ASGARD (Cov Band)
ASGARD c1969 - 71
Asgard held open rehearsal sessions in the little theatre of the Coventry Arts Umbrella as well gigs c. 1969 –71. I first saw them in 1969 at the Umbrella’s mini-arts festival – Transcendental Cauldron (One of the first Cov bands I ever saw when I was 18). At that time they were a four piece including Neol Davies who guested on sitar. Theline up consited of Terry Westwood -drums / Richard Kilbride - bass and musical genius Bill Walker - Farfiza Organ. Mainly original material but with an Ummagumma – period Pink Floyd sound. They covered Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun. Mick Gawthorp
(Sax player with another band on at the Transcendental Cauldron) told me recently he gigged briefly with Asgard.
The Arts Umbrella News (December 1970) entry for them was; -
“Our resident electronic-instrumental group practise this Wednesday and most Wednesday in the little theatre. They don’t mind if sympathetic ears listen. But we emphasise that these are not performances, but music workshop sessions.” Wednesday 9th December 8.30pm.
Asgard is from Norse mythology - mythology HERE
BAND LINE UP
Bill Walker – Farfiza Organ
Terry Westwood Drums (very much in the Nick Mason mode according to their roadie Bob Mansfield)
Richard Kilbride Bass / Singer Songwriter
Neol Davies – on Sitar as a guest according to Roadie Bob Mansfield.
Mick Gawthorp Sax (Short period) - Guest
Manager - Paul Padum (Coventry lad, lived in Foleshill of Ukrain family)
Roadie - Bob Mansfield
(It's not come out on the scan of this ticket but Asgard were on this bill too with Wandering John and the Birmingham band Pantomime)
Tuesday June 23rd 1970 they played a ‘Heavy Concert’ for Pete Waterman at the Walsgrave, with Wandering John & Pantomime. They also played the Warwick University Arts Festival on Sunday
March 7th 1971 at the ‘Blues Workshop’ with Skin alley / Pink Fairies / Bubastis & Whistler.
They played The Village Fri 8th January 1971
Trev Teasdel recalls - "Asgard was one of the first Cov bands I saw at the Transcendental Cauldron (a mini underground fest at the Coventry Arts Umbrella c Oct 1969. They played the usual Cov venues - the Village at Colin Campbell pub, Warwick Uni, The Lanch Poly, The Walsgrave, The Plough and many more. They used to practice each week in the little theatre out the back of the Umbrella Club mid week and we'd go in and watch them. Their music inspired some of my own songs. Pete Waterman had them on at the Walsgrave and walking home that night in the wind and rain I wrote a song inspired by Bill's organ playing using the image of the Farfiza -
I no longer have the full lyric - lost in time - but a fragment remains in a note book - .
The first verse started -
The drums of the wind are beating
The night is awash with electric tears
Bushes dance to the riff of the city
Oh he can't play his Farfiza
Like the wind howls the blues tonight
No he can't play his Farfiza
Like the wind howls the blues
Another time Asgard were in the coffee bar after a rehearsal and guy called Mick came in and declared "God the sun is hot" Terry from Asgard quipped "Well you shouldn't have touched it then!" -
Walking home to Willenhall that night after the Umbrella band that line got rewritten into a heavy Black Sabbath style'song I wrote on the way home only in the song it's the mountain peaks that touch the sun by way of a symbolism - The song was called Black Lizard Stream and the full lyric and story can be viewed Here
"The mountain peaks they touched the sun
But promptly burnt their hands
A herd of hills leave their home
Searching for a match to strike
And I’m so low, I’m bound to go
I have lost my way
We have lost our way.
I only ever saw Bill play the organ on stage but during one rehearsal he took time out to show me how to play the Floyd no Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun on guitar - I could barely play at that stage - just starting to learn so I could put music to my own lyrics. He seem as proficient on guitar as the keyboard.
