24 posts from February 2007

NOTE - THIS PAGE NEEDS SOME RE-ORGANISATION ESPECIALLY AS THERE ARE MORE CLUBS TO BE ADDED!!
FOLK CLUBS IN Coventry had a thriving folk music scene with a lot of top players of all types and a

great variety of floor singers learning their craft (including me sometimes!). I 1978 I saw Pauline Black playing in a Folk club - The Old Dyers Arms  -near the Butts - she did a Joan Armatrading and a Stones song (Think it was Paint it Black but can't remember for sure). Later in the year the year I saw her again at  the Lanch with Neol Davies. He seemed to be pep talking her so I figured she'd be playing solo as support to Neol's new band Selecter. It was a pleasant surprise to see she was the lead singer. A little while later On the Radio raced up the charts and the rest is history. Other top players were Rod Felton, Rob Armstrong (sometimes solo, sometimes as New Modern Idiot Grunt band, members of Dando Shaft together or solo, Sean Cannon, Dave Bennett, Jon Shananhan, Jamie Lord, Dave Coburn, Pete Willow and many others who may be noted in another section.

Note - this is not a comprehensive list of the whole period - there many clubs and some came and went with new ones always replacing them. This just a list of those that were advertised by HOBO or which I either knew about or played at or attended. For a low down of Folk Clubs in the later 70's - Pete Willow's Folks magazine is a good source - although they are not on line as yet.

Folk section from HOBO issue (Unpublished version) Intro to the Folk Listing.

"Howdy! Must say dis scene’s the rowdiest of the lot; or at least there are more folk clubs than any other live music venues as far as I can see, which doesn’t mean to say that they are all bursting at the seams with support and activity, but probably they all suffer from the dread apathy. Hold it right there partners! I think I’ll give you a run-down, (you should be so lucky!) of the clubs that are functioning; -"

 Sunday

The Gate Folk Club – YWCA

The Butts. Free Admin. (Saw Dando Shaft there c 73). Whispering Ned and Waves Across the Ether seemed to hook the crowd that night.

The Rocky Road Folk Club – Bear Inn, . 1973) Sat from 1974 The night seems to have changed according to the HOBO What's On pages.

Down Country Boys – New (New ), Long Lawford, Nr Rugby.

Wurzel Bush Folk Club – – Host Dave Samson. (Later c1981 saw Martin Jenkins and Bert Jansch there). (Sat early in 74)Their 1974 Itinerary was (according to Hobo the following acts were on in part of  1974 –

June 29^th Muckran Wakes – Trad. Group.

July 6^th  Sean Cannon – Irish Singer.

July 13^th / 20^th / 27^th Closed for Fortnight.

August 3^rd  Gary and Vera – Trad.

August 10^th  Jug Band

August 17^th  Dave Turner – Witty Songwriter

August 24^th  Frogmorton.

August 31^st  Bob Williamson (of Y Fronts fame)

The Fletch was orginally run by (Cornish or ) folkie Dave Sampson who

was prone to be nicely eccentric as can be seen from the CET pic here. The toilet pan is actually a kazoo amplified by the toilet pan!! The note on the seat says 'Yeah Tis!' . It continued after he left but I can't remebember who took it over. It was a bit out of the way for me. However I did see Martin Jenkins and Bert Jansch play there in 1981 on a home visit back from Teesside. Before that Dave gave me a free ticket to see Jasper Carrott in his younger days (as a reporter from HOBO!).

Monday

The Village Pump, Bulls Head, . Folk Dance and Song club, starts (existed in 1973)

Tuesday

The Rude Bear Folk Club – The Three Tons (City Centre pub), Bullyard 1972 /3 and The Hand in Heart, Far Gosford Street, late 73 – 74. Admission Free / cheap beer. Organisers 

Rod Felton and Dave Coburn – regulars – Dave Bennett, Jon Shananhan, Lol Pavey, Rod Felton, Dave Coburn. Jamie Lord

Entry from Hobo No 4 (Unpublished version)

“SEX STARVED FOLK CLUB!!

The Rude Bear Folk Club is starved of sex – any kind, male or female. The club, which closed down owing to lack of sufficient support, re-opened last month in the hope of attracting more interest. Admission is cheap (sometimes free).  Based at the Hand in Heart in , the club boasts two top singers as residents – Rod Felton and Dave Coburn.. Dave has just returned from a successful residency in the Canary Isles and Rod Felton is doing some interesting things these days (playing with Dando Shaft at the ). LETS SEE SOME MORE PEOPLE THERE…!”

The Rude Bear Folk Club run jointly by Rod Felton and Dave Coburn was the club I went to most frequently from 1973 - 74 period, both to represent and make contacts for Hobo and to play my latest song efforts in the Floor spots (you got in free if you took a guitar!). Although there was a lull s reproted in Hobo above, generally it was one of the most popular on account of who it was run by! it was a good club to make contacts at for Hobo and find out what was going on, on the folk scene and beyond. Sometimes the rock and the folk scene would interchange, with Pauline Black starting out in the folk clubs before Hardtop 22 and Selecter. I met James Reilly of Direct Enterprises at the Rude Bear. Jamie Lord (influenced by Todd Rungren, was a regular for a while), Bob Young of A Band Called George and Sunshine Agency ran a folk club as well as playing rock gigs. Rod Felton himself sang his self-penned 'folk songs' with powerful R n B intonations. The advert reveals the type of guests they had. Again I saw a young Jasper Carrott there, his humourous monologues being punctuated by the use of the guitar a bit more often than on his later TV progammes. In 1971 -72 I began learning guitar and setting my own music to my songs and by the end of 72, began either tenatively playing covers or my own songs or reciting my poems to my guitar accompaniment.  By autumn 72  I discovered the Rude Bear Folk Club, then at the Three Tons Pub in the Bull Yard, City centre and inflicted some of my own idiosyncratic songs on the suspecting audience, some times accompanied by Jed and Arthur on guitars (they later got involved in Hobo). Sometimes I'd call us Trev and  Don't Talk Wet after a poem by Dave Byron Reed ( poet friend). But the folk clubs were a great way to learn from the many and varied players, from the Ragtime licks of Blind Drunk Dave Bennett (as he called himself in one Hobo ad!). To the banjo style licks of John Drittler; the open tuned songs of Rod Felton, the John Martyn styled blues songs of Jon Shannahan, the well accomplishd blues style of Mick Stuart and many many more. There were a lot of talented players around on the folk scene.

Jules Verne Folk Club – , with Clem McHayle – Night Owl and other singers. (c 1975). I met Clem at the Rude

Bear and we advertised his folk club in HOBO -

Wednesday

The Globe, Warwick . Residents Nigel Clarke and Cardinal.

I never got to this one either, although Nigel was the first ever to put music to my lyrics and play them at venues like St. Osburg. They were very early compositions from when I was 17 and I never got to hear them live. We were both apprentice electicians in 1968,he at the Electric Board and me at DF Gibbs near the General Wolk. We met on day release at the ButtsTech and both fans of Paul Simon's work, went to the Butts library in our lunch hour with Nigel intrducing me to books on Psychology and Sociology to inspire our writing, I began buying magazines like New Society long before I ever did a Social Studies Course, to find ideas for songs. although I'd heard them, Nigel got me into Joni Mitchell and gave me my first Dylan and Beatles song books to inspire my early attempts to learn guitar but the lyrics of Dylan in his Bringing it all Home period (even though by then they were 4 years old) took my writing a bit deeper.He introduced and taught me to play my first 12 bar blues. Later In 72 Cardinal played for us at the Umbrella in one of my first mixed media / experimental gigs.

The Antelope M.C.C,  , The Butts.Host John Drittler Including John Golding.

Although I was want in 73 to take my guitar along to different folk clubs and get in free and do a floor spot and gain a bit of performance experience, I came by the Antelope Folk club in slightly strange way.  I'd played in Birmingham at the Streetpress gig in Moseley and  was hitchin home along the Mosely to Digbeth Rd. It was quite at 11pm ish even for Birmingham, and I sat on the side of the road with hardly a car or passer by in sight playing Hitchin A Ride on guitar (the Vanity Fare hit) with hardly a hope of a lift and no money to get home.

Hitchin' A Ride - Vanity Fare (Extract)

(Sums up the situation and it worked!!)

A thumb goes up, a car goes by
It's nearly 1 a.m. and here am I
Hitchin' a ride, hitchin' a ride
Gotta get me home by the morning light

I got no fare to ride a train
I'm nearly drowin' in the pouring rain
Hitchin' a ride, hitchin' a ride
Gotta get me home to my baby's side

Ride, ride, ride, hitchin' a ride
Ride, ride, ride, hitchin' a ride

Below is a link to one of my folk styled songs of the time.

