Photo by Anthony Morland. Supplied by Pete Millington.
Colin Fox… Saw them in a club in Sunderland when we were touring the north east in early 1970’s. Unfortunately not many people in the club, but they were brilliant and very funny.
Iain Cobby… Does that mean that the great Peter Grant who was their road manager later to be Led Zeppelin’s guru walked the boards of the Pier?
Mike O’Dowd… Skiddy-iddy-iddy……… For the uninformed who think i’ve finally lost it. the lyrics from the b-side of Pasadena single entitled Sugar.
poster and ads supplied by Pete Fairless – Bands On Hastings Pier Facebook page. Kieran White photo taken on the pier by Clive Richardson
Pete Fairless… Not sure if this was their first visit, certainly, the first time I saw them… a mere 50p, what a bargain!
Alan Esdaile… Did they play the pier 3 times Pete or more?
Pete Fairless… Yes, 17th April and 17th July 1976, 18th March 1978, on my list. They didn’t play in 1977 , the year they had a big hit with ‘Do Anything You Wanna Do’ and toured the US. Also, it was the year when the pier hosted The Stranglers, The Clash, The Jam, The Damned, The Adverts… Perhaps, they might have been seen as too ‘popular’?
Nigel Ford… Was at both ’76 gigs to see Barry cart-wheeling across the stage in between singing and bought their TEENAGE DEPRESSION album after the first gig which I’ve played tracks from on Hastings Rock: “Get across to you” & “Double checkin’ woman” from memory? though I think the deck slipped and I had to cut one short…. Dammit! Great to see them again last September too at the BIG GREEN CARDIGAN event.
Pete Fairless… Ah, yes, and Judas Priest on the 23rd. That was a good gig, too!
Virginia Davis… Those were the days. 50p a ticket and no added booking fees!!
Wesley Magoogan… He came on pretending to have only one arm
Thanks to Philip George Thornton for posting this.
Three Friends play Freehand on their first gig 16th April 2009 at the Ropetackle Arts Centre UK. Three original members of Gentle Giant Kerry Minnear, Gary Green and Malcolm Mortimore with John Donaldson, Andy Williams, Roger Carey and Mick Wilson
Andy Qunta… Wow! I mean, wow! Amazing musicians, none more so than Roger! By the way, is it true Justin Bieber’s covering this song on his next album?
Phil Gill… I remember Roger playing Gentle Giant to me in our teens and raving about how great they were. Cool how he ended up playing with them.
Phil Thornton… I was at this gig !! – the sound on the video does not do them justice, they sounded great ! very accurate performance with the only differences down to individual playing styles and tones ! – I met Gary Green and Kerry Minnear at the gig, I was a little starstruck !
Terry Pack… I saw the band in Lewes about a year after this. Kerry Minnear was no longer involved, but John Donaldson, Andy Williams and Roger Carey were excellent. Roger was playing a Fender, and getting a great, woody, sound. I was disappointed that Andy was given no solos(!). I guess Gary Green didn’t fancy the competition!When I sold nearly all of my rock LPs in 1978, including all the Genesis, ELP, etc., I kept the Gentle Giant ones. I haven’t listened to them since about 1976, but I didn’t want to part with them. I tried a few times to suggest that The Enid would benefit from vocals, and we used to sing six part madrigals for fun(!!), but it took several more years before the band start singing. I thought that Gentle Giant were the most interesting of all the English bands of that era.
Phil Thornton… yes thats right Andy I heard the same !! I think he will also be doing some Zappa as well …. … and its all rather ironic that my love of Gentle Giant got me kicked out of Stallion back in the day – haha !!!
Dave Nattress… As well as these gigs at Hastings Pier, as remarked before, these events called Beat Raves, were often also presented (and billed as such), at the De La Warr, Bexhill. I started attending them in about 1968 when I was 15, but there wasn’t a lot of raving back then, and of course “Rave” much, much later, actually did become pretty much just that aided for some by funny little tablets. But the raving in Bexhill was assisted by gallons of weak beer and that was about it back in the 60’s in Bexhill. I didn’t get to Hastings Pier for gigs until about 1970 and certainly the beer on offer there was well watered down – a lot was needed before any raving went on!
cutting supplied by Barry French, photo supplied by Roger Carey
Tim Moose Bruce… Footloose were great. Loved their versions of Foreigner and Boston songs.
Iain Cobby… nice bass Rog, but I can’t remember the gig? Thank you TMB we had a great time as Footloose. God bless Tony Bridger. Harry Randall (I was on 2 bands after you on Beatles Day for Mania’s last gig) and my old friend Brian Setchfield who I haven’t seen for over 20 years.