On one ocassion, Neol Davis was sitting in Umbrella coffee bar where I learned that he'd played with Asgard for a short while. He told us that his first guitar was a Hank Marvin guitar with tremolo arm. In the mid sixties there was a special offer ont he back of Cornflakes packets to save tokens to get a Hank Marvin style electric. Although Neol at the time was heavily into the heavy rock style in the early 70's, he uses the tremolo arm a number of Selecter tracks. It was interesting to see him perform in Stockton on Tees in the early 90's with a hybrid of the orginal Selecter. The Shadows had written both Summer Holiday and An instrumental called The Stars Fell on Stockton at the Globe Theatre in Stockton and Neol treated the audience to a ska version of a Shadow's hit.
Additional info from the comments -
Jim Pryal adds a piece about the band's Van -
"Transits were the favoured mode of transport for bands. Long wheelbase 35cwt with partition for the gear and aircraft seats and side windows behind the driver were considered 'de rigour' . I remember Asgard had a white bull nose' Perkins deisel Transit of that very spec."
Mick Gawthorp -
"they were essentially a trio built around Bill's formidable keyboard skills. The picture of Neol above shows him before he grew his hair seriously long ... and big. I've probably mentioned this before but Asgard played one gig in St Ives with Principal Edwards Magic Theatre and another before a huge audience in (I think) Victoria Park with - amongst others- Liverpool Scene. The Warwick Uni gig at which Whistler played was one of a couple, but I remember very well Twink (one of their drummers) smashing some poor student's acoustic up for added dramatic effect."
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Some interesting facts there Trev. Love the picture of Neol with the long hair. In them days, Transits were the favoured mode of transport for bands. Long wheelbase 35cwt with partition for the gear and aircraft seats and side windows behind the driver were considered 'de rigour' . I remember Asgard had a white bull nose' Perkins deisel Transit of that very spec. Well there you go ...............
Thanks Jim and Mick - the pic of Neol was from Broadgate Gnome 1970/71. I remember the band van - had a lift in it a couple of times with Al Docker. I was at the Warwick gig with I think Loz Netto -the Pink Fairies were too and Loz had a go on their guitars in the dressing room while they filled a condom with water int he loos - it exploded drenching two gentlemen in suits! Wasn't Twink one of the Pink Fairies - I know there was a Cov Twink but I didn't know he was a drummer. I will check my diary entries to see if their names are in there. I didn't know of the St. Ives gig but it would figure - we sat for hours listening to Bill playing while they practiced and never really got board!
I remember Twink as you describe Jim although I didn't really know him very well - I remember him being around on the scene and I remember your Whitley flat - I passed it walking home from the city centre to Willenhall often at 3 in the morning at weekends after the umbrella or Lanch or something.I had cause to knock on your door on one ocassion to pass on a message - can't remember when or why but I remember you opening the door!
But was Twink a drummer and did he play with Asgard? I had no idea he was in anyway musical - but then I didn't know him that well!
Of course you were Jim - although you were in your dressing gown so I guess it must have been late! Can't remember if it was in the Wandering John period or later in the Hot Snacks period - maybe a message from Ollie.
Came across this by accident and have answers to some of your questions. Bill Walker was the musical genius behind Asgard (Greek mytholigy, land of the gods) unfortunately Bill had a fatal heart atack weeks after he married circa 1975/8 ish, as did their manager Paul Padum (Coventry lad, lived in Foleshill of Ukrain family) and knew Neol (Black Cat Bones) who actually never really played with Asgard as a member, more of a guest line up when he was into the Sitar. Terry Westwood was the drummer (very much on the Nick Mason vogue) and whom the band met on the road actually jamming with them one wet wednesday night at Mothers in Erdington. We gigged there on our own accord not long after the Victoria Park gig (At which we replaced the then relatively unknown Black sabbath) as we impressed John Peel and he invited us to perform at his regular Friday night radio slot live from Mothers. Just as an aside Paul (our manager) went to live with John Peel in his mews appartment in Upper Harley street whilst working for bands such as Roxy Music, Pink Floyd, Principal Edwards Magic Theatre and Chicargo Blus Band (as did Terry when the band (Asgard) split up) Paul died in Bahrain whilst working with Charles Asenevor circa 1980. Coming back to terry, he married had two boys and lives hapily in Kings Lyne. The last member was Richard McBride, bass player, singer and songwriter. Last heard of wending his way back to the Lake district where his family were after the break up of his marriage.
