The term could also be a reference to the volume of ships built during wartime on the River Wear, e.g. "We mackem and they sink em".
Tongue in cheek, I dubbed them "punk pathetique" along with equally crazy bands like Brighton's Peter and the Test Tube Babies and Maccam jesters The Toy Dolls.
Mackem |
Very little is known of the writer but what can be gleaned from various publications is that he was born in England, assumedly in the North East and possibly Sunderland area as the words of the song “The Lambton Worm” are from the “Mackem” dialect.
And Newcastle United fans chant "Ten Mackem Bastards" – celebrating Shola Ameobi's excellent record against their local rivals Sunderland.