‘England’ prog rock band – Hastings Pier 25th March 1978

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featuring Phil Gill. supplied by Phil Gill via Robert Webb

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ad supplied by Sarah Harvey                poster Sue Arber via Phil Gill.

Phil Thornton ….England were great ! – lots of Mellotron and Moog, niceness !

Sarah Harvey….March 25th, 1978. England only produced one album in the 70s (Garden Shed – 1977) so I wonder what they filled out the set with. I have the Garden Shed album and played some tracks in my 70s show the other evening.

Andy Qunta…..Garden Shed is a fabulous album! They did have other songs too. I believe our SMART friends Jaffa Peckham & Phil Gill might know more about that?

Phil Gill….We didn’t do anything from Garden Shed that night or any other. It was all new stuff. The three original members had lived with the album for two years by then and wanted to move on. I’d have loved to have played songs off Garden Shed, but hey, I was the new boy.

Dave Nattress….Hi All you England fans!!  I had bought Garden Shed from Boots in Bexhill.  I’d noticed the album in the rack for what seemed like months and it just wasn’t selling – looked like the only copy , anyway eventually intrigue took over and I bought it and it just blew me away especially when I learned the nucleus of the band was from Crowborough.  So, when they played the pier and was gobsmacked to see Phil Gill on bass.  I of course was disappointed because like Phil says, they didn’t play one track off the Garden Shed album.  Many years later I bought “Last of the Jubblies” on CD and more recently – well still years back, got Garden Shed on CD.
Somehow then Geoff Peckham and I met up again – went to school with Jaffa in Bexhill from 7 years old till 16 when we left, and as we talked he said he’d played/recorded Jubblies but hadn’t got it or heard it for years and years.  I guess this was obviously after Phil Gill left – maybe Phil played on some tracks though, so I said all cool, well I had bought it as a punter so I was delighted to burn a copy and photocopy the sleeve etc. and I sent him the original for old school times sake.  Jaffa will remember that he and I were founder members of the Goon Squad at school.  To me, Jubblies doesn’t come close to Garden Shed though.  Garden Shed – like just out of (seemingly) nowhere – astonishing!!!

Phil Gill….Jaffa played on all of Jubblies, it was recorded before he left and I replaced him. I played all of Jubblies live, with the exception of Jaffa’s song “Sausage Pie”, which for some reason they dropped

Steve Kinch….Phil, I remember that we played with England in Worthing, but have got absolutely no memory of the actual gig. Wasn’t Roger Carey offered the job at one time?

Phil Gill….I remember the gig well. England were not a particularly dynamic live act in my opinion, and I kind of missed the excitement of the Stallion shows I’d done for the previous two years, with John Wilde running around shaking everyone on stage by the throat, knocking us around and generally whipping up a frenzy.  Yes, Roger was offered the job and I believe actually played and/or recorded with them at some point after I left. I’m a bit hazy on the story he told me, but he’d be able to confirm the detail.

Terry Pack….The Enid played twice with England while I was in the former and Phil with the latter. Lewisham(?) was one, but the other…? Do you remember, Phil? I didn’t know that Jaffa had played with them, too. I liked the drummer, who sounded a lot like Bill Bruford, I thought. The keyboard player had butchered any number of keyboards in an attempt to achieve a kind of midi. I thought they were very good.

Phil Gill…..Terry, I think the other gig was in Chelmsford

Alan Esdaile… Any idea who the support band on the pier were Phil?

Phil Gill… No idea Alan. Poster above, courtesy of Sue Arber, but it doesn’t say either.

Stuart Moir… Why has the drummer got satellite dishes above his kit, makes me smile all the cymbals and only two hands and two feet to hit them with.