Dave Nattress… Hi Iain, Brian is alive and well and we often bump into each other and talk about old times – and music of course, whilst walking our dogs along Cooden sea-front.
Tim Moose Bruce… Breaker one four. This is Spiny Norman.
Josie Lawson… Hello Spiny Norman.Dont remember name.Do you remember mine from way back?
Tim Moose Bruce… I was on am from 81 to 85. My handle, Spiny Norman went on to be my nickname.
Josie Lawson… Tim Moose Bruce My handle was as I mentioned in the paper article. When I moved back to Hastings where I was born the computer took over. I have always been a communicater but hardly ever face to face except for the occasional times. I suppose that’s why I write. But I do miss my open ‘mic’ poetry readings. Even then I was shy…I tended to look above the heads. Was given this advice from someone else.Did you ever have a shoulder CB..tended to be used for 10.33 times
Tim Moose Bruce… I wanted a handheld rig but never got around to getting one. Had a Jaws 2 AM rig. Quite compact and a pa socket which got me in trouble with police a couple of times with the pa speaker under the car bonnet!
Josie Lawson…. Tim Moose Bruce I can remember a gigantic aerial on the side of my house. We used to go up on Ditchling Beacon to have meet ups… Here is a picture of me up there one day with the handheld CB on my shoulder
Josie Lawson… Ah! I wasn’t in AM -I was in FM
Chris Meachen… One four for a copy…
Tim Moose Bruce… Copy Golden Arrow..
Mick O’Dowd… That’s a copy Rubber Duck!
Roy Penfold… AM only for me – Garden Gnome…wonder why?
Sarah Harvey… I was (still am) a G4 licenced Radio Amateur FB OM …. 73s and 88s 🙂
Joe Knight… Great portland st and radio at the Ashdown club now gone
Tom Hodkin… Breaker 19 for a copy .. blue devil here . Eyeballing the Smokies…
Chris van Rock… I was gun runner !! Lol
Joe Knight… G8mwf
Sarah Harvey… G4NVQ
Dave Nattress… For a few years from about 1980 living in Bexhill but travelling every mile of every motorway in the UK with my job, week after week, just about everywhere, the CB radio a friend suggested I put in the cars of the time, was great fun. It might only have had a range of 10 miles or so, but great entertainment, left on the trucker’s channel – 19 was it? Also, one did get warnings of where accidents and bears were. Great fun. There were some amazing characters broadcasting, really helped the journeys along.
Sarah Harvey… The Pier April 16th, 1977. Roogalator was a pub rock band formed in London in 1972, by the US-born guitarist Danny Adler.
Neil Steadman… Roll on 23rd! You putting that up made me think of The Mobiles….. An Eastbourne combo who had a minor hit with Drowning in Berlin.
Roy Penfold… Didn’t that have a young kid from Hastings playing Tuba?
Neil Steadman… Quite possibly Roy. I will dig out my copy.
Alan Esdaile… The 23rd April was The Jam as Johnny Thunder cancelled and I see 7th May was a typo should be The Vibrators not Vibrations.
Clifford Rose… If I remember right, the Vibrators were supported by Sham 69.
Mark Randall… I recall seeing this poster when the Randall Tribe had a week’s holiday in a BnB in Pelham Crescent I’ve always thought it was Nick Plytas’s Roogalator. I bought Frampton Comes Alive cassette at the time. The cassette was faulty so I had to post it ALL the way back to Hastings. At the time Hastings seemed the other side of the world.
Alan Esdaile… Good memory Clifford, I do have listed Sham 69 supporting The Vibrators on the 7th May 1977.
Terry Corder… I’ll name 2 if I may. House of the rising sun and a whiter shade of pale. Oh, and peggy sue. Oops, that makes 3.
Phil Gill… Brown Eyed Girl.
Eric Peckham… Anything and everything by the Carpenters. So middle of the road, it should be run over.
Terry Corder… Brown eyed girl. I hate that one as well and Freebird.
Michael Wilson… Anything they play over and over again on Heart Radio. Especially ‘Galway Girl’ by Ed Sheeran.
Alan Esdaile… Loads but Mr Blobby comes to mind.
Eric Peckham… I just want to stick a bullet in my head every time I hear that one.
Terry Huggins… Anything reggae or ska, most punk rock and anything that’s played too often.
Eddie Caffrey… Apart from the obvious ones -long haired lover etc O Lori by Alessi …sooo annoying!!!
