Masters of the Backside

Masters of the Backside was an early British punk rock group. They never released a recording or performed beyond practice sessions, but the group's members went on to greater success: Chrissie Hynde later fronted The Pretenders, and Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, and Rat Scabies all became founding members of The Damned. Dave Zero was the only other member.

The band was managed by future Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, who wanted to create a band with the musical sound of The Ramones and the style of former Television member Richard Hell, both of whom he had seen perform at CBGB.

They broke up before playing live or recording any material after the members became tired of McLaren's need to control their activity. McLaren had more success with his second band, the Sex Pistols, and Hynde eventually joined the Pretenders while Vanian, Sensible, and Scabies teamed up with former London SS member Brian James to form The Damned.

Masters of the Backside has since gone on to attain semi-legendary status among the punk community alongside bands like the London SS, The Flowers of Romance, and The Subterraneans.

It is unclear when the band began using the name "Masters Of The Backside" as The Damned acknowledge many of their members first performed together in a group with Hynde but they refer to the project as being unnamed.