Just Before Dawn - By Trev Teasdel (Home recorded fast clawpicking song - lyrics 1970 / music and recording laste 70s. Written about going to work at the GEC Stoke works in Cov at some unearthly hour in the morning where bassist Billy Campbell and Pete Waterman also worked at the time (1970)

- When out of the blue came a car and it stopped! It turned out to be John Golding, the Daventry folk singer who stopped because he took pity on a fellow guitar player. Even more luckily he was not only passing through Coventry but had to pass Willenhall where I lived to get back to Daventry! Quite amazing as I'm not sure what I would have done otherwise - ended up walking miles to Brum airport before any real chance of a lift. Shank's Pony and hitchin' were the state of the art for me in those days as far as transport was concerned! We had mutual frinds on the folk scene so it was cool but I had never seen John Golding play. However he was due to lay the Antelope in Coventry a day or two later and I was meeting Babs who was becoming the new co-editor of Hobo and for a short while lady friend and so we went along to

the Antelope. I both enjoyed John's performance - he had an album coming out (see the cuttings) and I also enjoyed the club, returning on quite afeew ocassions. On one ocassion, while doing a floor spot I teamed up with a percussionist Roy Brewster, who was playing with an acoustic band called Trilogy (led by Al Hatton - ex Indian Summer). I called us Trev and Don't Talk Wet if I played with other musicians. Roy introduced me to different latin rhythms on the bongos and made suggestions for improving the rhythmic aspects of the songs, especially as a couple of the songs at that stage were in a Tyrannosaurus Rex mode. I learnt quite a bit from him, he was a really knowlegable bloke but we never got together musically after that. However I saw quite a bit of him as

Trilogy were playing around the scene and we reported on them in Hobo. I knew Al Hatton already form Shilton when he played with the short lived Coventry supergroup Runestaff - with Roy Butterfield, Al Hatton, Al Docker and Ron Lawrence. The organiser of the club was John Drittler who played a country style with fast banjo style licks. Although country music wasn't on my top list, all styles of music influenced me and I had a go at those fast hammer on's! He was a talented player  and a good folk club host.

Thursday

Country and Western, The Boatyard, Hand in Heart, Gosford Green, with ‘Garry’ 15p, 8pm 20p.(1973) Weds in 74

Bedworth Folk Club – Corner House, Bulkington.

Bulls Head, Brinklow. Blue Grass sounds, 20p. (1973)

Friday

Owl FolkClub, The Boatyard,  Hand in Heart, Gosford Green. (Organised

by Clem McHayle, 1973 (Sat in 1974?)

Virgins and Castle, High St. Kenilworth. Residents Sneak’s Noise. (1973/4)

St. Bendaws, Butts, (1973)

 
Denbigh Arms Folk Club – Monks Kirby, Nr Rugby. Folk and Beer drinking competitions.

Brinklow Folk Club –

Bulls Head, Brinklow.

Host Mick Stuart

HENLEY COLLEGE FOLK CLUB

At the New Inn, Longford Rd. Covnetry. A long standing and highly prfessional Folk Club hosted by FolkLore. It was known as Henley College Folk club because one of the leading multi-instrumentalists in the group was Barry Jackson. Barry was a very talented man, playing all kinds of instruments, some of them quite medieaval! He was also my art teacher at Henley

College. Alex Murphy was also on the course with me. (Follow the Alex

link to hear Neil O'Connor's song for Alex Murphy). Barry was a talented artist himself, designing the jacket of one of the Umbrella Magazines pictured here. He was more than an art teacher, he was a mine of information on all kinds of things. I went along several times to watch the acomplished Folklore play and to see Derek Brimstone

and Colin Scott. I did a floor spot at that session.

SHANTY FOLK CLUB

At the Charterhouse, Terry Rd organised by Jim Reilly of Direct Enterprises.

Saturday

Arts Umbrella Folk Club – from Traditional Folk Club. There were several Poetry and folk sessions on different days between 1970 and 1974 run by different people include my Humpoesic Happening which was a bit more experimental and mixed media.

Napton Folk Club  - The Crown – (1973/4)

There was also the Sunshine folk club organised by Bob Young from A Band Called George and another at the Coventry Tech College, Butts.

 

Dear Diary  -   Moody Blues - from A Threshold of a Dream 1971
                                                                 Listen to it on You Tube below.......
Dear diary, what a day it's been.
Dear diary, it's been just like a dream.
Woke up late. Wasn't where I should have been.

For goodness sake what's happening to me.
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary.

It was cold outside my door.
So many people by the score.
Rushing around so senselessly.
They don't notice there's people like me.
Write lightly, yours truly, dear diary.

They don't know what they're playing.
They've no way of knowing what the game is.
Still they carry on doing what they can.
Outside me, yours truly, dear diary.

It's over. Will tomorrow be the same?
I know that they're really not to blame.
If they wern't so blind then surely they'd see.
There's a much better way for them to be.
Inside me, yours truly, dear diary.
...

Somebody exploded an H-bomb today.
But it wasn't anyone I knew.

....................................
Trev's Diary 1971 - A prologue

1971 and 1981 strangely were the only years I kept a full diary all the way through. In 1971 I was just getting started

Dear Diary on the Coventry music scene and in 1981 I'd recently moved to Teesside and so in a sense there was a similar process going on.

I was 18 when I first venture to the Coventry Arts Umbrella, autumn 69 and over the next year was at first helping Al Docker with the band nights, doing the door and the rounds with him, meeting musicians and developing contacts and later organising the bands myself when his band Tsar took off. I'd also been helping out at the Walsgrave at Pete Waterman's Walsgrave gig, as well as writing songs and doing my first poetry gigs.

During the first part of 1971 I was based in Coventry around the Umbrella and city centre area and the diary reflects some of the venues, bands and issues of the time. By April I was organising a Music Marathon with Lyndie for the Umbrella. When our enormous efforts were thwarted by the local authority, the focused moved to Birmingham for the summer spent in a communal house rented by the Vocalist of Birmingham band Ascension.
Here I met Steve Brimstone and John Hadley who got me started on guitar and for the first time I began p[utting music to my lyrics and even singing (maybe not the best word for it!). By autumn we were back in the Coventry area out at Shilton in a cottage that used to be rented by Ron Lawrence of April (later bassist with Sniff and the Tears), so there are changes of perspective. The entries are not highly personal - more reflective of the scene at the time as I encountered it. The ground work that led to the creation of Hobo was being dug at this time.

What follows below are edits from the diary that are relevant to the music scene. I wasn't sure if I should use this but Broadgate Gnome thought it might provide a good social document of the times. I'm not sure if they will still think so but here goes. Obviously this site is being created in dialogue now with others who were on the scene. It's good to have feedback and support!

Trev's diary entries January to March 1971 - edited entries -
 
Jan 1 Fri -  Booked Fresh Maggots for the Umbrella Club. Didn't go to work The two Jan's came up to the Brolly and did the handouts. Went to Tony's Cross's and then Bazz's.
Jan 2nd Sat -  Went to the Umbrella Club - Al Docker's group Tsar were practicing.
Jan 3rd Sun - Went to the Umbrella and to the Plough Club (London Rd.)
Jan 4th Mon - Went to the Umbrella in the evening.
Jan 5th Tues - Went to the Walsgrave (run by Pete Waterman) - Dando Shaft were playing. Asked them to play at the Umbrella. Got lift into town afterwards with Ade Taylor of Wandering John by April (a Cov Folk rock band).
Jan 6th Weds -Tried to phone Mr Haggard at council about rehearsal rooms for groups. Went to Umbrella in the evening - watched Asgard practice in the little theatre.
Jan 7th Thurs - Last day working at the GEC - Hoorah! Went with Tony Cross to see Satisfaction at Henry's Blues House at the Mercers Arms.
Jan 8th Fri - Organised band night at Umbrella Club with Jessica's Theme.
Jan 9th Sat - Went to the Lanch Poly to see Goliath, Stone the Crows and Indian Summer.
Jan 10th Sun - Went to the Plough club (Silk Disco and band) - Got lift of Chaz Crompton's brother.
Jan 11th Mon - Phoned Mr Haggard to negotiate for reheasal space for local bands - not in. Phoned Ade Taylor. Got lift home off Chris Jone's bass player - Terry ? (can't remember surname). Stayed in at night working on my song lyrics.
Jan 12th Tues - Phoned Mr Haggard re-rehearsal space for bands. Went to Pete Waterman's gig at the Walsgrave - The group Children were on - we'd had these for the Umbrella. Helped on door duty.
Jan 13th Weds - Did a tour of the Umbrella, Lanch Poly and Rose and Crown with Keyboard player Tony Cross.
Jan 14th Thurs - Went with Tony Cross to see Alan Bown at the Mercers Arms. Meanwhile Traffic were playing at Warwick Uni with Rick Grech on violin.
Jan 15th Fri - Booked Ra Ho Tep for the Umbrella. The two Jan's came up - (they often helped on the door for the band nights.) Meanwhile Gentle (a band from Derby who we'd had on for the Umbrella) were playing at the Plough.
Jan 16th Sat - Harry Boardman playing folk at the Umbrella by I went to the Lanch to see Roy Harper, Lindisfarne and Pisces. at the Lanch Poly. Roy was totally brilliant when he played but got some flack from the crowd for verbling on too much between songs! Had hair trimmed by some lasses at the Umbrella earlier!
Jan 17th Sun  - Went to  see the New Modern Idiot Grunt Band (Rod Felton and  Rob Armstrong) at the Plough Club. lift home of Chaz Cromton's brother.
Jan 18th Mon
Free disco at the Plough but didn't go. Went to the Umbrella instead - talked to Cindy.
Jan 19th Tues - Phoned Mr Haggard again 9.45 am re- reheasal space for bands - not getting very far. Phoned Whistler - re- gig at the Umbrella. Went to the Walsgrave - Skid Row on - saw the two Jan's there.
Jan 20th Weds - Phone Mr Haggard 10.30am. Evening went to Umbrella and the Tony's Cross's and then to the Jaguar pub in Corporation St.
Jan 21st Thurs  - Went to see Climax Chicago Blues Band at Mercers Arms with the two Jans and Tony Cross.
Jan 22nd Fri - Went to the AGM of the Coventry Arts Umbrella (as convenor of the Live Music) and after to the Lanch Poly to see  some Birmingham bands managed by Jim Simpson of Henry's Blues House (he discovered Black Sabbath and Indian Summer) they had on Tea and Symphony (who had played the Umbrella), Hannible and The Dog that Bit People. Meanwhile Dando Shaft and Toorquewood played at the Cov Tech College (Nr the Butts).
Jan 23rd Sat  - Went to the disco at the Lanch for a bop!
Jan 24th Sun - Watched an Omnibus documentary on TV about Chicago Blues and then went to the Plough club. Lift home off keyboard player Martin Barter.
Jan 25th Mon - Stayed in all day and night working on all the songs I'd  jotted down while walking home after gigs etc and re-drafting, doing top copies by hand (no computers then!).
Jan 26th Tues  - Went to see Barnabus at the Walsgrave - not many there - left early. Phoned Crest Motel for a job interview.
Jan 27th Weds  - Went to the Crest Motel for Interview - wages crap - didn't take it. Went to Stoke Library for a session playing all kinds of music and to the Umbrella.
Jan 28th Thurs  - Went to see Julian's Treatment at Mercers Arms and then up to see Al Docker (drummer with Tsar) at his new flat on Stony Stanton Rd.
Jan 29th Fri - Lanch Poly Arts Fest. begins with Priory Street Blues (the road that runs past both the Lanch and the new Cov Catherdral). Went to the Plough Club first -saw a bit of Tuxedo Junction and then on to the Lanch to see Climax Chicago Blues Band, Arthur Big Boy Crudup (whose song That's Alright Mama - was Elvis's first ever hit), and Brewers Droop. Walked the two Jan's home - kipped at Al Dockers - too knackered to walk the 3 miles home that night.
Jan 30th Sat - Went to see Centipede (new super Jazz outfit) at the Lanch Arts Fest. Went for coffee after with poet Ian Gage.
Jan 31st Sun - Monty Python's Flying Circus at the Blegrade Theatre as part of the Lanch Arts Fest. Watched them march from the Lanch to the Belgrade with knotted handkerchiefs on their heads and rolled up trouser legs chanting "I'm a Lumber Jack and I'm Ok"!. Stayed at the Lanch to see Curved Air, Ivor Cutler and Adrian Henri. Adrian Henri was squashed up against me in the Lanch Bar queue calling to the bar staff to serve as he was due back on stage!

