Kear began his career as a drummer with various bands in the late-1970s and early-1980s, including a stint with the Small Faces and the Amazing Bavarian Stompers with whom he performed on an edition of the children's TV series Tiswas in 1981.
His name is a play on Spit the dog, the puppet popularised by Bob Carolgees on the 1970s British children's television show Tiswas and the location of Newport County's former home ground at Newport Stadium — Spytty Park.
Series 2 of Tiswas began from late 1974, and spanned almost every Saturday in 1975, finishing in early 1976.
Tiswas |
The band marked the occasion by performing at Tiswas in New York City, a Britpop/mod-themed night at local club Don Hill's.