Cov bands - Children / Crystal Ship / Cliff Cowling Trio

I've put a few bands together as I don't have much material on them individually.

CHILDREN
Played Coventry Arts Umbrella Friday September 25th. They also played the Village (Colin

Campbell) Fri 1st Jan 1971. The Walsgrave Tues 12th Jan 1971. Warwick University Fest Sunday March 7th.

This was one of last bands that Al Docker put on at the Umbrella before I took over from him. It was a long time ago but I seem to recall they were an acoustic band with a hippy feel to the material. Not sure if they were from Cov or just played in the City but I remember liking their material.

CRYSTAL SHIP
This was another acoustic band at the Umbrella in 1970 which Al Docker booked. The title of a

Doors song although I'm sure I knew that until later - the image stuck in my mind and I like their music too - again can't recall it much except that at the time it had an effect on me - something progressive and poetic and inspirational I seem to think! I began organising mixed media events at the Umbrella  and have done periodically since - the latest being the Writers Cafe in Stockton on Tees but in the early 90's I organised one in Saltburn by the Sea where I had lived for a while and I called it The Crystal Ship (see the poster here). It brought in quite a few Doors fans from Saltburn! Another term for the earth too. The inspiration for called the Saltburn gig was more this early Cov band than the Doors although the Doors were faves of course!

                                                                              THE CLIFF COWLING TRIO

Were centred around the rock n roll and boogie piano playing of Cliff Cowling.  I think began in late 50's and weren't part of the hippy music scene of the early 70's but were obviously part of the Umbrella in the past. Cliff still rehearsed at  the Umbrella in the early 70's, probably playing the clubs accompanied by upright string bass and snare drum - almost skiffle. Cliff had greased back hair while the rest of us had extremley long flowing locks but his rock n roll piano was exceptional. I can't tell you much more about them really.