate his personal demise: in his personal inimitable manner.

“I wished to take a great deal of cocaine and strap dynamite to myself however the Hells Angels couldn’t get me any dynamite”

Mark James   (Soul45 DJ)
Unhappy to listen to of the passing of Roy “Ridiculous” from Radioactive Bones final week. A distinguished determine and fairly a personality in Southampton’s Punk Rock scene!

I had the pleasure of assembly Roy as soon as every week for 10 years, randomly coaching collectively.    Kung Fu, Xingyiquan to be actual. He beloved it!  He was a troublesome fighter although he by no means seemed the half! We had been worlds away however truly had rather a lot in frequent so a friendship grew. Primarily our mutual love for dub and dancehall.

He had a tough begin in life, however was a good Soul and an excellent father. Nice on guitar too!  Thanks the music and a few mad occasions.

Mark Davies (Flik Spatula / Sombrero Fallout)
RIP Roy: A giant a part of the wealthy tapestry of our lives in Southampton, at all times happy to see you; nice chats, gigs, good firm, beneficiant, humorous, supportive, fascinating and an amazing musician.

Final met him on an area bus; we chatted about life and demise, I bought off earlier than him, waved, and in typical Roy style he put his face to the window, thumbs in ears, tongue out, then smiled.

Donal Ogilvie
So glad we reconnected a few years later at a Damned gig in Southampton. Noticed a great deal of bands with him, Pistols, Stray Cats, Buzzcocks amongst others, a few Riot festivals too. Then got here the Radioactive Bones, bloody marvellous. Will miss the outdated fella, had lots of laughs down the years. Rock on Roy x (Ged) I’ve a fuzzy reminiscence of a gig the place the guitarist did ‘ahead rolls’ or possibly backward rolls while persevering with to play the guitar – the opposite night time I sudden realised it was Roy in Unlawful Quartet days/ …. or is it simply my creativeness taking part in methods on me? (Donal) Sounds very believable, and he might carry it off. My very own reminiscences of that interval are considerably addled, I had fairly a fierce urge for food for LSD in these days, as did Roy…

Pete Harvey (Up Balloon Up – Attention-grabbing Wallpaper)
He was a surreal and inventive affect on all of us (within the native music scene). There’s one other helicopter within the sky tonight.

Ged Babey
A quote from Roy I keep in mind from speaking to him in Inexperienced Egg days after a visit to Egypt.

‘We meditated in a pyramid! Tripping! It was like…….’ (a glance of utter pleasure on his face) Anyway, That’s what the brand new songs are gonna be like.’

Richard Chorley.
If Roy had been a planet, it could have been a hitherto undiscovered one. A novel, one-off character – and massively gifted musician – who went his personal manner, undeterred by tendencies or conventions. A critical loss to the Southampton counter-culture and music scene, relaxation empowered mate.

Richard Allan
Roy was effortlessly humorous and had a coronary heart about ten miles huge. I’ll miss him.

Harry Bahia
I keep in mind he had a inexperienced van with ‘The Inexperienced Egg’ by my college and we used to knock on his door and run. At some point he chased me and I went to the ground and he simply seemed mad while I used to be massively apologetic. Quickly afterwards he’s dwelling across the block from me and I used to be at all times intimidated by his stare.

Years later seeing Radioactive Bones – daaamn he might play. Made an energetic effort to see them a few occasions as a result of he was simply mega.

It’s been wonderful seeing the influence on everybody, how he’s being remembered by so many individuals. we’ll preserve discovering his stickers all over the place for years.

John Joe Bo oh yeah, he will need to have lined the entire fuckin globe in stickers! I beloved that van too, however particularly the dude in it. He was undoubtedly a one off.

Bryn Jones
He was a type of individuals you’ll be able to’t neglect and I by no means will – he was only a good dude

Kris Head
A real authentic.

Jodie Copeland 
I beloved that man.

Lisa Noden
Thanks for all of the music Roy. Keep Bizarre (he would at all times say this to me)

Hammy
A tremendous Southampton character and gifted musician, he will likely be missed by so many.
RIP The One and Solely Hearth Engine Roy you at all times brightened my day for positive. So many loopy reminiscences.

David McGregor
Pretty man.  I keep in mind he gained a contest in Sounds for one in every of Ritchie Blackmores Strats. Such an amazing musician, I at all times keep in mind him on the Riverside standing in for an area band whose guitarist hadn’t proven and mainly did a Michael J Fox in Again to the long run and bought an ovation from the band he was taking part in for. R.I.P Roy

Neil Johnstone
We (Wirehead) performed rather a lot collectively as a double invoice with Inexperienced Egg. All the time an enthralling and mild soul.  There’s a (inexperienced) mild that by no means goes out.