Feb 1st Mon - Monty Python at the Belgrade Theatre. London Gaberieli Brass Ensemble at St. Mary's Hall. (both part of the Lanch Arts Fest.). Dando Shaft at Warwick Uni. However I stayed in writing.
Feb 2nd Tues - Monty Python at Belgrade and Andrea Previn and the London Syphony Orchestra at Cov Cathedral as part of Lanch fest. Didn't see these though. Lunch time I went to see poet Adrian Mitchell and George McBeth at the Colin Campbell. Very impressed with Adrian Mitchell in particular. 2pm went with DJ Melve Preece to Kersley Colliary for job. Evening saw Gypsy's Kiss at the Walsgrave.
Feb 3rd Weds - Went to Lanch - met the Jans and others - Leon Russell, Osibisa, Indian Summer and Jonathan Swift. Leon played an intersting verison of Dylan's It takes a lot to Laugh. Indian Summer were on form as usual and Osibisa were infectious with their rhythms. (I have the Lanch Poster to go with this - as soon as its scanned).
Feb 4th Thurs - Colin Tilney Harpsichord Recital at St Mary's Hall (Part of Lanch fest) Mogul Thrush at the Mercers Arms; Wild Angels at Walsgrave, Late Disco at Lanch. I met Maggie, Chris and Gaynor and saw Tunc at the Umbrella. Then went to see Al Docker.
Feb 5th Fri - Went to see Elton John, Caravan and Skid Row at Lanch fest. Martin Barter and Clive were there.
Feb 6th Sat - Went to Lanch with Al Docker - Strawbs, Ralph McTell and Mr Fox on. Strawbs ran over time and the Lanch pulled the plug on them literally. Wrong to do that to - the Strawbs continued accoustically with congas, Rick Wakeman (who was playing with them then) continued on the grand piano and Dave cousins on acoustic guitar - the crowd were delighted.
Feb 7th Sun - Ronnie Scott Quintet, John Williams and Nucleus at Lanch but didn't go. Went to see friends and the Umbrella..
Feb 8th Mon - My Birthday - stayed in all day and night (ironically) - no money and snowed in. Worked on a new song in a Paul Simon style.
Feb 9th Tues - Went to see Indian Summer at the Walsgrave, helped out). They had a stand in bass as the bass player had left. I booked them for the Umbrella. The two Jan's, Sarah, Jackie and Louise and Gene were there and Drummer Steve Harrison. A good night with a big crowd.
Feb 10th Weds - Saw keyboard Martin Barter of Coconut Mat - talked about a songwriting liasion - Elton and Bernie style. Stayed in at night working on songs.
Feb 11th Thurs - Dando Shaft at Mercers Arms but stayed in writing.
Feb 12th Fri - Madam Arno at Umbrella. Went with Steve Harrison to the Village (Colin Campbell) to see Nuneaton band Flood and then on to the Plough to see Lucreatia Borgia.
Feb 13th Sat - Steve Harrison asked me to borrow a PA and try vocals and some of my lyrics out with his new band Railroad (with Mick Green and Tony (Mojo) Morgan). They were a new arrangement of The Mick Green Blues Band without Johnny Adams. Got a pissed and we went to the Lanch. The Two Jans showed us some great photos of a Wandering John concert.
Feb 14th Sun - Went to Plough to take some song lyrics to Martin Barter. Bill Campbell who was the bassit with Coconut Mat was there too. The Plough was run by Silk Disco with DJ Jim Twynham who had a car with Silk as the registration. Dando Shaft were playing that evening. Got the address of folk groups Don't Pick a Flower and Music Box (Rob and Colin Armstrong). Colin was later a supporter of the Hobo Workshop.
Feb 15th Mon -  Whistler and Pete Brown's Piblokto at Warwick Uni. Didn't go but went to the Umbrella to see if the Indian Summer poster was printer for their gig there and to phone Dando about the Umbrella gig. Also to arrange the disco with Al and Steve Varney and Pete Webb Alasterpedo Disco.
Feb 16th Tues - Saw Dando Shaft at the Walsgrave.
Feb 17th Weds - Went to town with Steve Harrison of Railroad and then to the Umbrella where I'd arrranged for them to practice.
Feb 18th Thurs - Duster Bennett (One man blues band) at Mercers Arms. In the day went with Steve Harrison to Tony (Mojo) Morgan's house for Railroad practice. Phone Pete Waterman to see if he knew wher we could borrow a PA.
Feb 19th Fri - Put Jessica's Theme on at the umbrella again. At the Plough they had a special birthday nite - ie only 2/- for the disco.
Feb 20th Sat - Brett Marvin and Dada at the Lanch. Went to Bill Campbell's to borrow PA for Railroad practice in day time.
Feb 21st Sun - Deep Purple and Hardin and York at Cov Theatre. Didn't go but wrote songs in evening and stayed at Al Dockers till late - walked home still working on songs as I walked home to Willenhall using a Jew's harp and a notepad.
Feb 22nd Mon - Medicine Head at Warwick Uni. Railroad practice at Umbrella - to pick up PA from Bill Campbell but PA being used that evening.
Feb 23rd Tues - Elias - at Walsgrave.
Feb 24th Weds - Worked on the car wash - stayed in writing in the evening.
Feb 25th Thurs - Went to Mercers Arms with the two Jans, Lousie and Jackie and others. Medicine Head on with Keith Relf - The Jans volunteered me to play Jews harp with them using Keith Relf's mic. Already blogged about it on this site. Tried to book Medicine Head for the Umbrella!
Feb 26th Fri - Went to the Plough to see Flying Hat band. Fang were meanwhile at the Village (Colin Campbell).
Feb 27th Sat - Fairport Convention at the Lanch with Heron. Railroad Practice earlier at Umbrella. Heard Indian Summer LP for the first time.
Feb 28th Sun - Railroad practice at Umbrella. Went to Plough afterwards.

