Suzi Quatro & Factory Hastings Pier Friday 8th June 1973

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poster supplied by Mick Mepham.  Ad supplied by Sarah Harvey.

Andy Qunta...Great! Thanks for this Alan! Factory supported Suzi Quatro the week Can the Can went to number 1. Her producer, Mickie Most, came up to me after we played and shook my hand and told me to get in touch. We thought he was too “poppy” for us so we didn’t follow up on it! Often wondered if that was a mistake or not!

Yvonne Cleland….Remember watching her do this in the pier ballroom! Front row!

Pete Fairless….Still love it!

Mick O’Dowd….Saw her do this in Alexander Park at the Beer Festival.

Alan Oliver… Saw her the White Rock in or around 1987. Average!

Martin Waghorne… This is getting bad I think I was there as well.

Di Veness… I don’t think she was very good live. Factory on the other hand were brilliant. We had fun that night

Gil Mulvey… I was there, she was amazing! Factory were good and of course Stallion!

Ralph Town… Just a week after her birthday 🙂 We share the same birthday, me and Suzi.Plus Ian Hunter and Mickey Finn of T-Rex.

Julie Morris… I remember this so well!

Pete Fisher… I was there!

Lucy Pappas… Me too!

Tony Qunta… Yes remember it very well!

Leigh Wieland-Boys… I was there too!

Lesley Brown… I thought I saw Suzi but thought I must have dreamt it until I saw this!

Alan Vale… I met her when years ago I lived in london and she played at my local a couple of times very nice lady great bass player

Keith Veness… Great night

Bourne ScunnerJulie… I was there and went to see her at the Brighton Centre in April and she can still belt them out…

Alan Wood… First gig with wife one

Kim Tilbury… I was there great night!

Paul Cullen… I was at this one and I seem to remember Factory getting more encores than Suzi Quatro

Andy Qunta… Paul, bless you and your excellent memory!

Keith Veness… We were there

 

Chicken Shack, Ardon & Colin Bell – Hastings Pier Friday 25th May 1973

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supplied by Mick Mepham

Phil Gill… Remember this one well. Had a talk with Stan Webb afterwards. He was a right miserable bugger.

Terry Huggins… I remember going to this one too. Can’t recall much about it as I met a young lady. Didn’t they make the support band play in front of the stage instead of on it, or am I thinking of someone else?

Alan Esdaile… Can’t remember Terry and can’t recall the band ‘Ardon’. I will see if Colin remembers.

Pete Prescott… The second gig I played was supporting chicken shack in Jan 73.i was in a band called village. It was at kemsley town hall. I was 16 and terrified ! Helen tap was there.

Joe Knight… great sound!!!

Eric Cawthraw… Yep, I was at this one. By then it was the ‘Stan Webb show’, the rest of the band didn’t really get much of a look in. Proper old showman guitaring and still a very enjoyable evening.

Pete Fisher… pretty sure I was there…Stan Webb had a specially long guitar lead back then, and used to make a feature of going walkabout into the audience…before the days of wireless systems (pioneered by Angus)…years later (1990) I saw Buddy Guy at the Albert Hall, and when Clapton annonced him, you heard his guitar but he was nowhere to be seen on stage…minutes later he stood up in the middle of the audience, where he’d been hiding, and walked up to the stage, playing via his wireless system…cool trick!

Nigel Ford… I remember seeing Ardon some time on the Pier (didn’t keep a diary until late ’73) and after playing a couple of numbers the frontman said “we’re ARDON….do you get it ?”

Jan Warren… Oh yeah, Chicken Shack.didn’t they do “I’d rather go blind”?! – love that song!! xx

Gerry Fortsch… Stan Webb, brilliant saw him gig with Canned heat great.

Colin Bell… I don’t remember myself ‘freaking out’ doing this gig, but then these days what i had for breakfast escapes me……

Pete Prescott… My 2nd gig was in January 1973 supporting Chicken Shack at Kemsley town hall (near Sittingbourne).I was 16. I had to be pushed on stage.

Iain Cobby… A few years ago I was depping in Lez Zep , which led me to somewhere in the the Sierra Nevada to do a gig in a what was a converted venue, from a moorish fort in a village high above Grenada ( no , not the TV station) . After 3 hours from the airport in a converted Transit with only olive groves to look at, we arrived at a dusty watering hole . walking in to a local hostelry by the road we dusted ourselves down and sat on a bench at the rear , not wanting to draw attention. There, standing at the bar was Stan in a white suit whos band were topping the next night’s show . Miserable git would only talk to Mr Kulke, our Robert P. We settled for a ham ( off the bone hung on a huge spike on the wall) sandwich. ahhh what goes on ,on the road ……….

Colin Bell… Stan Webb is a great guitarist, but he must qualify as one of the grumpiest, miserable guys I’ve ever done a gig with!

