Day: 27 July 2014

supplied by Gary Kinch     photo by Les Kinch

Gary Kinch….Taken from the family album. On the Pier I think, not sure of the year.

Alan Esdaile….Love it, keep them coming! What does Steve say about this one or doesn’t he know? Looks like he hasn’t any shoes on?

Andy Qunta….Yes, Steve was the Sandie Shaw of Factory (no shoes!) As you can tell, Steve was plugged directly into the electricity socket that night!

Glenn Piper….As the saying goes “those were the days”

Pete Prescott….Andy. . . what year and where did you fall off the stage and climb back on ? you had me in hysterics telling me the story !

Steve Kinch…..Andy, that was certainly some hair (sighs)… looks like I’ve got 240volts going through that bass. Alan, you’re correct – no shoes! Bit of an image thing, dontcha know! Truth is, I couldn’t afford ’em Leigh, I don’t remember the trousers episode either, but I do remember Andy falling off a stage during one show and getting caught up in some scaffolding – Manchester I think. I’m fairly sure it was Manchester’s De-la-Salle college, don’t remember the year though. It could’ve been very nasty… didn’t stop the rest of the band laughing their socks off for the rest of the gig though Gary, I didn’t start with Factory till ’74, so probably 74 or 75, maybe 76.

Andy Qunta….Well, Gary, Steve & Pete, as for the year of the photo, Steve is wearing a T-shirt from the PN Club in Munich. We did a residency there twice – March & November 1975, so it wasn’t before ’75. Thanks for reminding me about the venue where I fell off the stage! I don’t remember exactly when, but it would have been ’75 or ’76. As I remember it, we were about to play the first song. I was saying hi to the audience, but the lights were so bright I couldn’t see them very well, so I said “wait, let me get a good look at you!”, and walked to the front of the stage with my hand over my eyes as a shade. Next thing I know it was whoops, I seem to be falling! Fortunately I didn’t fall far! I was, as Steve says, dangling with my fingers in the stage scaffolding! I scrambled back up, with as much dignity as I could muster, listening to the guffaws of my band-mates, Steve, Tone, & Lol, and the applause of the audience, who apparently thought it was part of the act! To add insult to injury, when we went back to play there again a few months later, people in the audience were shouting “go on, fall off the stage again like you did last time!” I decided once was enough! Of course, you should always leave the audience wanting more!

Alan Esdaile….Great story Andy. I remember the first time I meet Steve Kinch. Went round his house to sort out for him to audition for Muller. We went into the front room and what I thought was a cuddly toy on top of the sofa, suddenly moved! I think it was an Iguana which was very rock n roll for those days!

Andy Qunta….That’s right, the Kinch family had two iguanas. when I used to go there! One was big & one was less so. I think they called them Big Ig & Little Ig, but maybe that wasn’t their real names?