March -

March 1st Mon - Phoned Whistler - but out.
March 2nd Tues - Phoned Whistler again (to arrange practice at Umbrella). Went to see Flying Hat band at Walsgrave and then to the Umbrella - Bill of Asgard showed me how to play Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun - on guitar (just starting to learn). Arranged practice at Umbrella for Stev and Bin's trial Jazz rock group.
March 3rd Weds - Went to Umbrella and then Tony Cross's.
March 4th Thurs - Went to Warwick uni Arts Fest for tickets and then to Umbrella.
March 5th Fri Warwick University Arts Festival begins. Read with the Umbrella Poets (2 poems) in the Airport Lounge.Got my introduction to Absurd Theatre with Pinter sketches and short plays by Ionesco and Albee, Beckett, Eliot. Saw Edgar Broughton, Hogh Tide, Indian Summer and The Sorrows. Stayed night at the Uni sleeping in a sleeping bag. In the morning awoked at 5 - listened to Mahler on the union speakers while watching the dawn break to a choral work through Student Union glass windows. Made a big impact on me as did the plays and the street theatre. meanwhile The New Modern Idiot Grunt Band played at the Plough although I obviously didn't go it.
March 6th Sat - Warwick University - saw Folk concert with Jeremy Taylor, Jo Ann Kelly and April in the evening.
(Diary says Pink Floyd were at the Lanch but the entry is crossed out - not sure if that's because I didn't go or if it was cancelled).
March 7th Sun - Warwick Uni Arts Fest -  Watched Sound Poet - Bob Cobbing and saw the Absurd Theatre programme again. In the evening went to the Blues Workshop with Loz Netto. Skin Alley, Pink Fairies, Burbastis, Asgard and Whistler and friends. Loz and I went to the dressing room - Loz keen to have a go on the Pink Fairies Lead guitar. He taught me some lead but the Pink Fairies were having fun blowing up a condom in the men's loos with water. The condom exploded as two besuited academics walked in! Everybody we knew was there over the weekend.
March 8th Mon - Lindisfarne, Ra Ho Tep - John Surman at Warwick Uni but didn't go. Met Loz Netto at the Elephant post in Cov Centre to go through to the Midland Sound Recording Studio. Loz didn't turn up though - so went to Umbrella and then to the Tally Ho and Tavern with Drummer Steve.
March 9th Tues - Indian Summer at The Walsgrave.
March 10th Weds - Heard Indian Summer LP again. Indian Summer and April played the New Tavern. Didn't go. Supposed to be meeting Whistler at the Umbrella (think it was about arranging for them to practice at the umbrella. They didn't turn up! Took first steps toward a music magazine. Stuck up a musicians wanted poster on the Umbrella reception. So many people were asking me if I knew a bass player or drummer or man with van. I added them to this list and people could findeach other. Remember people bringing in copies of Broadgate Gnome around this time. Took the Warwick Uni poster with the Umbrella Poets on it for posterity. It's now on this blog! Went for a drink with Tony cross and Loz Netto. Seem to think this was the begining of the idea of their group Love Zeus - which was formed in April.
March 11th Thurs - Jigsaw played the Walsgrave and Gothic Horizon played the Earlsdon Cottage folk club. I stayed in writing however. I was writing about a 150 lyrics a year at this time. Not all survied - there was a paring down and recyling of verses and the keeping of a smaller number of the better ones. With age comes more discernment. 68 to 74 was a prolific period. All my experiences and involvements served my muse. If anyone asked what I did - I never described myself in terms of any job I did - that's what I did. periodic jobs were a means to an end - but the jobs never defined me or my soul! Some people clearly had a problem with that attitude - especially offical type people. I had a special word for them - I think it was  'bollocks' .
March 12th Fri - Pete Webb (one of the committee members of the Umbrella launched his new diso - Ameoba with lights and the full rig at the Umbrella. Indian Summer's LP was due for official release that day and so I think tracks were played.Discos at the Umbrella usually went on until about 2 pm and typical albums would be Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd's Ummagumma, Taste, Led Zepllin, Blodwyn Pig, Santana, Curved Air, king Crimson, Gentle Giant, Moody Blues - Threshhold of a Dream, Easy Rider, Hendrix, Free, James Taylor, Beach Boys,ELP, Nice, Deep Purple, Neil Young, Groundhogs, Cohen, joni Mitchell etc. Left early tough and went to Chris Jones's party at the Craven.
March 13th Sat - Brian Patten at the Umbrella and Indian Summer + Silk Disco at the Cheylesmore Community Centre. Whistler at Wyken Croft Hall. Roger Bear's Kinetic Circus at the Lanch Poly. I went to the Lanch.
March 14th Sun -  Stayed in writing, typing and revising songs. (Never was one for watching much telly!).
March 15th Mon - Typed songs up during day. Evening went to Umbrella to collect and distribute posters for gigs.
March 16th Tues - Typed songs during day - went to see Skid Row at the Walsgrave. Went back to Al Dockers to catch up.
March 17th Weds -  Typing Songs a backlog of songs on my sister's typewriter. Evening went to Lanch Cellar bar disco for a bop.
March 18th Thurs - Got tickets for T Rex at Lanch. Stayed in at night working on song drafts. Revising material.
March 19th Fri - Early evening Maggies Brithday party at Umbrella with a jam session. Heard Dando Shaft's first LP. Went to see T Rex at the Lanch along with the National Head Band.
March 20th Sat - Izzie the Push at the Village (Colin Campbell). but went to Lanch Disco. Gave Umbrella posters to the two Jan's to dsitribute.
March 21st Sun - Went to the Plough and Umbrella. Gaynor took some posters to distribute.
March 22nd Mon -  Went to Umbrella -  Gaynor took more posters for the Umbrella. Loz Netto  and Tony (Mojo)'s group practice. (can't remember which one).
March 23rd Tues - April (the group) at Walsgrave (but they had split up).
March 24th Weds - Stayed in.
March 25th Thurs -  Raymond Froggett  at Walsgrave. Didn't go. Loz and Tony's group practice.
March 26th - Fri - April (the band) were booked to play at the Umbrella but they rang to say they had split up. (Great shame!). Meanwhile Milestones played the Plough and the New Modern Idiot Grunt band were at the Village. The two Jans and Chris were there and Ade Taylor. We all went to the Wimpy bar after.
March 27th Sat -  Mott the Hoople and Amazing Blondell at Lanch. Went with  blues guitarist Mick Green. Gaynor brought  Unicorn by T Rex for me to listen to.
March 28th Sun -  Dave Turner at Plough. Magna Carta at the Craven Arms. Went to the Umbrella got latest posters to distribute. Borrowed Dando Shaft LP off Al Docker. Exciting to hear Coventry bands on disc.
March 29th Mon -  Stayed in writing and revising new songs.
March 30th Tues -  Children  (a band we'd had at the Umbrella) played the Walsgrave. I read three poems / lyrics at the Umbrella Poetry and folk session. Beginings of my performing.
March 31st Weds - Stayed in writing.

April 1st Thurs - Pisces at the Earlsdon Cottage but went to the Arts Umbrella.
April 2nd Fri - Fang at Village (Colin Campbell). heard tracks off Gothic Horizon's LP (Cov contemporary folk band).
April 3rd Sat - Disco at the Lanch Poly. Met Chris Jones and the Aggression band
April 4th Sun - Disco at the Plough. Torqwood at the City Arms, Earlsdon. Went to the Umbrella.
April 5th Mon - Geneva Wheel, Fresh Maggots, Whistler, Tzar, Ra Ho Tep - Free concert at the Lanch Poly. Everybody there.
April 6th Tues - Graham Bond and Magic + Pete Waterman at the Walsgrave.
April 7th Weds - Indian Summer, Whistler and Tzar at a Nuneaton School. I went to Umbrella.
April 8th Thurs - Went to Arts Umbrella.
April 9th Fri - Happening at the Kinetic Circus - Birmingham. Went to the Village met with Jackie and Louise and the Jans and Ade Taylor.
April 10th Sat - Met Louise in town then on to the Umbrella.
April 11th Sun - Stayed in writing and revising songs.
April 12th Mon - Went to the Umbrella
April 13th Tues -  Indian Summer LP reviewed in Coventry Evening Telegraph. Went to the Walsgrave to see Tiny Clanger and then on to the Umbrella to do a poetry reading (begining to perform now) - Folk group Toadstool played.
April 14th Weds - Went to Umbrella.
April 15th Thurs - Stayed in writing and revising song lyrics and poems.
April 16th Fri - Saw Lucreatia Borgia atht eh Village and the on to the umbrella.
April 17th Sat - Went to the Umbrella - met the drama group - went to the Tally Ho with Tony Cross, Lyndie, Chaz Crompton and other and then back to Tony's.
April 18th Sun - Went to the Umbrella - began practising Guitar and the piano. Al Docker started me off on Piano. Mostly learning chords soas to start putting my own music to my lyrics.
April 19th Mon - Went to Town met Jackie and Louise. Later to the umbrella to practice guitar and piano. Later to Lyndie's with some of the Brooklands drama group etc for coffee and a jam session - a 'mini arts lab'  with people writing poems, songs, sketching and discussion all night til dawn.
April 20th Tues - Umbrella Poetry and Folk session - read some poems / lyrics then went to the Thistle for a drink with Esther and Bill.
April 21st Weds - Met Jackie and Louise in town - went to Louise's - wrote her a song in a Marc Bolan style walking home 6 miles after missing the last bus.
April 22nd Thurs - Went to Louise's for tea - walked home from Longford to Willenhall.
April 23rd Fri - Met Lousie - went to Lanch bar andthe Tally Ho. Meanwhile Fresh Maggots on at the Village.
April 24th Sat - Oz Benefit Concert at Warwick Uni. Trees + Judy Dyble's Penguin Dust with Lol Coxhill and Steve Millar at Lanch Poly - Good night.
April 25th Sun -  Went to Umbrella to check on the booking for Tsar.
April 26th Mon - Went to Umbrella  - Executive meeting.
April 27th Tues - Swargas at Warwick Uni. Roger Williamson at the Umbrella (singer songwriter).
April 28th Weds - Went to Umbrella - Chris Jones and Loz Netto jamming.
April 29th Thurs - Went to Umbrella  - Practising piano and guitar and read Esther and Heather's poems.
April 30th Fri - May Ball at Warwich Uni. Love Zeus at the Umbrella (Tony Cross / Loz Netto / Al Docker etc.). Went to Lanch Poly after with the two Jans - Indian Summer, Wild Turkey, Titus Groan, Graham Bond, Bronco, Clouds.