 

Steamhammer – Hastings Pier 13th July 1973

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supplied by Mick Mepham and Roger Carey

They originally came from Worthing and went on to be massive in Europe and tour with Led Zeppelin. Managed by Barry Taylor. Not so big in the UK but canny Clive Richardson realised the town was full of German students in July and I think he ended up with over 800 people.

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ticket & management letter supplied by Clive Richardson

Geoff Peckham….A great band in their time who preempted the Quo sound and were very popular overseas. Original bass player, Steve, still lives in Worthing and has some tales to tell!

Andy Qunta….1st Steamhammer album – excellent! Still listen to that quite often! This is a stand-out track though!

poster supplied by Clive Richardson

Pete Houghton… That was a great night both Band’s were excellent

Richie Worley…  I’m trying to find out any info with regards to the support band Crimson Earth in this article from 1973, band members, management that sort of thing, also another band from the same time/area called Orange, any info would be much appreciated. I believe my father managed both bands back in the day.

Clive Richardson… I promoted this gig and think I booked Crimson Earth direct from an advert. I remember the band were good with a singer with a great voice. I think I paid them around £40/£45. Sorry I don’t have anymore information.

Dave Nattress… Thought I recognised a name. Martin Quittington (sic), is I’m sure the same “Martin Quittenton” who co-wrote Maggie May and You Wear It Well by Rod Stewart. He also co-wrote other stuff with Rod at that time and played guitar on several tracks!!

David Martin… Richie Worley, I gather that you are looking for information about Crimson Earth. I was a member of that band and indeed played the gig with Steam Hammer.

Fusion Orchestra – Hastings Pier 21st April 1973

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poster supplied by Mick Mepham. Leaflet supplied by Iain Cobby

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coloured photos supplied by Eddie Hazell Estate

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Pier photo by Chris Meachen

Autograph poster supplied by Peter Houghton

Robin Trower is listed on the poster buy pretty sure he did not turn up. Any ideas who replaced him?

Mick Knights… Here we go again, Jilly and the mike stand, memories are made of this!

Phil Thornton… excellent band, brilliant gig !

Alan Esdaile… Agree Phil, brilliant gig.

Yvonne Cleland… yep!

Tony May… Fantastic pics Alan. I heard so much about this lot from Simon and these shots put meat on the bones.

Phil Thornton… another gig I was at ! if memory serves a spendid event !

Jan Warren… Oh WOW, brilliant pics, thank you, I saw this band many times and they had such a big impact on me!! – I’ve seen many “famous” bands over the years but Fusion Orchestra have always remained most in my head and my heart – their performances were amazing, the song-writing was genius and Jill Saward’s vocals and multi-instrumental talents were (and still are) the best ever!! – I am sooooo happy for the recently released cd “Fusion Orchestra Live at the Marquee 1974” – I woz there, I cant stop playing this cd, it takes me right back there, its amazing, I love you Fusion Orchestra, always and forever!

Andy Qunta… Great photos!

 

Curved Air – Hastings Pier 6th April 1973

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6th april curved air 1973

Andre Palfrey-Martin Collection

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OCT 1971 DISC JOCKEY

Mick Knights….Yep, at this one too, the main attraction was probably Sonia!

Andy Qunta….Great band! Still listen to their stuff! I think maybe Factory supported them on the Pier once, but I know I definitely saw them there anyway. Stewart Copeland was on the drums.

Mick O’Dowd….Oh Sonia! Wherefore art thou Sonia!

Jim Hobbs….Back Street Luv is still up there with my favourite tracks. And yes Sonia was the main attraction!

Catherine Ireland… Oh I remember Stylus Records and Disc Jockey .

Jim Breeds… Phantasmagoria!

Andre Martin… Paul loved booking the top of the bill.

Jim Breeds… Me too.

Chris Stratton… They played the pier a few times. Remember seeing them twice there.

Chris Giles… One of the best concerts I saw on Hastings pier.

Andy Qunta… I have Air Conditioning too – another good ‘un!  I was hoping someone had some info on the opening band – Full Supporting Programme. I’ve often seen them advertised, but that’s all I know about them!

 Andre Martin… In true style of many agents, it was what ever bunch of musos were doing nothing that night and could get to the Pier for 6.00pm!!

Dennis Torrance… I saw them on pier with Stewart Copeland on drums thought what a good drummer he was

Andy Davies… I was there! Loved it

Claire Lonsdale… I see they had late buses to accommodate the concert, wow!

Wild Turkey – 7th March 1973 Hastings Pier (changed from Aquarius), also 18th August 1973

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Aquarius flyer supplied by Roger Carey, pier flyer supplied by Iain Cobby.

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 poster supplied by Mick Mepham

Aquarius or Hastings Pier 1973? One handbill and one poster,  same date, two different venues, now confirmed as Hastings Pier.

