Throughout his teens, Howe played in various groups in North London. His first gigs were at King Alfred School (1981) and University College School (1982). The groups' repertoires mainly consisted of covers of The Clash, David Bowie, Bauhaus and U2 songs, supplemented with original material. Dylan left King Alfred School with three O-level passes in 1986. He worked as a window cleaner and sales assistant in various shops (for Katharine Hamnett and others) until 1988 when he started working as a professional musician.