Month: December 2019

photos by Chris Meachen

PUEBLO – Roger Carey, Pete Fisher,  Bernie on Drums.

Bernard Jeffery….Yes it is definitely Pete Fisher and I’d say it was about 1973

Pete Fisher….Pueblo: Roger Carey-bass, Bernie Jeffery-drums, Pete Fisher-guitar/vocals
I remember this photo session was at a Pueblo rehearsal, in Ore Centre, photos taken by schoolmate and fellow musician (string/electric bass) John (Dai)Davis, and developed in his dark room at home. I’m pretty sure this is 1974 – going by the hair length – Roger and me were at Hastings Grammar School – I’d left the previous year, and Roger must have been coming up to his A-levels….Bernie started with me in Black Ash in 1970….I think Roger came into the fold around 72, have to check the archive! Back then Bernie was still playing his dad’s old jazz kit, Rog had a little Burns bass through a Laney top and home-made cab, I was playing my second electric guitar, a strange no-name thing with piano key controls that didn’t do much. By then I had my first decent amp, a Vox AC15, which was just loud enough to compete with Bernie’s drums, but I used a Cry Baby wah to boost for solos.
Bernie and me both liked Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, and West Coast…..Roger used to play me Allman Brothers Live At The Fillmore in the music room at school, but he was also really into Free, ( as we all were – All Right Now was one of the first songs me and Bernie attempted around 1970/71) and his melodic inventive riffs with singing vibrato were reminiscent of Andy Fraser. Our rehearsals were in fact long jam sessions, with endless solos, on various favourite themes. We cobbled together a short set list for the few gigs we played…various covers, and a couple of my early attempts at songwriting….and singing. I have a press cutting from 17th January 1974 from the Hastings and St Leonard’s news, which says we got a standing ovation at our recent gig at Hastings College….possibly the gig where Tony Qunta, my guitar guru and friend, lent me his brand new Orange 100 watt stack, which was a bit like driving a Ferrari when you’ve only got a provisional licence – it practically blew me off the stage! The article goes on to say we’d been playing together since September the previous year, and had already also played on the Pier, where we were again to perform on Friday February 8th 1974, in a “local band bonanza”. I still have the ticket (60p!) which lists us, a band called Butch, and local heroes Stallion (with Steve Dimitri on drums and Phil Gill on guitar). I remember we were on first, and I for one was very nervous, especially with lots of friends in the audience. It was a pretty big deal back then, having seen so many great bands on that stage…..the band expanded to include a second drummer (!) for a couple of months, but then I left Hastings and moved to London in September 1974, so the band broke up. I still have some crumbly old recordings and a couple more photos….time to delve in the archive!

supplied by Pete Fisher

Pete Fisher…an early gig, possibly 1973, guitarist Kevin’s 18th birthday party, at the Langham pub, near Quarry Road.

Terry Pack….I think I saw this band in 1974, or earlier…. Roger was a great inspiration to me aged 15.

Tony Qunta….Great band!

Pete Fisher….Thank you Tony! You and Andy, and Factory were a great inspiration!

Phil Gill… bloody hippies.