www.britishrecordshoparchive.org
On this website you will find a easily searchable catalogue of record shops through the ages. Click on link South East & London and this will take you to a further link for Sussex East.
SMART
Chat group of like minded people who are interest in 70’s music and other eras, bands who played Hastings Pier.
SMART 3
Another successful afternoon and with the sun at last shining, it was good to see some new people. Thanks to everyone who turned up. Having taken along samples of a potential gig guide review pamphlet , talk was about what pubs and cafe’s to get on board and how to proceed to the next level. What happened to ‘Ultimate Alternative Mag’, ‘The Entertainer’ etc. Lots of chat about Stallion reforming for a one off gig at the Big Green Cardigan festival. Phil Gill showed some rare photos of Stallion at the Marquee Club and anyone remember when they played ‘Bonitas Club’ when Tich was singing, promoted by Trevor Bolton from Disco 45 magazine? Lots of memories about Steve Demetri. Kast Off Kinks at the White Rock but missing the Davies’s, Mini bus idea to gigs, vinyl selling again. Barry’s Blog, Barry Taylor has written a blog which I will post here seperately. Also talk about the clubs ‘Lazy Bones’, ‘Astral’, White Rocks Baths & The Fountain. Apparently ‘Pretty Things have played Falaisle Hall in the 60’s with Ted Crouch Band supporting! Glen Matlock, Stranglers, Gary Moore, Roger Daltrey memories of playing the pier, Jools Holland series back on tv, Sham 69 coming to Flairz, memories of Monkey Dave at the Hi Fi, Beatles Day 14 and more.
Was a really good gathering – thank you so much for choosing us Rosemary Turner Franks Front Room 7:35pm Apr 19
Barry’s Blog
ANDY JOHNS – the legendary studio engineer has died, aged only 61. The Stones, Zeppelin, Van Halen and Free are just some of the bands he worked with.
BRIGHTON GIGS – There are some cracking gigs coming up in Brighton, including Steve Winwood, Mark Knofler, Terry Reid, Moody Blues and Elvis Costello. Trouble is, the lousy train service or tedious road journey, makes it hard to get there and back. Maybe we could organise a mini bus if enough people are interested?
PETE SEARS is one of the finest musicians that I worked with. He is a gifted bassist & pianist, I met him in the late 60’s and arranged sessions work for him. Pete was attracted by the idea of working in America, so off he went with lovely Lucy. He first teamed up with old mate Micky Waller(drums) with whom he played on Rod Stewart sessions., plus Leigh Stephens(Blue Cheer) and they formed SILVER METRE. Pete’s big breakthrough came when he was asked to join JEFFERSON STARSHIP, with Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, Marty Bolin and others. They made several fine albums like ‘Red Octopus’, before Pete moved on to play and tour with HOT TUNA. More recently, Pete has worked on documentary Soundtracks, recorded solo work and guested with the likes of Linda Ronstadt and Ry Cooder. The Englishman in California did good!
Barry Taylor
Beatles Day 14
Congratulations to Pete Prescott on another successful Beatles Day. Early indications are that £16,700 has been raised for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Jo Brand at the White Rock – Hastings Pier fundraising gig
Erics Fermented Thoughts……..
Saturdays fundraising gig at The White Rock Theatre was a massive success and a treat of comedic excellence for the people lucky enough to get one of the 1066 seats available, for this one off fundraising show. Jo Brand topped the bill, also appearing were Angela Barnes, the winner of BBC radio 2s new comedy award 2011 and Quincy, a London stand-up comic that also presents, writes and acts.
Expandis – Rise Of Psychomouse
31st March – The Carlisle Hastings
To celebrate the launch of their new e.p. ‘Rise’ Expandis are back after a 30 year break.