Peter Thomson… Y Viva Espana or Una Paloma Blanca. Got me thinking what my problem is with Spain now…
Rick Pentecost… Sweet home bloody Alabama and Freebird
Simon Page… Boo Boo Boo! Rock Me Amadeus by Falco. Life Is Life by Opus.
Peter Antony… I don’t know… I mean there are the obvious ones. But to tell you the truth, I’m probably not that happy with the current top 5, whatever they are this week.
Richard Wood… “Bohemian Ratshit” – pompous, pretentious glam-rock at its worst.
Mandy Wright… The birdy song!!
Eddie Caffrey… Right on Mandy as it falls into the silly category Long haired lover….combine harvester….mr blobby….tellytubbies….bob the builder….
Peter Gladwish… In 1970, Birch-Stolec Industries purchased the VOX name and company, moving their manufacturing facilities from Erith, Kent, to Ponswood Industrial Estate, St Leonards. At the same time, Rick Huxley, former bass guitarist with the Dave Clark Five, joined the company as the Southern Area Sales Executive. This sales brochure was produced for VOX by Berfolt-Holt Design Ltd., St Leonards, where a friend and fellow band member, Cliff Brooker was employed. Now don’t laugh too much but I was asked to ‘pose’ with various musical instruments and equipment, in case viewers were unsure how to use them, I suppose! The photo-shoot took place in the basement of the Hi-Fi Club, High Street, Hastings Old Town and the photographer was Dave Trodd . The club owner is in the photo above( photo 5) but I can’t remember his name. If you know him, or remember him, please let me know. The Hi-Fi Club burned down in allegedly ‘suspicious’ circumstances around 1978. Again, if anyone has any more details, please let me know. You can learn more about the history of VOX on the website link above, where this brochure is featured.
Kevin Burchett… The club owner of the hi fi was aa chap called guy not sure of his surname he used to come to scalliwags with monkey Dave i saw him last year in Morrisons.
Alan Esdaile… This is definitely not Guy. Guy rang the HIFI with his brother. Anyone remember who this is?
Ralph Town… Wish they were still there,I,d take a job on those valves and pcbs
Colin Fox… I had one. You can see it behind me on the right. I seem to remember Rev Stockdale worked there for a while.
Paul Dengate… Vox also had a workshop in Beaconsfield Road.
Caz Simpson… The man in question resembles a man Guy and Dave hired as a bouncer at the club. I thought the brothers were the owners because they lived there and rented rooms to Jack and George.
Peter Gladwish… Clearly, the man in this pic with me was not the owner of the Hi-Fi Club (Guy McFarlane), as I had always thought and no-one seems to know his name. As he was the one who unlocked, plyed us with drinks and was hanging around all day, whilst Dave Trodd arranged the shots, I just assumed he was the boss-man. Thanks anyway for all your contributions. Apparently, Stuart Moir also worked at Vox in Beaconsfield Rd., Colin Fox & Paul Dengate. Anyone else out there with any memories?
Caz Simpson… I saw Guy some years back, he was running a bar in Battle. Sadly I heard Dave died, his wife was a lovely lady who had been a bunny girl. There was a good deal of suspicion about how the club burned down. Guy and Dave had extensive wood panelling carried out to the upstairs living areas which allegedly hid a lot of rot. They tried to sell the club but surveys always brought to light the concealment and sales fell through. I understand the insurance company had strong suspicions regarding the nature of the fire so refused to pay, which is why the gap remains.
Alan Esdaile… was the Vox factory in the Philips building on Ponswood?
Will Cornell… very cool Mason’s shares that address, Alan! Did they make the electric dulcimers for Brian Jones there too?
Alan Esdaile… We are over the road from what was the Philips building, Will. They used to be one of the big employers of the town, sadly no longer here. Now split into lots of small businesses.
Peter Gladwish… Brian Jones’ Appalachian Dulcimer was made for him by JMI (who owned Vox) at their Dartford factory by a woodworker named Tony Diamond, Will Cornell. Hastings produced mainly amps, speakers.
Will Cornell… I’m always overwhelmed at what all Vox did…even after reading the “Rolling Stones Gear” (and the “Beatles Gear”) books! And I think they made two or three for him! One of them maybe was stolen. Sad that more business addresses don’t get “Official Historical Markers”….but then some have squandered their legacy. Charley’s Guitars here in Dallas is a pale imitation of it’s former glory supplying custom guitars for Stevie Ray Vaughn etc. It now does repairs, has maybe a handfull of overpriced vintage guitars hanging on the wall for sale…and more pictures on the wall of SRV (and the former ownership/staff) than merch for sale.
Peter Gladwish… Vox also made the Bill Wyman bass, both at Dartford and in Italy, at Eko guitars.
