Alternative TV was an influential British punk rock band. Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ...

As the founding editor of the pioneering Sniffin' Glue fanzine, Mark Perry gained attention in the British punk scene. He formed the band whilst producing the fanzine, although eventually diverted his energies solely to this band. Sniffin Glue is the name of a famous and pioneering monthly punk fanzine started by Mark Perry in July 1976 and released for about a year. ... A fanzine (see also: zine) is an nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular subject for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ... Mark Perry was a British fanzine publisher and musician. ...

Key members of the band were Mark P and Alex Fergusson, who described their music as "closest to Can and reggae-type rhythms," and were generally more innovative and experimental than many of their peers within the punk scene at that time. Alex Fergusson is a Scottish guitarist/producer Fergusson was a member of Alternative TV with Mark Perry. ... Can (originally The Can a few years, sometimes spelled C A N, or CAN by fans) was one of the major Krautrock bands, an avant-garde, improvisational anarchist community who have had a great influence on modern rock and electronic music. ... Reggae is a style of music developed in Jamaica and is closely linked to the Rastafari movement, though not universally popular among Rastafarians. ...

The band's debut single was "Love Lies Limp", a free flexi disc issued with the final edition of Perry's Sniffin' Glue fanzine. Shortly afterwards they released the "How Much Longer/ You Bastard" 7" in December 1977, the 'a' side being a critique of youth culture apathy. Flexi disc recordings are a thin format designed to be playable on standard phonograph turntables. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... See also: 1976 in music, other events of 1977, 1978 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // Events In this year, the St. ... Young people often find ways to express themselves which are different to the generally accepted culture of their community. ...

Soon thereafter at the end of 1977, Perry sacked chief collaborator Alex Fergusson. Fergusson would later form Psychic TV a few years later with Genesis P Orridge.

A dub influenced single, "Life after Life," was released as well as a well-received album, The Image Has Cracked. The band's second album, Vibing Up the Senile Man saw the band take a more explicitly experimental direction however, which alienated many of their followers as well as the music press. The band soon evolved into the avant-garde project the Good Missionaries. Dub is a form of Jamaican music, which developed in the early 1970s. ... A work similar to Marcel Duchamps Fountain Avant garde (written avant-garde) is a French phrase, one of many French phrases used by English speakers. ...

There have been a number of Alternative TV reunions over the years, and the band at one time toured with the Gong-family band Here and Now, documented on the jointly made live album What You See Is What You Are. Gong are a progressive rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. ... Here and Now is Public Radio’s noon news magazine. ...