all photos supplied by Lol Cooksey
Lol Cooksey… Phillip Earle(from Sidley) on drums/vocal and Dave Neale on bass guitar vocals(from St Leonards) had been in the 3-piece pop harmony group, The SHREW PEOPLE, with Paul Dove on lead guitar/vocals. With the demise of The SHREW PEOPLE and drummer Laurie Cooksey’s group, PROHIBITION in what was probably the spring of 1967, Dave, Phillip and Laurie came together to form THE MONE, with a leaning towards the heavier music popular at the time. Dave Neale was a superb and very fast bass player but with all the excitement created by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton at that time, he wanted to play lead guitar. With apparently no suitable bass players around at the time, Dave taught Phillip to play the instrument and he quickly became very proficient.
Dave was also an excellent carpenter and he built the back line speaker cabinets, his bass one was as large as a Marshall stack but all in one piece and so very heavy, with Phillip’s being about three quarters the size. The group stayed together for about 9 months but only two gigs can be recalled, one at Bexhill Drill Hall and another as support on Hastings Pier.
Andy Qunta… Wish I had seen them! I think I would have liked them! Also, by co-incidence I had one of those WEM Sapphire guitars at that time!
Geoff Peckham… I missed them too. Although Philip Earl became Factory’s first manager. He left shortly after being involved in our van crash following a gig in Lewes.
Mick O’Dowd… I remember Prohibition who played at Rodeo 67 at Bexhill’s Polegrove with Deep Purple and Suspect but I don’t recall The Mone so it comes as a surprise to see them now. Were they short-lived or who did they then morph into?
Tony Qunta… Great photos! Lol already with the double bass drum kit! Nice amplification too! That WEM Sapphire looks very like a Burns! had forgotten about Philip Earle managing us.
Andy Qunta… Yes, I remember Philip managing Factory. As to the WEM & Burns, Tone – I remembered having a Burns Baldwin electric 12- string, but didn’t remember I had a WEM Sapphire 12 before that, until I saw the early Factory pics! They do look very similar!
Dave Nattress… Did Dave Neale play in a band from Bexhill called The Spirits. Mid 60′s? For many years the tag “The Spirits” was to be seen painted on the brick wall of the old Down Primary School – now King Offa – a really early example of band grafitti!!
Phillip Earle… The Mone was indeed short lived. Each member going it’s own way. For me I gave up playing bass guitar and stopped doing anything for a number of years. I returned to playing drums again at the age of 50 playing in various bands until I moved North after my heart bypass. I am now happily retired and often toy with picking up the sticks again.
Jan Warren… Probably saw them at the Drill Hall, went to lots of gigs there in the late 60s/early 70s.