2 posts tagged “walrus gumboot”

 

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).

In Feb 1974 Hobo ran a feature on Birmingham bands under the title of BRUM BEAT, with information gleaned from

my own contacts with the Birmingham music scene and the Birmingham Grapevine, a grat and very useful underground magazine with an extensive Whatz On section and feature articles, which was one of the inspirations behind the creation of Hobo - having first come across it in the summer of 1971, when I lived in Birmingham for a short while. There is now a Brimingham band index site called Brum Beat (which was also a column in the Birmingham Grapevine).

Here is the Hobo Brum Beat page -

TREVOR BURTON
Remember the Move, the name that conjures up visions of Roy Wood's bizzare stage make-up.
Well everyone is well informed of Roy's activities. Meanwhile the bass player - Trevor Burton - has been back in Brum with a new band, playing 'Good old Rock n Roll' on the Birmingham pub rock scene.

"We just want the truth to come out, the same as Cream did...I'd rather do this and come off smiling than hate the work I'm doing and have a £100 in my pocket...I mean, what the price of your soul?"

STEVE GIBBONS BAND
Another band on the Birmingham scene, who have been around for a while are the Steve Gibbon's Band. Says Steve " I've never been more convinced of anything than  that this band could happen.The band  has been together through a lot of bad time, a sign we all feel the same way"

Steve turned down an offer to join ELO in order to stay with the band.

JAMES LANGSTON
(Singer / songwriter - formerly with Tea and Symphony and Thunderlake)
James said - in an interview with the Birmingham Grapevine - "When you're in a situation like Trevor's band or Steve's band - because we've all been through it before - there is this realisation tht you've got to let it grow and at the right time someone in the music business is going to pick up on it. If the band has that potential, obviously everyone would like to make enough to at least live comfortably, cos most of the musicians in Birmingham are on the Social Security and who wants to be on the fucking social security for the rest of their lives."

WALRUS GUMBOOT
Walrus Gumboot are 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 outstanding group in Birmingham on the semi professional front. They consist of -
JIM SLATER ; Lead Guitar. A fast flowing guitarist with an excellent showman streak in him.
TERRY LAWSON ; Rythem guitar and lead vocalist. Many have said that the days of the Rythem guitar are long gone but Terry tell you different.
DAVE MULLEN ; Drums and vocals. The main driving force behind the group. Songwriter, drummer, showman and vocalist.
PETER SLATER ; Bass guitar and vocals. Establishing himself fast as a very funky and inventive bass guitarist.

(Walrus Gumboot were promoted by the Coventry SUNSHINE MUSIC AGENCY in Gulson Rd Coventry.)