May 1st Sat - Practiced Piano and guitar at Umbrella.
May 2nd Sun - Decided to take Guitar and piano practice more serious from this point. Had partial use of Lyndie's Spanish guitar to learn on and the piano at the umbrella. Stayed in at night  writing.
May 3rd Mon - Went to Umbrella to see about Free Concert. (Not sure which one now!). Practicing instruments.
May 4th Tues -  Read poems  (accompanied myself on Jew's Harp and Bongos) at Norman Wheatley's Poetry and Folk session at the Umbrella. Practised instruments afterwards.. Got lift to town in the Acorn band van>
May 5th Weds - Practicing at the Umbrella - jammed with jazz drummer Bin on bongos.
May 6th Thurs - Booked Umbrella for the Drum Circle group. Worked on songs on piano.
May 7th Fri- - Tsar's gig at the Umbrella cancelled. There was a jam session instead. Hackensack were at the Plough. Went to late disco at Lanch with the two Jans.
May 8th Sat - Audience and Trees at Warwick Uni. Went to twon in day to met Chris Jones - wanted me to do some lyrics for his band and book a practice at the Umbrella. Met the Jans at the Lanch again.
May 9th Sun -  Went to Umbrella to book the room for Chris Jones.
May 10th Mon -  Went  to Umbrella to practice songs -  Esther gave me  some piano lessons. Chris Jones never showed up. Talked to Barry Bowerman about his play.
May 11th Tues - Keef Hartley and Formerly Fat Harry on somewhere - possibly Walsgrave) (Diary doesn't say). Saw Don't Pick a Flower at Umbrella poetry and folk session. Read poems with accompaniment.
May 12th Weds - Went to Organ Centre in Grafton St with Clive and Paul. Think this is where Bob Jackson got his Hammond Organ. Went Umbrella, jammed. Tony Cross and Mick taught me some piano.
May 13th Thurs - Typing songs up all day at Lyndies pad on Umbrella's old typewriter. Evening went to Umbrella - Heather Lovatt's Art Exhibition.
May 14th Fri - Gin House at Plough. Cliff Cowling (Rock n Roll Pianist) had rock party at Umbrella. Met Chris Jone's Bassist Terry there. Went back to Lyndies and practiced guitar.
May 15th Sat - Michael Chapman / Jo Ann Kelly / Mike Cooper at Warwick University. Poetry and Fok session at Umbrella.
May 16th Sun - Went the Plough - saw Martin Barter about a potential songwriting collaboration and Clive about forming a band. Clive was willing to perform for the Umbrella Music Marathon I was organising with Lyndie.
May 17th Mon - Pete King from Birmingham came to Umbrella to discuss playing at Umbrella Music Marathon. Getting organised now. Lyndie arranging sleeping arrangments for bands from out of Coventry. The two Jan's were doing posters. Talked to the Umbrella Drum circle. Gaynor helping with publicity and selling tickets for the marathon. To phone Pete Waterman about band contacts.
May 18th Tues -  Toadstool playing at the Umbrella poetry and folk - read poems accompanied by my guitar. (basic at this stage!).
May 19th Weds - Went to the Boatyard (Hand in Heart). Met Bazz of Chris Jones Aggression - discussed doing the Music Marathon with him.
May 20th Thurs - Met Terry Watson (Chair of the Umbrella) - sorting reciepts and invoces from the Umbrella band nights.
May 21th Fri - Went to Gaynor and Angela's brithday party at Merrick Lodge.
May 22nd Sat - Genesis and Noir at Warwick. Went to Umbrella was guest DJ until 2am for the disco.
May 23rd Sun -  Went to Plough to get my songs back from Martin Barter and tried to get Ra Ho Tep's No for the Music Marathon. Lyndie read through my songs and offered feedback and use of her typewriter to type them all out.
May 24th Mon - Practising at the Umbrella - went back to Lyndie's in Barras Lane to plan Music Marathon.
May 25th Tues - Warm Dust  -  at Warwick University. Singer Songwriter Roger Williamson at the Umbrella Poetry and Folk. Performed some poems and lyrics. Did a cool collage for Lyndies' flat.
May 26th Weds -  Went to Kongoni Cafe in city centre to talk to Martin barter about the Music Marathon gig.
May 27th Thurs -  Went to see Bob Dylan's Don't Look Back and Joan Baez's JOAN at the Odeon. Then to the Umbrella to practice while Heather painted Lyndie.
May 28th Fri -  Practicing at the Umbrella.
May 29th Sat - Practicing at Umbrella - went for drink with Heather and Lyndie.
May 30th Sun -  Our proosed free Whitsun concert canceled - problems at the Umbrella. Met Heather at the City Arms - Rod Felton was playing.
May 31st Mon -  Practicing piano - Al Docker played Martha My Dear; Obladi Oblada by the Beatles and Careful with that Axe Eugene on Piano and taught me some chords and bass parts. Heather loaned me Full House by Fairport Convention and I loaned poet Ian Gage Deep Purple in Concert with the Philharmonic.

June 1st Tues -  Spyder were due to perform for Arts Umbrella Poetry and Folk. We stayed at Lyndies place in Barras Lane, people were writing poems, songs, painting and drawing and being creative well until dawn. Wrote a song lyric about it called It's All Happening at Lyndie's Mini Arts Lab.
June 2nd Weds - Umbrella Club were told we didn't have local authority clearence to hold the 2nd Music Marathon at the Umbrella advised to checkout other locations. Lyndie and I went to the memorial Park and then to the Charterhouse, met with the representatives of the police and fire brigade and local authority. They envisaged the simple Umbrella based Music Marathon (like the first relatively small affair) as if we were proposing a full blown pop festival. Nothing we could say could deter them from that mind-set! They mentioned major traffic concerns and all kinds of things that just wrn't of the scale of what we were porposing - the scale was the usual small Umbrella fare that had no problems when ran a year or so back. Lyndie argued the case but they called us 'naive' and then told us to scale down. WHAT! - It was they that scaled it up in the first place. Much annoyance and frustration was felt after a lot of unseen work had gone into organising it and priming bands and musicians for it. I practiced piano for a while at the Umbrella and then went to Lyndie's to see if we could rescue it some how.
June 3rd Thurs - Went to Charterhouse - we hadn't given in, to Cathedral refrectory and other places exploring alternative venues. Still working on the project. Went for drink in the Thistle to chill out in evening.
June 4th Fri - Dando Shaft were palying at the Village. Met Jackie and the Jan's at the Village. Village gave me Ra Ho Tep number - to involve them in the marathon (if a new venue could be found). We all went up the Umbrella after.
June 5th Sat -  Proposed Free Concert (Can't remember too much about this but it was crossed out in my diary). Ra Ho Tep phoned me at the Umbrella. Went to the Village again.
June 6th Sun -  Went to the City Arms (Earlsdon) to see Rod Felton perform. Went to the Plough club and the Tavern.
June 7th Mon  - Typed my songs up at Lyndie's on the Umbrella's type writer.
June 8th Tues - Met Dave (Byron) Reed and Jackie. Went to Tech College; Deaf Centre; Henley on Marathon Business and then to Lyndie's to report back on Marathon.
June 9th Weds -  Lyndie went to London and left me a 'todo' list for the Marathon.
June 10th Thurs - Helped Lyndie rehearse her lines for  her play  Bretch's Good Women of Schezwan at Brookland's Annexe. Phoned the Deaf Centre and more work on Marathon.
June 11th Fri - Went to Birmingham for Lyndie - met her friend Jan and went back to Kings Norton - listen to Basket of Light by Pentangle. Went back to Steve's of Ascension (one of the Birmingham bands) Stayed over. Steve taught ne some bits on guitar. For the first time I wrote a song on guitar, words and music and alternating bass line. It wasn't the bees knees but it was good progress.
June 12th Sat - Back from Birmingham. Helped Lyndie rehearse lines for play and wrote another song.
June 13th Sun - Went to Plough and then Umbrella. Clive taught me of the Indian Summer riffs on piano.
June 14th Mon -  Still negotiating witht he Deaf club for a venue. Practiced piano at Umbrella and tested Lyndie on her lines for the Bretch Play, typed more of my songs.
June 15th Tues - Typed more songs and practiced piano. Went to Walsgrave. It was a changed scene.
June 16th Weds -  Typed more songs and practiced piano.
June 17th Thurs -  Typed and wrote songs. Watched Tsar practise at Umbrella in little theatre. Went for a drink with Heather in Thistle to talk about the Poetry and folk nights. Went to see Lyndie's play at Brooklands - got great review in Cov Telegraph. Lyndie gave me good feedback on my poems and I read through some of hers. We talked about literature and I looked through some of the books on her self - she was studying literature and my knowledge started to go beyond rock poets.
June 18th Fri - Went to Lyndie's play again.
June 19th Sat - Went to party in Birmingham - Ascension. Learnt some more guitar off Steve.
June 20th Sun - Had stayed over in Birmingham - wrote another song while there.
June 21st Mon - Stayed in Birmingham. It was looking like our best efforts had been thwarted about the Marathon. Getting a suitable venue was proving difficult as the the weekend marathon would go on all weekend all night. It worked before at the Umbrella but the Umbrella at that time was used to gigs that went on late. Other venues were more normalised! we'd gotten a lot of support from bands and music fans but not any support from the venues or the powers that be. And yet it was a positive thing, providing bands with gigs and young people with a bit of culture.
June 22nd Tues -  Still in Birmingham - went to Cannon Hill Park Arts Centre with Jan for the first time. later would write  some pieces that formed a musical installation performance piece in the early 80's which we performed all around Teesside and Sheffield etc.
June 23rd Weds - Came back to Coventry.
June 24th Thurs - Marathon was off - nothing was going to give - wrote to all the groups and those who had showed support both in Cov and Birmingham. Don't ask how it felt after a lot of hard work trying to promote Cov music. We went to the pub!
June 25th Fri - Went to the Umbrella - breaking the news of the Marathon to Heather and the two Jan's who had shown support. Introduced Heather to the mysteries of Jew's Harp as arol had done for me a year before at the Umbrella! There was a low-key feeling all around.
June 26th Sat -  Still phoning around groups and supporters of the Marathon.
June 27th Sun -  Practiced piano - went to Plough.
June 28th Mon - Went to Lyndie's still tying up ends of the Marathon.
June 29th Tues -  Went to see Love Zeus at  the Belgrade Theatre. Tony Cross, Loz Netto, Al Docker 's band and a girl singer / violinist. What a great band I thought. They split up sometime after though - as band's do!
June 30th Weds - Went home and then to Lyndie's. In a day or two we would move to Birmingham for the summer in communal house occupied by the singer of Birmingham band Ascension. Needed a change of environment. Everyone was pretty much disappointed about the Marathon.