Andy Qunta…. did see Wild Turkey at the Pier, but I don’t remember the date. Another great band! (Seemed to be so many then, not so much now!)

Pete Prescott….i saw them in sittingbourne around 73/74 with leo sayer and judas priest ! great band ! gary pickford hopkins was the singer, he was wonderful. He sadly died last year.he sang with ashly holt from warhorse in the rick wakeman band (i just got a warhorse cd signed by ashly for my birthday).i remember bernie marsden was in wild turkey in 73/74.glen cornick wore some pretty strange clothes.i also saw them supporting black sabbath at the albert hall in (i think ) 71.

Clive Richardson…. Wild Turkey did play the Pier and not Aquarius. Also on the August date ‘Leo Sayer band’ did not turn up.

This the other gig they did in 1973 with Leo Sayer Band & Daisy

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poster supplied by Mick Mepham and cuttings supplied by Sarah Harvey

Tony Davis… Saw them at The Dome in Brighton on tour with Black Sabbath – think it was the Master of Reality Tour. They were a great band – that’s Turkey and Sabbath

Phil Thornton… Great gig !!!

Andrew Freeman… I love seeing these posters from both the nostalgia point of view and because they remind me of my son who lives in Brighton and plays with a band called Rough Hands, playing gigs all over and in Europe. I like to think one day, maybe one day they will play Hastings Pier, who knows

Glenn Piper… It was a good gig

Pete Prescott… Good times! Great band. I saw them at Sittingbourne town hall and at Chatham central hall in 73/74. I first saw them at the Albert Hall supporting Black Sabbath in 71.

 

Stray and Stallion – Hastings Pier Sat 8th December 1973

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poster & ticket supplied by Mick Mepham

Andy  Qunta…. “Loved Stray! Have their 1st 2 albums – great stuff!”

Martyn Baker….”I was there, loved it, and I still have the Stray album to this day.

From 1970 one of their best tracks ‘ All In Your Mind’

Tony Qunta….”Loved Stray and that song is a cracker!”

Sarah Harvey…..what Jenni Inness thought of it the week afterin her column of December 15th, 1973.

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supplied by Sarah Harvey

Alan Esdaile…..great gig this one.

Sarah Harvey….It was a great line-up because I loved Stray as well. I have all of their albums (all 2 of them I think) on vinyl.

Phil Thornton…..”Stray were great. When I was in Die Laughing we used to play a cover of their song ‘All in your mind’ brings back brilliant memories of all those mad gigs in Germany and Wales !!!”

David Miller….”Stray..! My tinnitus is an ever-ringing badge of honour won by listening/vibrating to them at my local music club The Farx, standing next to the exploding dustin and generally having a great time at extreme volume. There were also other contributors to this award, including sitting next to the big speaker in The Bubble for hours on end. Good times….”

Nigel Ford… This was my first time seeing Stallion with Tich in skeleton suit & whitened face. Saw them several times subsquently as was very impressed, moreso than Stray.

Dave Weeks… I remember that one too.

Chris Meachen…  I was there.. Stray were a damned good live band…

Ben Gallop… i was there, not sure if it was that gig but remember a band played off the stage on the floor cant remewber who thou

Alan Esdaile… Looks like at the door price was increased from 85p to 90p!

 

Golden Earring plus Nutz – Hastings Pier 30th November 1973

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supplied by Mick Mepham

Martyn Baker….Wonderful gig, that night. Mixed live in Quadrophonic sound too, as I recall, probably for the first and last time on Hastings Pier. What a fantastic Rn’B band they were

Terry Huggins….They were originally called the Tornadoes, but had to change their name as there was already a band by that name (The other band had an instrumental hit with Telstar). They became the Golden Earrings, but later dropped the ‘the’ and the ‘s’.

Jim Hobbs….I was there that night. Great gig in the very week they got to number one with Radar Love. I recall that the numbers were very low, which was a shame as they were amazing with great sound from their Quadrophonic sound system. Vanilla Queen (from Moontan) is still a favourite track. I wonder if their drummer still jumps over his kit on the last chords of Radar Love? Also saw them play Brighton Dome with Lynyrd Skynyrd in support (they stole the evening), some gig!

Mick Mepham….Hey Jim, I roadied most of that tour and that gig for sure. Silly sods in the Dome management wouldn’t allow the quad p.a. to be set up at the back of the theatre so there were 2 stacks on each side of the stage. LS were really good too and made GE play even better.

Kevin Carlyon….Bloody hell. I printed these at Berfort Reproductions and used to go out fly posting with promoter Joe Morowski!

Jim Hobbs…A Classic track

Karen Sweatman Was Blackman…..Radar Love was the first song I ever sang at karaoke – trouble was I forgot there was about half an hour in the song where there is no singing and I was standing in the pub looking like a twonk for the duration. On a lighter note, I did win a bottle of wine. Think it was for the karaoke, not looking like a twonk!