Robert Webb… Good to hear from you fellows! Great site!… not sure how best to use it yet. I’ve got pix of Phil on stage with England (Worthing and The Marquee, London) from Sue Arber. I’ll upload them, but not sure if they will ‘nest’ here… or create a different subject. Anyway, it should be better known that the story of the ‘development’ of England post-Garden Shed, is given in the wonderful Vinyl issue of The Last of the Jubblies (2017) from NuMusic in Germany. Known as the ‘Silver Edition’ it has two previously unreleased recordings and pix of Phil and Geoff. Its a high-quality gatefold product and will become very collectible. (I’ve been waiting twenty years to see the Jubblies artwork as an LP!). Available here: http://www.numusi.de/england/the_last_of_the_jubblies/progressive/5697/en/ With love, Robert

Iain Cobby… One of the greatest prog albums of all time. Steve D had a copy and introduced me to it. Glad to see its gradually getting the recognition it deserves. I have the latest extended CD and a jap import that sounds like they ripped off a well used vinyl copy. Thanks to Sarah for playing Paraphernalia last week. I was at this gig, was that a see through Mellotron??? great material but the sound system didn’t do it justice. Great memory……..Nice bass Phil

Phil Gill… Thanks for the name check Iain but I only played on the live shows. Martin Henderson played bass on Garden Shed, Geoff Peckham played bass on Jubblies.

Robert Webb… Iain, the see-through keyboard was a Hammond RT3 with one keyboard removed. I modified it myself. I’m noted for cutting things in half! These two shots were taken at the Worthing gig by Sue Arber. The bottom one shows the Hammond with all its ‘plates’ removed and a ‘remote’ Moog keyboard on top. Yes, the sound at the gig at Hastings wasn’t that good: we often had sound problems, and of course the music was more complex than “yar avrage rock band”. With love and best wishes, R

photo © Sue Arber

Robert Webb… This one shows Phil Gill and Frank Holland on guitars.

photo © Sue Arber

Iain Cobby… Many thanks for your reply Robert, I am truly grateful for you taking the time to reply. What a talented musician you are. Thank you for the music. ……… and how about an England get back together? many be a Garden Shed gig? best wishes Iain

Phil Gill… Andy Qunta were Head On the support for this gig? Or was that Worthing?

Andy Qunta… I think it may have been Worthing, Phil, but not sure now.

Robert Webb… Alan & Iain. There is a SMALL possibilty that we might reunite to play Manchester in March 2019. Basically 3 original members in the front line and a 5 piece enthusiastic backing band. It will take some arranging, but its by no means impossible! I will post it up on the new England website (under development): www.englandprogrock.com

Alan Pepper… Just been listening to this album and thought what a great piece of work . Wondered where has it been all my life ! Very underrated should have been promoted more maybe ?

Anthony Glaser… Just got garden shed on cd , strong prog rock

Robert Webb… Hi ‘astings SMART guys. Its always good to hear that England’s music is still valued. So …thanks Alan and Antony. Prog’s an interesting world. There are lots of good albums from the late 60s, 70s and 80s out there. Although we lived in Crowborough for a couple of years, Jode the drummer was from Cheshire, I am a South Londoner, Martin was from Kent and Frank was a Worthing lad; so we were pretty England-wide really. The Hastings connection was through Dave Hinde (roady) who introduced us to both Jaffa and Phil because he was renting a flat on the sea front in Hastings. Looking back, we were expecting to become successful once we secured a record contract. This, of course turned out to be a chimera. We had all been in previous bands (including Jaffa and Phil) and thought we knew something about ‘the music business’. We had no idea that the music machine could take control of what sells and what doesn’t. So, the catastrophe that turned out to be called punk pushed everything out of the 23rd floor window. (I’ve nothing against this style of music-making, I enjoyed its rawness… and its message, but fashion is a killer —and it killed us, and other talented bands). Fortunately, we have recordings which have captured the spirit of the age. So, we can still get an awful lot of pleasure out of the musical endeavours of the past. I hope that England’s music manages to be of interest now, and in the future. wLove and best wishes, Robert (in Greece … although I have a good friend in Pett Level).