Simon Harvey
Inexperienced Egg had been an enormous affect on me, he would be the final Area Cadet.  Fly to your subsequent journey Roy ❤️
John Joe Bo dude performed some mighty licks!
Simon Harvey i beloved the warped out vocals
John Joe Bo and the bouncy little legs ☺️
Simon Harvey and hair!

Simon Wild
I did communicate to him on the cellphone final yr (after about 25 years!) after I heard he had most cancers.. was simply as I remembered him.. humorous, upbeat & distinctive.. Had an amazing ardour for music & journey (& marijuana high quality!) … spent many eves as a teen at his inexperienced home together with his ex Debbie & trippin’ out to his band… candy man & nice guitar participant – he’ll be missed ..I keep in mind him telling me that he wrote the music ‘Hash Bungalow’ as a response to Acid Home haha! …RIP ‘Roy the ridiculous Punk Monk’

Darren Fisher
Gutted. Roy was an enormous affect and help again within the days after I was first gigging in bands.

Matt Clark
Liked that dude, at all times humorous and ran into him on the most random of occasions (like 4:30 AM with Pete Hutton)

Lee Silsbury
RIP Roy punk rock cuckoo clock

 Jacqueline Smith
Unhappy information. Considering of his household. We beloved Radioactive Bones after they got here and performed the Hidden Hedge. RIP Roy Xxx

Angie Gilbert
Condolences to the household. We noticed him usually round our manner. He cared for his mum. R.I.P Roy. ️

Dionne Caplin
A legend misplaced! Thanks for the music and spirit Roy! I keep in mind him when me and Jodie had been children hanging out in Maddos carpark & at all times took the time to an acknowledge us. Then grew up to have the ability to be his grownup pal & music follower! Superb musician & lovely soul. What a present of an individual.

Craig McKeown
We had Radioactive Bones play virtually bi-monthly at The Hobbit again within the day.
Roy performed there so continuously, I provided to get a set of keys reduce for him at one level.
Thoughts the way you go, Roy x

Richard Emery
Radioactive Bones – Top-of-the-line native bands we’ve ever had, and each time I image them in my head they had been smiling.

Phil McCarthy
I bought to know Roy after I re-entered the native gig scene round 2014. The primary time I noticed the Bones was on the Hobbit. I used to be blown away. He was a pleasant geezer and I had no preconceptions about his earlier life/music. A real anarchist in a fairly sensible band. Once I talked to him one on one I discovered he was a caring, deeply delicate and religious man. We had an extended discuss at my final night-out earlier than my stroke. Lots of the issues he mentioned nonetheless resonate with me at this time. And what a troublesome bastard he was. (…which means Roy outlived the docs prognosis by at the least a yr or extra.)

 Bobby Looga
You understand how for those who’re out and about and also you stumble upon somebody, and also you casually ask, “You all proper, mate?” You don’t usually anticipate far more than a “yeah” and possibly a “you?”

A few Valentine’s Days in the past I went to see Zanias at 1865. It was very nice to stumble upon Roy there, so I did the same old…

He wasn’t all proper in any respect, although. He instructed me he was sick, and the way, and I’ve sufficient of a fundamental grasp of the medical to know that it wasn’t very rosy.

It’s tough to explain Roy, as I came upon when my fellow Zanias attender requested. After all there was these big partitions of guitar that he constructed. I wasn’t round for the Inexperienced Egg days, however I used to be fortunate to be on just a few of the identical payments as Radioactive Bones, just a few of Marco’s nights, and Roy was at all times extremely otherworldly, however at all times supportive, good and fascinating firm, and curious. The few textual content messages I bought off him had been at all times in ALL CAPS, and I kinda suppose that’s how he lived – in higher case.

My strangest Roy interplay was in Sainsburys in Portswood just a few years in the past. Nothing out of the bizarre occurred. We had been each getting some buying in, as you do. He had this factor of form of barking out my identify, which alerted me to his presence. We chatted a little bit of nonsense, after which he continued pushing his trolley about – doing such earthly issues as shopping for groceries. That appeared incongruous; in some way being in the identical realm.

I’m wondering what he’d consider all of this. The tributes, of his passing, and no matter subsequent. A watch within the sky? It’s a bizarre thought. I nonetheless see his stickers about. He’s missed. However he left his mark, on everybody he met…

Our ideas are with Roy’s daughter and household.  x

A celebration of Roy’s life/gig is within the planning phases and will likely be introduced sooner or later. Prone to be a Saturday, within the Autumn, centre of Southampton and will likely be publicized regionally and on-line.  

Anybody who has Inexperienced Egg tapes and might digitalize to get them accessible on-line please get in contact.

Due to Everybody who’ve contributed right here and to photographers Adam Barnes and Arturro AN for permission to make use of their photographs. 

Compiled with love by Ged Babey