pages from Wishbone Ash programme supplied by Eric Cawthraw
Virginia Davis… I remember a time when Eddie and the Hot Rods were a no show and an unknown band called The Jam stepped in. Not sure if it was that date though.
Alan Esdaile… I think that was 23rd April 1977 and The Jam replaced Johnny Thunders as was ill.
Virginia Davis… Oh right. Well it was a long time ago. At least I remembered who actually performed. Should of realised later date as it was just before In The City was released.
Eric Cawthraw… Supercharge – what a great outfit they were. I didn’t get to see them in Hastings, but caught them supporting Wishbone Ash in Brighton. They always looked like they were having a fun time. Above pages from the Wishbone Ash – New England tour booklet showing the Supercharge entries.
Mick O’Dowd… Supercharge were one of those great bands that never quite made it. Superb album Local Lads Make Good.
Dave Nattress… I do recall the gig very well and the newspaper cutting. Damaris played exclusively self-penned progressive material with lots of long instrumental passages that I used to get lost in listening to sometimes and I’d just drift away. I wrote the lyrics and we all helped arrange the tracks. Tony Barraclough played a Gibson SG through a Vox AC30/50, Iain Cobby was on Fender Precision later a Rickenbacker Stereo with the obligatory Marshall Stack, Paul Durrant had a range of keyboards including an Elka Rhapsody and several other keyboards, and Mick Kemp played a Pearl Full-Dimension kit with about 13 drums. Back then my 3 chords weren’t up to playing on stage and as my life has gone by, it’s still no more than 3 chords. Damaris nicked a passage from The Planet suite by Gustav Holst for one track called “Alien Tomorrows” – Mars maybe Jupiter, can’t remember right now, and then we had another long ranging piece called “Star-Tiger” which was written about an aircraft that disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle – which had the call-sign “Star Tiger”. Maybe you get the drift of what we were aiming for in our music!!! Supercharge were extremely good. From the moment they sound-checked we could see how polished they were.
Graham Belchamber… Supercharge ! I lived in Liverpool between 1985 and 95 and Supercharge were still doing the rounds up there. Some marvellous albeit hazy memories of them.
Iain Cobby… It was Jupiter, Dave.