Now a two piece, the amazing ‘John Wilde’ aka ‘Psychomouse’ on vocals and multi talented ‘Phil Thornton’ on guitar, keyboards and any number of taped oddities. They take their influences from ‘Talking Heads’, ‘Kraftwerk’, ‘D.A.F.’ and ‘Yellow Magic Orchestra’. With a high energy mystic trippy throbbing sound that works its way into your brain and won’t go away, moving you like nothing else. All eyes were transfixed on John, who was in full make up and Disney ears. Dancing around like a man possessed, with a nightmarish evil menacing grin and managing to contort his body in all manner of positions. The stand out track for me is the more mellow ‘Prayer Mat’ from the new cd with John’s vocals at their very best. They also treated us to some covers ‘Prince’ ‘sign o the times’ , Pink Floyd’s ‘set the controls for the heart of the sun’ and Hawkwinds ‘master of the universe’. Some old classics were played including the disturbing ‘everything stops for baby’ and ‘I don’t mind the noise’ which is always loved by the crowd. Expandis are back and stronger than ever. Don’t forget they will be playing ‘The Big Green Cardigan Festival’ later in the year.
Johnny Mason
Featured in Hastings Observer 19th April 2013
Barry Bumps Into…. Mick Mepham
Barry Bumps into……………………MICK MEPHAM
Barry Taylor I first came to Hastings in the 70’s and spent a summer promoting gigs on the pier – that’s how we met?
Mick Mepham Yes indeed, cos I always attended those famous old gigs, if I wasn’t playing somewhere.
BT You lived in an eccentric flat in St Leonards, the door to which always seemed open….?
MM Well, I was a young man who was always going out!
BT You had joined Die Laughing….and I got involved. We raised some money to make some recordings, a cassette in Bexhill, then vinyl in London. For those Chiswick sessions we travelled up in my old Jag!
MM There were some good gigs with that Die Laughing line up, especially supporting Saxon and Girlschool.
BT Yes the Folkestone gig(Girlschool) was a cracker, a big crowd and a good P.A.!
MM After Die Laughing, I formed Savage Hearts, including an interesting Pier gig supported D/L! A few years later we worked together again in the 90’s.
BT Yes, Ocean Artistes, when we scoured the local area for musical talent. You came into your own as a producer, in your little home studio…You did really well with people like Glenn Richardson and Tasha Sims. However we had no luck at all with record companies, it was a bad time to get a deal. So what are you up to now?
MM Well 90% Proof is working out really well and I still play some solo electric gigs.. At the other end of the spectrum are Titus. Folk music which I enjoy immensely.
BT Future ambitions?
MM My songwriting is very important to me and I would love to have one of my songs recorded by another artist.
Barry Taylor
SMART 2
Another very good and interesting afternoon. Thanks to everyone who came. Chat was about Alan Jensen and The Disc Jockey, The Witchdoctor, Cobweb, Expandis at The Carlisle, Beatles Day, John Peel, Pam Dor, Kings Country Club, Jazz FM, Roberts dab radio, Liane Carroll at St Marys in The Castle , The Crypt to reopen under the name West Exit , Girlschool, Die Laughing etc etc and didnt you used to have hair!, Barry had some interesting talk on when Steamhammer supported Led Zeppelin. Also showed us a rare Rolling Stones book. Mark came up trumps again and had a large collection of laminated classic pier posters on show. I took along a collage events group prices for June 1975 and you could book Judas Priest then for £350, Shakin Stevens for £250 & Thin Lizzy for £450. Also talk about the next get together being on a Sunday afternoon. Anyone up for that let me know
SMART One!
15th February 2013
Thanks to everyone for turning up to the first coffee get together of SMART(Seventies Music And Retro Talk) and making it a great afternoon. Some excellent very rare pictures and cuttings were shown by Mark Rymell and hopefully the book about bands who have played the pier, is not too far from completion. Some interesting chat about the Great John Martyn , missing out seeing Skunk Anansie, Pretty Things to play the Carlisle? and lots more. I will post details when a date is arrange for the next one.