Lauren Gower… My Uncle Simon roadied for them.

Chris Giles… I think this was the loudest band I ever saw on the pier….I was deaf for days after….brilliant though.

Phil Thornton… An excellent gig !!!!

Eric Cawthraw… Yep at this one – stood by the mixing desk to enjoy the quad sound. I remember the guitar sounds circling in one direction and flute going the other way. It made you go boss-eyed! Mick, I seem to remember our mate Simon Pont helping to get all their gear on the Pier – he got given a very glittery Golden Earing t-shirt. When wearing it – it looked like he’d got shiny dandruff. Didn’t a wheel of their loader go through the pier – or an I mixing this up with someone else?

Dave Nattress… Yes, went to this one. Golden Earring had a great couple of years on the back of Radar Love. They are STILL going – have a look on their website, got several of their vinyls including of course Moontan and 2 versions of Moontan on CD – slightly different track listing. I saw them at Brighton Dome but unsure if they were headlining or support. I half think they were supporting Free at the Dome but the other half of my thinking says this was unlikely. It was a long, long time ago and all that. I also, bought the vinyl of the Nutz first album – still have it – interesting cover!! Think they came from Liverpool.

Ian Mantel… Now a certain Mr Graham How tells me they had a spot of difficulty with their transport when they backed it onto the pier….

Chris Coleman… I was lucky enough to be there working with Jon Royle and the Music Machine Disco

Stuart Moir… Wow just look at the entrance fee

David Norman… It was a great performance by the band,they performed a long version of Radar Love, brilliant

Simon Elder… I rather guiltily highly remember the poster for Nutz, can’t recall what the music was like though, I’ll have to search for a video.

Geordie plus Bitch or Moonstone?? and Colin Bell – Hastings Pier 26th October 1973

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poster supplied by Mick Mepham

Pete Prescott….after Brian Johnston left the reformed Geordie to join ac/dc i was briefly in the band that struggled to continue (with a different name – the DUDES ) they tried terry slesser from crawler.i replaced him.i recorded three tracks with them at Luxembourg studios.they wanted me to re locate to newcastle.i couldn’t do that.nice guys.

Yvonne Cleland….Great band, Geordie! Saw them on the pier! it was a good gig!

Pete Fairless….The best Slade record Slade never made!

Pete Prescott….i sang love if you want it another night in the city and the last one escapes me.i think i have the versions of terry slesser singing them as well as mine.brian sang nutbush city limit at the ac/dc audition and got the job instantly.i was told he is a nice guy.

Andy Qunta…..singer of Geordie was Brian Johnson, who later joined AC/DC, and still with them now! After Factory’s gig with them in Torquay, I met him in the motorway services Gent’s (accidentally, not pre-arranged, before your minds start working overtime!). He was very flustered! He had been driving their truck, it was one of those where the cab tipped forward to get to the engine. After checking the oil or something, apparently the cab wasn’t locked properly, so when he got to some traffic lights, the whole cab tipped forward, and he was properly freaked out! Geordie almost lost his liggy!

Peter Howard… I know one of Bitch

Colin Bell… Always handy to know what i was doing ! I remember Brian (Johnson) being a really nice guy, sadly i don’t remember Bitch.

The Pretty Things- Hastings Pier 4th August 1973

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supplied by Mick Mepham and Iain Cobby

Mark Sims….John from this band lives near me in Spain.

and from 1969 Norman Wisdom with the Pretty Things!

Andre Martin… This site is now getting just toooooooooooo serious !!!

Tony Davies….Ooooh !!! Sally Geeson !!

Phil Gill… Did you know that England’s guitarist Frank Holland plays guitar in The Pretty Things now?

Jan Warren… I saw them at The Carlisle, 26th April 2013, they were amazing, still hoping they’ll play there again soon!!

Gavin Martin… Superb!

Iain Cobby… I have a mono copy of “S F Sorrow” somewhere in the loft that Steve D encouraged me to buy in Woolly’s . One of the greatest concept albums, written before the Who’s “Tommy”.… and yes Phil re FH, it’s on the sleeve notes of England’s “Garden Shed” deluxe edition. Great prog album.

Peter Thomson… I was at the pier gig and seem to recall it was not that well attended. Shame, I thought it was a superb night.

Steve Merchant… I was at this gig in 1973. Memory almost totally shot on it but I do remember some hi jinks involving PA climbing by a long haired chap that was almost certainly Phil May. Not a great turn-out for it as I remember, probably too obscure for Hastings back then. I also remember watching a family with children arriving and fleeing very shortly after, god knows what they expected. Pretty things I expect…ha!

Peter Thomson… Blimey that’s a long time ago….

Dave Fuggle… I remember going to this gig. Still have that flyer knocking around.