 

July 1st Thurs - Stayed at Lyndie's - we decided to move to Birmingham for the summer, in the Ascension (band -singers) communal house, Vicarage Rd. Kings Heath.
July 2nd Fri - Music Marathon was supposed to be this weekend but we were moving to Brum  next day instead. Too many forces working against it. Love Zeus (Tony Cross / Loz Netto / Al Docker etc at Belegrade Theatre. Went to see it, got in free of course!
July 3rd Sat - Free Hyde Park Concert with Humble Pie and Grand Funk Railroad but we moved to Birmingham. DJ Steve Varney took us through in his Disco Van. We all went to the Bull in Moseley in the evening.
July 4th Sun - Mick and the Varney's and others came through from the Umbrella. Music sessions.
July 5th Mon - Wrote a couple of lyrics and the start of saga poem.
July 6th Tues - Went to the Bull in Moseley in the evening. Exploring Birmingham in the day.
July 7th Weds - Went to Cov to get my things from home.
July 8th Thurs -  Went exploring Brum and to the Bull in the evening.
July 9th Fri - Stayed in writing
July 10th Sat - Sue came through from Stirchley. She was to become a life-long friend.
July 11th Sun - Went to the Midland Arts Centre - Cannon Hill Park for the first time and then to the Bull in Moseley.
July 12th Mon - Went exploring Birmingham again.
July 13th Tues - Went shopping in Brum with sue and to her house. We jammed on some Donavan songs that she knew. Turquoise and others.
July 14th Weds - Went to Cov, to Lyndie's home in Kenilworth. Then to the Lanch, Golden Cross and Tally Ho with Hilary (AKA Egg), back to Brum.
July 15th Thurs - Hillfields Festival in Cov. Fresh Maggots at Circles in Cov. John Hadley and Crumb and Steve Brimstone came to stay at the house. They had been down on the musical beaches of Cornwall where Donovan had held court. They played a lot in open tuning. The musical sessions went on all night.
July 16th Fri - Went various places in Birmingham with Sue. All night music sessions again - started to learn a few things in Open E, Open D and Open G guitar tunings. Hopeless at tuning to them myself though. Great sitar type sounds and John Hadley had a beautiful Melodic song in Open G called Wish I wouldn't waste my time with you dedicated to someone who was stringing his along.
July 17th Sat - Went to the Bull in Moseley with Lanch and Mick who come through from the Umbrella.
July 18th Sun -  Guitar sessions with John Hadley and Steve Brimstone.
July 19th Mon - Typing and writing songs - guitar sessions in the evening.
July 20th Tues -  Typed songs and went to Moseley Village.
July 21st Weds - Went to Cov - Met Mick and Lance - also Mick Green of the Mick Green Blues Band. Went to Cross, Lanch Tally Ho. Catch up on Coventry.
July 22nd Thurs - Typed songs and wrote a couple with John Hadley.
July 23rd Fri - Went to Moseley and the Cannon Hill Park Arts Centre with Lance and John Hadley. Pete King doing the disco there. Then for a walk in Kings Heath Park (ATV did the Gardening programme from there).
July 24th Sat -  Decorating the house. Landlord upset because we didn't paint the walls white!
July 25th Sun - Lyndie cooking Brown Rice meals for everyone. Wrote another song with John Hadley.
July 26th Mon -  John and Crumb left. Went to Brum with Steve Brimstone.
July 27th Tues -  Typing songs, practicing guitar
July 28th Weds - Walked around Moseley, Cannon Hill park, Stirchely, Selly Park exploring. Wrote the firt part of Cannon Hill Soliquey which was added to annually for many years on subsequent vists and became a multi-media installation in 1981 when I moved to Teesside - with the Euclidean Mushroom Band at Teesside polytech.
July 29ths Thurs - Went to Selly Park with Steve Brimstone. Writing songs, playing music in the evening.
July 30th Fri - Went to check the Birmingham Poetry Society out. Bought some of their magazines. Lyndie helped me type lyrics and poems up to submit to the next edtion.
July 31st Sat - Meanwhile back at theUmbrella club - Poet Geoff Pegg holding his farewell party. Wasn't able to go. Did gardening  in Brum.

August 1 Sun -  Gardening at Vicarage Rd Birmingham.
August 2nd Mon - Became a member of the the Midland Arts Centre - Cannon Hill Park.
August 3rd Tues - Stayed in writing.
August 4th Weds - Stayed writing songs.
August 5th Thurs - Walked to Selly Park - round by Cadbury's. Thundered. Musician Mus came around.
August 6th Fri - Vandergraffe Generator at Mayfair. I bought the album in Cov in 1970 but didn't go to see them - a money thing! Went to Cov with Jan - to Umbrella, Golden Cross, Plough, Village, Wimpy bar and back to Brum in the evening.
August 7th Sat- Stayed in working on lyrics and poems.
August 8th Sun - Went to  the Arts Centre Cannon Hill Park - Disco with Jan and Staeve of Ascension. Met Richard. Lyndie went to London.
August 9th Mon - Stayed in writing / playing guitar.
August 10th Tues - Went to see Gypsy at Henry's Blues House in Birmingham. Gypsy didn't turn up but were replaced by Creation. Surprised to see Al Docker was roadying for them.
August 11th Weds - Went to see a performance of Tommy at the Cannon Hill Arts Centre. No not the Who - they used the album but acted it out with out any words. All the action took place in and around the audience who were standing throughout. You didn't know where it was going to happen next. Steve's band Ascension were on next - Steve was a good vocalist. Charlie (who used to play with Ghost and Hannible (Jim Simson bands) played bongos with them.)
August 12th Thurs - Ascension came around to the house - Lyndie down in Reading for the festival.
August 13th Fri - Lindisfarne at Mayfair in Brum. Didn't go.
August 14th Saturday- Crumb at party in upstair's flat.
August 15th Sun - Free concert at Cannon Hill Arts Centre - we all went - Edgar Broughton, Tean and Symphony, Stepmother, Brewer's Droop. Meanwhile Comus were on at Henry's Blues House in evening + 2 guys on piano, guitar and flute. Al Docker with Creation. Tea and Symphony and Edgar went with Steve of Ascension and Crumb. John Hadley and Steve Brimstone came back from their travels that night. Lyndie and Sue came to the Blues House too.
August 16th Mon - Watched Monty Python in the upstairs flat.
August 17th Tues -  Pete Brown at Henry's Blues House - Went with Crumb to see him.
August 18th Weds - Lyndie typed my poems on her typewriter for submission to the Birmingham Poetry Society Magazine. Played guitar - Sue came around.
August 19th Thurs -  Lyndie typed some of the song lyrics too.  Pete King came over from Covnetry - gave me stickers for a Coventry Concert to sell.
August 20th Fri - Argument in the house - Crumb and John were told that if they stayed anylonger - they would have to contribute to the rent. Something along those lines. We watched Dracular on the TV in the upstairs flat. The guy in the upstairs flat had the only TV. He was a Beefheart Fan with broad Brummie accent, had very long hair and wore a Beefheart style top hat! He also worked at ATV in the daytime doing the mixing for Bob Monkhouse's Golden Shot!
August 21st Sat -  Crumb left early in the morning. Muffin brought Lyndie a Ralph McTell album around. I played Electric guitar. Most of the acoustics were tuned to open E or Open G tuning most of the time. Crosby Stills  and Nash were an incfluence on that. Also Steve Brimstone and John Hadley had been down to the beaches in Cornwall where Donovan had held court in the 60's - jamming and playing songs there.
August 22nd Sun - Sue came around - we went for a walk around Kings Heath and Cannon Hill Park and had fun.
August 23rd Mon - Stayed in writing and revising work. Watched Monty Pythin in the evening. Lyndie went back down to London.
August 24th Tues - Went to Henry's Blues House with Steve Brimstone to see Trapeze. Tried to sell tickets for a Covnetry Concert.
August 25th Weds - John asked me to help him write some lyrics to one of his open tuned songs - we worked on that. Sue came around in the evening - we had fun.
August 26th Thurs - Went to Cov with Lyndie. Went to see Keyboard player Tony Cross. Lyndie went to see her mother in Kenilworth. I went to the Umbrella and then to see Brandy - Charlie's group (I think Charley was a guitarist / or bassists with Al Docker's group Tsar - Charlie Bullen I think. I stayed over at Al Docker's flat in Cov.
August 27th Fri - Met Lyndie at the Wimpy bar. Looked for house in Cov - need to move back soon - Lyndie still at Brooklands Annexe during term time and summer nearly over. Sue was going to move over to Cov too but the house had gone. Watched Tony Cross's group at the Lanch - (may have been Love Zeus - Al Docker and Loz Netto were in this). Went to Umbrella and then back to Birmingham late evening.
August 28th Sat -  Went to a gig at the Bull in Moseley with Sue.
August 29th Sun - Went to Sue's place in evening  - worked on her art project for college.
August 30th  Mon - Sue came around for Dinner. Barry Bowerman and Graham came over from Cov. Went with Sue to the Arts centre and then for a Curry in the Star of Pakistan. Saw Strife and Linda Lewis and Toad Catching Rabbit at Arts Centre. Very impressed with Linda Lewis.
August 31st Tues - Lyndie went to Cov. Wrotesome songs and poems.

