Jon McCallion… Variations of this band but I think this was the first line up?
Iain Coby, Steve Demetri, Jon McCallion, Steve Kinch and Harry the manager. Photo taken at The Executive Hotel, Wellington Square
Steve Kinch….Wow! Thanks for posting this Alan, it’s a reminder of a time that I have very little memory of. Are you sure that this wasn’t the final days of Muller (I never liked that name) with Iain replacing Paul Dove on bass – I don’t recall ever being in Effigy. I think I was possibly still at school at this time, certainly hadn’t started to shave… unlike Steve D who was shaving at 6 months
Jon McCallion….Steve I have a few more pics like this. This was early Effigy I think, and like you i didn’t like the name Muller.
Yvonne Cleland….Can’t have been pleasant to think of your audiences as being Mullered.
Chris Baker….Blimey! The “manager” bloke on the left was Harry Williams! Brian (Bear) Williams’ Dad who used to manage The Town Council back in the day. I never knew he went on to do anything else. I do recall playing briefly with Steve D and Jon M for a few sessions. Ian Cobby was a nice bloke too. 🙂
Mark Edir…..I worked the door a few times for student party’s at the executive around the 70’s
Sarah Harvey…..Harry Williams eventually ended up helping out at The Ore Zodiac Community Association, who managed Ore Centre and The Zodiac Centre at the time. Between him and me we arranged a number of fund-raiser discos and gigs, which culminated in the Ore Group Festival in the mid-1970s. Ore Centre was ok for gigs, but the Zodiac Centre in Priory Road (now knocked down and replaced by The Bridge Centre was just like the YMCA for acoustics….the sound bounced around the place like a pinball machine and was just a complete racket at times. Harry helped manage the Zodiac Centre since he lived just along the road in Priory Road itself.
Alan Esdaile….Used to work with ‘Bear’ and knew Harry very well. He taught me a lot and made sure the group joined the musicians union. The band had to be members of the Musicians Union to play any council venues but found it odd that the singer did not have to join as was not classed as a musician..
Sarah Harvey…..Yes, that’s Harry alright…he was a stickler for musicians joining the union and made me join it as well. I seem to remember the Muisicians Union holding their meetings in a pub in Bexhill Old Town.
Jon McCallion…..I still joined
Chris Baker…..Anyone know where Ian Coby is now?
Ralph Town……AHHH Up the stairs to the Friday night disco…happy days 🙂
Dave Nattress… I believe Iain Cobby is a Housing Manger or something like for Shepway District Council and may well be playing the 4 stringer!! I was in Damaris with him and we went to Hastings College together along with Paul Durrant the keyboard player. Like all bands, lots of great stories. I remember Iain discovered Estee Lauder perfume one time and thought it was a cool fragrance but used it as after-shave – truly, I can remember him coming into college – construction course stinking of it. For a while after this we called him Esther!! I remember Paul Durrant, having acquired his very first synthesiser – tiny little job in a small suitcase like container – certainly not a flight case, bringing it into college and making all these weird random noises. Later on he learned to play it!!
Phil Gill… Had a good conversation with Jon McCallion only this afternoon about Muller, Effigy and Chris Baker. I remember seeing this line up at the Executive as a 14/15 year old and finding them really exciting and inspiring.
Jon McCallion… Thanks for your comments Phil, nice to talk to you yesterday.
Iain Cobby… Hi Guys, yes its me, still alive and well. I’m still playing after all those years. That’s the building that was demolished to put what was TESCOs store on the edge of Wellington Square. I do remember the band; Steve was always pushing forward, a great guy; still miss him ….. That band gradually morphed into Stallion. Steve was replaced with Chris Baker and Jon by Titch Turner. Steve always wanted Tony (Vic) Bridger and Titch in the band and after several guitar changes and a French keyboard player got his wish. Titch had this concept idea called “Melmoth the Wanderer” some of it became “If life were death” a Stallion classic. I was replaced by Steve on bass and the band became Stallion. At that time I joined Damaris with Paul Durant, his wife Ruth, later to be replaced by Dave Nattress, Tony Baraclough and Mick Kemp. I now play Keys & bass with Kilke, and some great new talented teens called Mania in Hastings, whilst working on the Bellerophone project with Tobias an der Peer (check out the prog track “White Whale” on sound cloud).
I now live in Peasmarsh just up the road from the other bassist in the village along with my wife Jo and kids, Caitlin, Morgan & Trinity.
Phil Thornton… Hi Iain, I remember Damaris !! great band, great music !
Phil Gill… I liked Damaris a lot – very melodic band.
Nick Webb… Paul Durrant was and still is a best friend lives in Scotland now.I used to go to the practice session with Paul then we all went to the pub after.Richard Ive made a lighting rig and desk for the band and I acted as a roadie at most gigs as can’t play a note.Went with Paul to pick up /buy the Mini korg.
Yvonne Cleland… I knew Paul Durrant as ‘Blondie’ from the Lido days!
Nick Webb… Me to Yvonne but also new him as Paul he’s not so Blonde now (sorry Paul) I have some old pics of the band somewhere so will try and post them .
Yvonne Cleland… That would bring back some memories, Nick. I know he’s a writer now, and has drawn on his Hastings’ upbringing considerably in at least one of his books.