 

7 thoughts on “‘England’ prog rock band – Hastings Pier 25th March 1978”

  1. Hi All you England fans!! I had bought Garden Shed from Boots in Bexhill. I’d noticed the album in the rack for what seemed like months and it just wasn’t selling – looked like the only copy , anyway eventually intrigue took over and I bought it and it just blew me away especially when I learned the nucleus of the band was from Crowborough. So, when they played the pier and was gobsmacked to see Phil Gill on bass. I of course was disappointed because like Phil says, they didn’t play one track off the Garden Shed album. Many years later I bought “Last of the Jubblies” on CD and more recently – well still years back, got Garden Shed on CD.

    Somehow then Geoff Peckham and I met up again – went to school with Jaffa in Bexhill from 7 years old till 16 when we left, and as we talked he said he’d played/recorded Jubblies but hadn’t got it or heard it for years and years. I guess this was obviously after Phil Gill left – maybe Phil played on some tracks though, so I said all cool, well I had bought it as a punter so I was delighted to burn a copy and photocopy the sleeve etc. and I sent him the original for old school times sake. Jaffa will remember that he and I were founder members of the Goon Squad at school. To me, Jubblies doesn’t come close to Garden Shed though. Garden Shed – like just out of (seemingly) nowhere – astonishing!!!

    Dave Nattress

    Reply
  2. Good to hear from you fellows! Great site!… not sure how best to use it yet. I’ve got pix of Phil on stage with England (Worthing and The Marquee, London) from Sue Arber. I’ll upload them, but not sure if they will ‘nest’ here… or create a different subject. Anyway, it should be better known that the story of the ‘development’ of England post-Garden Shed, is given in the wonderful Vinyl issue of The Last of the Jubblies (2017) from NuMusic in Germany. Known as the ‘Silver Edition’ it has two previously unreleased recordings and pix of Phil and Geoff. Its a high-quality gatefold product and will become very collectible. (I’ve been waiting twenty years to see the Jubblies artwork as an LP!). Available here: http://www.numusi.de/england/the_last_of_the_jubblies/progressive/5697/en/ With love, Robert

    Reply
  3. One of the greatest prog albums of all time. Steve D had a copy and introduced me to it. Glad to see its gradually getting the recognition it deserves. I have the latest extended CD and a jap import that sounds like they ripped off a well used vinyl copy. Thanks to Sarah for playing Paraphernalia last week. I was at this gig, was that a see through Mellotron??? great material but the sound system didn’t do it justice. Great memory……..Nice bass Phil

    Reply
  4. Many thanks for your reply Robert, I am truly grateful for you taking the time to reply. What a talented musician you are. Thank you for the music. ……… and how about an England get back together? many be a Garden Shed gig? best wishes Iain

    Reply
  5. Just been listening to this album and thought what a great piece of work . Wondered where has it been all my life ! Very underrated should have been promoted more maybe ?

    Reply
  6. Hi ‘astings SMART guys. Its always good to hear that England’s music is still valued. So …thanks Alan and Antony. Prog’s an interesting world. There are lots of good albums from the late 60s, 70s and 80s out there. Although we lived in Crowborough for a couple of years, Jode the drummer was from Cheshire, I am a South Londoner, Martin was from Kent and Frank was a Worthing lad; so we were pretty England-wide really. The Hastings connection was through Dave Hinde (roady) who introduced us to both Jaffa and Phil because he was renting a flat on the sea front in Hastings. Looking back, we were expecting to become successful once we secured a record contract. This, of course turned out to be a chimera. We had all been in previous bands (including Jaffa and Phil) and thought we knew something about ‘the music business’. We had no idea that the music machine could take control of what sells and what doesn’t. So, the catastrophe that turned out to be called punk pushed everything out of the 23rd floor window. (I’ve nothing against this style of music-making, I enjoyed its rawness… and its message, but fashion is a killer —and it killed us, and other talented bands). Fortunately, we have recordings which have captured the spirit of the age. So, we can still get an awful lot of pleasure out of the musical endeavours of the past. I hope that England’s music manages to be of interest now, and in the future. wLove and best wishes, Robert (in Greece … although I have a good friend in Pett Level).

    Reply

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