September 1st Weds - Things getting heavy in the house - not a good atmosphere.
September 2nd Thurs - Read Hobbit.
September 3rd Fri - Lyndie cut my hair (not too short though!)
September 4th Sat -  Read various books while in Birmingham eg - Brave New World; John Wyndham books; 1984; volumes of modern Love poetry which included poems by Pete Brown (Cream lyricist). Birmingham poetry magazines.
September 5th Sun - Reading and writing.
September 6th Mon - Went into Brum with Steve Brimstone - to the museum and art gallery. We listened in the evening to Dando Shaft's new LP on RCA Neon - Brilliant. I knew all the songs from seeing them live so often. Steve Knopinski (Ascension) had hair cut!.
September 7th Tues - Lyndie moved back to Cov staying temporarily at Barry Bowerman's / Ron Morgan's place - Whitefriars Gatehouse. Dando Shaft doing a self-composed opera at the Belgrade Theatre for 3 weeks. Went to a gig with Steve Knopinski and Steve Brimstone. Can't remember where or who we saw - not noted in the diary.
September 8th Weds - Barry Bowerman trying to get us a place back in Cov through a landlord he knew.
September 9th Thurs -  Went to the museum with Steve Brimstone. In the evening went to Bromsgrove with Steve Brinmstone and Jan and Lyndie to see Steve's Father - Derek Brimstone for the first time at the Marlbrook. Derek was an excellent guitar player and a great sense of humour. He came back to the flat for tea with two of the Farriers.
September 10th Fri -  Went down the launderette with Steve and then played guitar in the evening - I was still very much learning at this stage but there were some great guitar playing influences in the house! If only I could emulate them!
September 11th Sat - Free concert at Highbury Park, Kings Heath with Brewer's Droop and Tea and Symphony, Patto, If. The two Jans from Covnetry were there - one now living in Birmingham. Mus, Muffin and Pete King all there.
September 12th Sunday - Walked around Highbury Park with Steve Brimstone - went to the Bull in evening.
September 13th Mon - Stayed in writing, practising guitar.
September 14th Tues - Went went through to Cov - house hunting.
September 15th Wed - Had hair cut some more as it was hard to get a place if you had long hair!
September 16th Thurs -  Went to Cov with Steve Brimstone - tried hitching but no joy - got bus in the end. Stayed at Whitefriars Gate in Cov as Barry Bowerman's guest.
September 17th Fri - Took Steve Brim around Cov and home to my mum's. Steve went back to Brum to see his dad's friend folk singer Colin Scott perform. I went to see Dando's Shaft opera at the Belgrade Theatre - You Must be Joking. Stayed at Whitefriars gate again.
September 18th Sat -  Went flat hunting and with Steve Brim to the Umbrella club. went to a jumble sale at the Butts with Steve Brim - he bought a great jacket and cap and a fiddle all for 10/-. Went to Cross and stayed at the Gatehouse.
September 19th Sun -  Went home for Sunday dinner - Willenhall Wood. Flat hunting in Earlsdon. Went to Cross and Rose and Crown with Lyndie and Barry Bowerman. Met Heather from the Umbrella - Heather's let me stay at her place. House hunting not going well.
September 20th Mon - Heather came flat hunting with us in the morning - she knew some places. Went to the International Centre for coffee - below the old Cov Cathedral. Met Lyndie and Bruce there. Lyndie back to college. Went to Umbrella - practiced piano. Heather beginning to organise the Poetry and folk sessions at the Umbrella as Liz Lovatt. Now I could play guitar somewhat - I agreed to do some music and poetry spots. Later in 72 I would do the Humpoesic Happenings as a follow on. Heather's sessions were great and got me started performing with the guitar in some measure. Still wasn't singing my own songs - otheres but playing guitar and reciting some of my poems / lyrics at this stage.
September 21st Tues - Heather lent me Lord of the Rings. Went to International Centre with Heather - met the others for coffee - still all looking for a communal house to rent. Went to the festival cafe.. Evening practicing piano at the Umbrella. Met Asngie at Umbrella. Stayed at Mick's pad that night.
September 22nd Weds - Went to the Lanch to get the phone number for the band Heron. Possible for the Umbrella now back in Cov. Terry Watson - Organiser of the Arts Umbrella suggested I enrol at Cov Music collge after catching me doodling on the piano - so went down to see about enroling. For whatever reason that I can't remember know - didn't enrol. We went to International centre and then back to Brum - still bring things back slowly.
September 23rd Thurs -  Went to Selly  Park with Steve Brim. Steve bought a flagalette - playing some folk tunes on it.  Went to the Bull in Moseley village for a drink in the evening.
September 24th Fri -  Went for a very early morning walk with Steve Brim around Highbury Park as it was dawning. Wrote some images and notes that later found their way into an extended poem / performance piece based on Cannon Hill Park. Read part of Lord of the Rings - first chapter was so hard to get into - not as easy to read as the Hobbit. Steve advised me to skip the first - static descriptive chapter and come back to it later. The advice worked - it got me into it. lyndie was still looking for a place in Cov but it didn't work out.
September 25th Sat - Cleaned rooms out and packed rest of stuff. Steve Brim decided to move back home as no place in Cov was forthcoming.
September 26th Sun - Went to Cov by train with Lyndie and Steve brim. Went to umbrella. Al Docker  just moved in to Ron Lawrence (bassist of April and later Sniff and the Tears) cottage at Shilton. Al asked if I wanted to share the cottage with him. I arranged to go through and have a ook. Meanwhile we all stayed at Al and Steve Varney's house in Henrietta St. They were DJ's at the Umbrella and later Al Varney would play bass for Fission.
September 27th Mon -  We went to the Gay Gannet for breakfast. (This was a  cafe in the centre of Coventry and the word Gay didn't have the same connotations back then that it has now!). Went to Wlasgrave library, International Centre (one of the new meeting places in old Cathedral), the Rendezvous Cafe (Can't remember where that might be now!). Went home for lunch. Met Jackie and Louise in town.
September 28th Tues- Went home to Willenhall for food - took Steve Brimstone to hitching point at the top of the London Rd. went back to town - met up with Jackie and Louise and then went to Al Dockers Cottage to view it. In evening Al and I went to the Lanch to see Don Rendall 5 and Ra Ho Tep. Decided to move to Shilton. Steve Brimstone and Lyndie and some of the other Birmingham people would all end up living there at some stage over the next year but for now it was just myself and Al Docker at Shilton. There was a piano that was used by April, in the dining room and great walks to Bulkington, Bedworth and Ansty. However instead of walking 3 miles home to Willenhall, it was now 6 miles to walk home if I came home after the buses finished. It was nothing to walk those distances then and often I would use the time to write my lyrics.
September 29th Weds -  Slept at home in Willenhall and met Al Docker in town 2.30 - went back to Shilton with him - had drink in the pub opposite - the locals semed nice and friendly. We went in with Ron and Pat Lawrence.. In evening went to the Umbrella - met Lyndie there.
September 30th Thurs -  Went to Brum to see Steve and Jan. Lyndie staying at the Gatehouse again. Went to the Intenational centre with Heather. To official move to Shilton the next day.

 

Friars Promotions - You can find out more about Friars from the Broagate Gnome Vox blog (click on

their icon and scroll down - or from Pete Chamber's article here.

Friars was started by Vince Holliday of Vince and the Vampires and they were tied in with the Cortina Club, managing a number of venues in the city and local and top stars including Shane Fenton (later Alvin Stardust).

Pete Waterman worked for them running discos and gigs at the Walsgrave and the Mercers Arms among others. I had no

direct contact with Friars but did help out with the Walsgrave, doing door duty and helping the bands to load in their equipment.

Entry in HOBO No 4 (Unpublished Version) August 1974 -
"Reports reach Hobo that Friars Promotions have gone bust.."

Other Coventry music agencies included CBR who were based at 2  Queen Victoria Rd.

I have no detailed info about CBR except that they were located close to the Coventry Arts

Tea & Symphony gig 2

Umbrella and I remember going along with Al Docker when he was in charge of organising the bands nights at the Brolly. I think

CBR Music Agency

we went along to book the Birmingham bands Ghost and Tea and Symphony and  a vague recollection that Audience played at the Brolly too through CBR . I never really dealt with them when I ran the band nights as there were so many Coventry Bands forthcoming or bands out of the area wrote in.

Other agencies included Chris King Promotions; Anvil Promotions;  Rougestar  (more on that in the Disco directory); and the Tony Harte Promotions who promoted  bands like Rogation Sunday, Acorn and Drops of Brandy.