Iain Cobby… Thanks Phil and Phil, I also remember the Melody Maker final, it was a boiling hot day and Damaris drove up to the Roundhouse in our roadie, Richard Ivy’s American Estate car, stopping somewhere on the way for a picnic in the country. Stallion were the first electric band on after the acoustic guys and just blew the whole crowd away. No one could follow that. The band were so tight and Jon’s stage presence (do I remember him nearly falling off the stage?) After that Stevie D invited us back to one of his Dads places on the seafront, till the early hours. I went to work a few hours later and at lunchtime fell asleep in Alexandra Park. Such times. By the way Dave, its Issey Miyake nowadays. Miss you old man:) …. and I hope you’re looking after the Precision Bass Phil:) it must be around 40+ years old! I still regret selling it and later my Ric 4001. Still that’s fate…………….
Phil Gill… Still have the ’71 Precision Ian, thanks for selling it to me in ’76. It’s loved and well cared for. And Alan, please thank Ian for his kind words about Stallion.
Phil Gill… I’m guessing it’s Muller at the Executive in Wellington Square. Steve Kinch has the 335 copy semi and Iain has his Burns bass. I went to see them when I was 14/15 and was transfixed. I knew what I wanted to do in life and they cemented the vision in my brain – an influential moment for me.
Mark Randall… No one, but no one has a face like the Feller in the left anymore, only in films like Cockleshell Heroes.
Jon McCallion… I think maybe it’s the beginning of Effigy, great days and good times. We might have still been in Muller mode though. Thanks Phil for your kind comments.
Chris Baker… I’m sure I played with them for a bit!
Jon McCallion… Great days
Bernard Goffredo… Steve, this makes me feel old
Steve Holland… I believe this is the first line up of Muller. As i used to watch Effigy practicing at the Zodiac Centre where there was a small room at the back,and the drummer was a guy called Pinhead. I really enjoyed all this and wanted to join in but was utterly devoid of talent . I do remember Effigy playing Hush the Kula Shaker version Rocky Racoon and Brown Sugar at Sandown School. Also Steve playing Sabre Dance by Khachaturian possibly only at the age of 14 .Which I thought was just amazing on the lead Guitar. Both Steve and Iain instilled a love of guitar which carried on right through the years. So when my sons started playing I could really get behind it and they both did very well. I bumped into Stevie D in Frenches I now know about 12 mouths before he died he brought me pint after pint and would not let me buy any back so there was something wrong. Anyway thanks for the inspiration guys i hope you are all well.
Jon McCallion… No the second
Steve Holland… Great voice Jon thanks for the memories.
Blimey! The “manager” bloke on the left was Harry Williams! Brian (Bear) Williams’ Dad who used to manage The Town Council back in the day. I never knew he went on to do anything else. I do recall playing briefly with Steve D and Jon M for a few sessions. Ian Cobby was a nice bloke too. 🙂
I believe Iain Cobby is a Housing Manger or something like for Shepway District Council and may well be playing the 4 stringer!! I was in Damaris with him and we went to Hastings College together along with Paul Durrant the keyboard player. Like all bands, lots of great stories. I remember Iain discovered Estee Lauder perfume one time and thought it was a cool fragrance but used it as after-shave – truly, I can remember him coming into college – construction course stinking of it. For a while after this we called him Esther!! I remember Paul Durrant, having acquired his very first synthesiser – tiny little job in a small suitcase like container – certainly not a flight case, bringing it into college and making all these weird random noises. Later on he learned to play it!!
Hi Guys, yes its me, still alive and well. I’m still playing after all those years. That’s the building that was demolished to put what was TESCOs store on the edge of wellington Square. I do remember the band; Steve was always pushing forward, a great guy; still miss him ….. That band gradually morphed into Stallion. Steve was replaced with Chris Baker and Jon by Titch Turner. Steve always wanted Tony (Vic) Bridger and Titch in the band and after several guitar changes and a French keyboard player got his wish. Titch had this concept idea called “Melmoth the Wanderer” some of it became “If life were death” a Stallion classic.
I was replaced by Steve on bass and the band became Stallion. At that time I joined Damaris
with Paul Durant, his wife Ruth, later to be replaced by Dave Nattress,Tony Baraclough, and Mick Kemp
I now play Keys & bass with Kilke, and some great new talented teens called Mania in Hastings, whilst working on the Bellerophone project with Tobias an der Peer (check out the prog track “White Whale” on sound cloud)
I now live in Peasmarsh just up the road from the other bassist in the village along with my wife Jo and kids, Caitlin, Morgan & Trinity.
Thanks Phil and Phil,
I also remember the Melody Maker final, it was a boiling hot day and Damaris drove up to the Roundhouse in our roadie, Richard Ivy’s American Estate car, stopping somewhere on the way for a picnic in the country. Stallion were the first electric band on after the acoustic guys and just blew the whole crowd away. No one could follow that. The band were so tight and Jon’s stage presence (do I remember him nearly falling off the stage?) After that Stevie D invited us back to one of his Dads places on the seafront, till the early hours. I went to work a few hours later and at lunchtime fell asleep in Alexandra Park. Such times.
By the way Dave, its Issey Miyake nowadays. Miss you old man:)
…. and I hope you’re looking after the Precision Bass Phil:) it must be around 40+ years old!
I still regret selling it and later my Ric 4001. Still that’s fate…………….