Who am i? Ex roadie and friend who has great memories of those days at the Umbrella club and many more clubs and venues of the 70s/80s and who will never forget Bills rendition of tecarter and fugue (The Nice version) as i walked down the aisle.
We will have to do a Hobo tribute to Bill Walker and Asgard - Coventry's answer to Pink Floyd -but with something of their own. I spent hours listening to them practice in the theatre of the Umbrella club back when before I can remember!
Never got bored with Bill's brilliant organ playing (think it was a Farfiza at that stage rather than a Hammond).
Send us any info on the band - if any one has any pics of the band or members - that would be cool - and if any one has any audio - that would be brilliant - especially in light of the Gnome label's proposed Retro Cov podcast. Stories and memories too - if you need to get them to me by e mail or post - message me on this site and we'll sort it. My own archive of them is restricted to the above - so rally round and we'll get a good tribute on her to an excellent early Cov band.
Trev
This is great - we are beginning to sketch this out a bit more. Someone mentioned Nick Trevisthick has a website and went on to better things - will have to google him - unless any one comes up with a url for him first! Kev Harrison has sent a link to Neol Davies's site - will do a post soon. Also I will start and marshal some of this new info into the main Asgard post - but some photos, flyers, band cards and audio would be excellent - search your lofts!
Thanks guys.
ASGARD also played alongside the Birmingham Band Ghost at the Umbrella Club In September 1970 (a Friday night). I remember going to the CBR Music Agency in Queen Victoria Rd. with Al Docker who put on the bands at the Umbrella before me. He booked them and Birmingham bands Audience, Pantomime and Tea & Symphony via CBR - maybe others. CBR HQ was just a few doors down from the Umbrella. I think it was a good night - well attended - I did the door at that stage.
Asgard also played alongside Trad B Jefferson and April at the Umbrella July 1970
I'll be updating the Umbrella posts soon from some research I did in the Cov Archives recently - with some more insights into its early life in the 50's -Little Park St. and during the sixties as well as the period around the early 70's which was when I and some of the people on here remember it. Asgard will feature in some of it.
He was the treasurer for gigs and stuff, and often came back from paying the artists,but still with the money,,,cos they had such a good time,,,we only found out the truth years later
Pearl
I met Rick at Exeter in 66, he was a chem major. There was a big theatrical cooperative thing at Exeter, Edwards was just one of the faces. At weekends and summer break many of the performers would head down to Ricks . Most would end up sleeping in the woods above St Ives. I did a couple of Magic Theatre trips , met Hawkwind at one , another was to Mothers.
The Digger thing on Cornwall didnt start until late 71, before that it was just hippy trippy.
I was with Rick until 75 , when he missed getting caught up in Julie by a squeak. We divorced in 1980.
Wasn't one of the links with Asgard via Lesley.a relative of her foster parents or something like that. She has the same surname as the drummer
Who knows what has happened to Ollie's website.?
Kathy.
But he collected stuff from all kind of people. Dave might still hear from him , I think hes the chap that got the Legs and later just Malcolm all the work in the Comedy tent year after year
I keep waiting for him to show up on the Festivals site.
Pearl
Stumbled across this blog. I am from Cov and saw Asgard somewhat bizarrely) at the Coventry police social club when they were on a 'Penny Tour' with Comus (fantastic!) and Demon Fuzz. It was 50p to get in I think so it must have been 1971. I also rememebr Twink; hanging round the Golden Cross, didn't know he purported to be a musician though!
Loads of other memories of bands
I was the bass player that no one can remember... Thankyou and it is Richard KILBRIDE not Mc...... It is so bizzarre to see all these names and places that had become more of a dream than a true memory and I am so glad that the band has