In 1974 another Music Agency kicked in Coventry that seemed earn

disapproval from Equity and some of the music scene before they had really begun. Like Hobo and others before and after, they needed premises to organise from and put on concerts. Getting any kind of facilities like that was a struggle in Coventry. That anything happened at all was down to the resilience and determination of the City's artists and promoters.

Many of the bands and musicians I knew were scathing of Q Artistes - Q were not part of the 'freak' scene and considered by some as 'rip-off merchants'. I felt that anyone who was providing venues and support for Coventry artists deserved a mention in Hobo and support and the fact that they had got up off their butt and tried to do something deserved recognition. Far too many people criticising and not enough prepared to do something!

Although it was not considered 'cool' for me to interview Q Artistes for Hobo in some quarters I was curious and felt an empathy with anyone struggling to do anything constructive on the scene.

I knew this was not going to be a run of the mill interview when the couple agreed to meet me at the Leofric Hotel! The

Leofric Hotel was the posh hotel in the Broadgate Centre. Although they had band nights in the 60's it was not the sort of place long haired hippy types would frequent. I dressed smart (for me!) in red flares and a blue Beatle Jacket I'd bought in a sale. Having limited funds I bought a coffee and waited for my guests to arrive. After some considerable wait and buying only one coffee - the waiters began to make hints John Cleese style. Just as I figured I was about to be kicked out judging by the looks, the phone rang. The head waiter's expression changed ( a bit like when Basil Fawlty realises the Food Inspectors are really there!). "Are you from a magazine sir?" "Yes". They had no idea what kind of magazine I was from and I was happy to let them imagine it was a Hoteliers mag! "Your guests are running late and they said that you could order something to eat and drink at their expense". Suddenly the waiters were falling over themselves to serve me!

I found the D'Brionnes a nice couple and acutely aware of the some of the reactions to them. They didn't have the right credentials for the 'freak' scene but hell they were promoting bands and providing places to play. Their ethos was more commercial than Hobo but I felt there was some integrity behind it.

Gail had been a singer and dancer in Cabaret and Pantomimes and the couple wanted to bring Variety into their

promotions. Their first promotion was the Zoomie Disco which provided an outlet for local bands like Mad Cat Molly, Warrior and Fission. Some of the bands they managed.

Fission played a few times but were taken aback when the D'Brionnes asked "Do you play the Stones?"  "No"  said Ant of Fission "The  Stones play the Stones, we play Fission!" That was an attitude that had put some bands off the commercial pop world. Indian Summer, for example, were expected to cover a Free Song rather than one of their own compositions for their first single. The idea didn't go down too well!

Q Artistes eventually settled in the Building Trades Hall near the Butts and advertised for Fire Eaters, singer songwriters, dancers etc and promoted Pantomimes. Some of their artistes were watched by Les Cocks of TV talent show New Faces. Middle of the road bands like Warrior probably favoured that but bands like Fission would not compromise their music to go on such a show.

Success came with singer songwriter (in a Gilbert O'Sullivan style) finally appeared on New Faces. (You can read the article for more details). Q Artistes groomed him for stardom, arranging for the release of his first single.

The entry in Hobo No 3 Feb 1974 was -

Q - SPICE OF VARIETY
"A showcase of talent has been among the activities of Q Artistes club.

Talent in a variety of guises emerged on the stage of the Building Trades Hall, including fire eaters, singers, songwriters, dancers etc. They were watched by Les Cocks of New Faces with a view to selecting some of the artists for the next series of the program. The results will not be known until the end of the month. Their disoc at St. Saviours Hall is no longer operational and Q are looking for new and suitable premesis for providing a variety of activities int he arts."

In Hobo No 4
SPACEMAN DAVE TAKES TO THE AIR

" Appearing on ATV'S NEW FACES, on June 29th, will be Dave F. Eastman. A Covnetry singwriter who sings his own compositions, accompanying himself on piano and guitar, on which he is self-taught. The number he will be performing on

Faces is called Spaceman Blues. Dave has been writing for over a year and has written over 150 songs in the last 18 months"

The rest of this piece was too faded to make out - this issue of Hobo was produced on a duplicator! There wer other entries on some of the bands but they will appear in the Band directories.

The Sunshine Music Agency opened its office at 132, Gulson Rd. Coventry early in 1974. Under the direction of Craig Ward and Graham Wood (of the well established and popular Disco unit - SILK).  Sunshine offered managment, agency, publicity, promotions, discos, road crews, entertainement consultants, disco hire and equipment, recording (at Monty Bird Studios at Snitterfield Nr Stratford and were thinking of launching their own record label. The SUNSHINE label

Sunshine had a half share in Bird Sounds Recording studio which meant that bands under their management had free and unlimited recording time there to make demos.
(There were similar business cards for Craig Ward, Stu Bell, Graham Ward, Bob Young)

During the early part of 74, Hobo was partly based there, using the office

space to type Hobo. It was a good place to be based, being fairly central and having the support of Craig Ward who managed Sunshine. Lots of local musicans came through it's doors so it was a good base find out what they were up to musically and get wind of developments on the music scene. Hobo wasn't controlled by Sunshine - so was still free to report on other agencies and bands not managed Sunshine. Among the musicans that came through the doors was Bob Jackson (formerly of Indian Summer). Bob was playing with Pete Brown at the time who had written those classic lyrics for Cream such as White Room and Sunshine of your Love. bob was even going to show some of my poems published in Hobo to Pete at one stage. I don't know if he did but nothing transpired from it. I was an admirer of Pete's work with Cream and Jack Bruce so that was a nice thought. Craig Ward did some record reviews for Hobo.

Sunshine ran a number of discos including Becketts in Nuneaton and even a folk night at the Pilot in Radford with regulars Bob Young and Gill Darby (a singersongwriter but now a councillor I believe). They also promoted Mr Badgers in Atherston at the New Swan.

Sunshine managed Pug-ma-ho who changed their name to Smack! and A Band Called George who recorded a

single NCB Man released on the Bell label. The single didn't make it as the miners strike escalated and the timing was wrong. You can hear NCB man on the band's My Space (click here A Band Called George My Space - ). Margo of Smack! went on to record with Mud as a backing singer. Smack records a single too -  Miss Understood - written by Bob Young for Bell Label. Mad Cat Molly was another Coventry band who recorded a single for the Bell Label with a Bob Young composition - Dancing to the Music.There will be more about the bands in the forthcoming band directories. Other bands they managed included Mad Cat Molly Gill Darby - singer songwriter - Walrus Gumboot - Monster Magnet - Earthquakes. They also offered to book any band in the country loads cheaper than anywhere else.

Sunshine was basically set up to record the songs of Bob Young of A Band Called George and they advertised for bands and artists to record. Bands weren't as forthcoming as they would have liked and the plans to become a major recording producing concern didn't happen to the degree hoped for. Sunshine ceased to be sometime in 1975 but it was an exciting period in Coventry's musical history while it lasted with lots of energy going out and providing a focus for budding musicians and groups. had the recording label worked out, Coventry may have been on the international map a lot earlier.

Here are the entries in various issues of HOBO -

from Hobo Issue 4

"The Sunshine Music agency formed about 3 months ago by Craig Ward, Bob Young and Graham Ward (of SILK fame) are always on the look out for groups and artists that are available for work here and abroad. They also have a musicians register for musicians looking for bands and vice versa. They also have half shares in the Bird Studios in Snitterfield. If you wish to know more about it then you are welcome to pop in for a chat and a coffee. Address in the Classified ads."

"

 

Once upon a time, in the town of Stratford, lived a famous playwright, William Shakespeare was his name. Perhaps the most famous lines he ever wrote appeared in his play Hamlet.

Those lines were:-
"To be or not to be, that is the question"

Upon those lines an established Birmingham Rock group, now base all their hopes and ideas. They are known as WALRUS GUMBOOT. Four highly talented musicians who have hit out at the dull rock scene in Birmingham with their fast and exciting music. Already acclaimed by many, to be the most outstanding group in Birimingham on the semi-profressional front.

Then why are they not a professional group you may ask/ Well, for a group such as Walrus Gumboot, it it the same old story - loack of publicity. But for a group that is forward thinking and holds such high ideals about themselves and their music, very soon everything will change. For believe me friends they will be a name to be reckoned with.

The personel of the group:-
Jim Slater - Lead Guitar (A fast flowing guitarist with an excellent showman streak in him)
Terry Lawson - Rhythn guitar and lead vocalist. (Many have said that the days of the Rhythm guitar are long gone, but Terry will tell you different.)
Dave Mullen - Drums and vocals  ( The  main driving force behind the group.  Songwriter, drummer, showman and vocalist - what more can one say)
Peter Slater - Bass Guitar and vocals. Establishing himself fast as a very funky and inventive bass guitarist.

After witnessing Walrus Gumboot live you will obviously agree with me that the days of lifeless heavy groups are

certainly numbered. On August bankholiday, quite recently, Walrus Gumboot supported Stackridge at Malvern Winter Gardens, Worcestershire. Stackridge, whose reputation stretches wide and far were always very good. The audience had obviously come to listen and enjoy their favourite group, but after Wlarus Gumboot played their set, the crowd screamed for more. Such is the very electric atmosphere created by the group. The need in Birmingham now is for a group with a different approach to pave the way on which others may follow. A new group to hold a guiding light as did Cream in the sixties. Walrus Gumboot might hold that light. The need for a group of this calibre is an obvious asset to any rock scene but especially to Birmingham's.

For the future Walrus Gumboot are certainly  'to be'.
See you around - Craig Ward -Sunshine Music Agency (1974) (From one of their Sunshine Bullsheet band profiles).