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 48 years ago tonight! I remember Brian (Johnson) being a really nice guy, sadly i don’t remember Bitch.
Alan Esdaile…They used to be called ‘Kippington Lodge’ and came from Kent. Played in Hastings lots of times and I think the story goes, the America’s offered them Millions, changed their name and turned them into a stadium band over night.
Andre Martin….They used to be the stand by band for so many shows at the Pier when John Schofield was doing the promotions. They took the name from a large house/estate where the came from Cross Keys Nr Sevenoaks in Kent.
Steve Kinch….Brinsley repaired and re-fretted a couple of my basses a few years back – he was chief tech at Chandlers Guitars, Kew – don’t know if he’s still there, haven’t been there for a while. Jolly good job he made of them too!
Mick O’Dowd….Wish i’d seen this one. I liked the Schwarz and Chilli Willi and I have a couple of cd’s by them including the legendary “Bongoes Over Balham”. They never seemed to find their niche. Pity.
John Foyle… 1973. ‘October’ is nearly the only word that isn’t misspelled.
Michael Wilson… What a line up of pub rock greats
Phil Gill… Ooh I was there. Chilli Willi were fabulous and I had a conversation with the guitar player that taught me stuff I’ve remembered all my life. He was cooler than the other side of the pillow.
Rick Pentecost… I was there too! Wasn’t quite convinced by Brinsley but Chilli Willi were wonderful. I went straight out (well, the following Monday) and bought ‘Bongos over Balham’, still got it,- don’t arf make me smile!
Michael Gibbs… Great album – especially Desert Island Woman
Stewart Rockett… Rick, It was your good self that introduced me to they.
Poster Supplied by Mick Mepham.They returned to Hastings to film at the Blue Reef Aquarium for the film ‘Bula Quo’.
John Storer… Remember this gig well … there was a huge buzz of excitement around the town when it was announced. Quo did not disappoint and, if memory serves, they finished with a blistering version of The Doors “Roadhouse Blues'”. Andy Bown Band were also very good. He had been a member of The Herd with Peter Frampton and had then gone on to form the excellent but little-known Judas Jump along with The Herd’s drummer, Henry Spinetti (son of Victor). Their 1970 album, “Scorch” is one I picked up for a pittance down the Old Town and still play occasionally today. These days, Andy is a member of … Status Quo!
Tony Court-Holmes… got very drunk nothing new there but that was before real ale how my life has changed ha ha
Jim Hobbs… Great gig, the room was packed. The Quo were great and I was also impressed by Andy Bown, who also played with the Floyd on some of their live shows.
Kevin Carlyon… Slightly before my time of doing the printing for Ace Promotions and Joe Morowski!!
Yvonne Cleland… Can’t remember what they did now, but I do remember that they did three encores….
Pete Fisher… I remember seeing them on the pier and being thoroughly impressed not to say blown away. I really thought the wooden floor was going to cave in any minute, people were jumping and dancing so much…
Ralph Town… Andy Bown, of course,wrote and sang the theme to Supersonic pop show and the childrens tv series, “Tarot”.Now playing in the Quo
Colin Bell… Andy Bown supporting Quo, that was a bit of nepotism. Andy had unofficially joined Quo that same year playing keyboards on their recording sessions, one big happy family!
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!
from the ‘classic hits’ tv show ‘Can The Can’…
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!
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.
Aquarius flyer supplied by Roger Carey, pier flyer supplied by Iain Cobby.
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
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.
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.
supplied by Mick Mepham and the 3rd one supplied by Roger Carey
photos from the pier gig by Roger Carey
Jon Hiseman soloing and Ollie Halsall taking a synthesizer solo. Ollie Halsall guitar & vocals and Mark Clarke bass & vocals.
and from 1974
Phil Gill…..Brilliant gig – Ollie Halsall, what a player. And they did a storming version of Paperback Writer too. How about you Pete Fisher?
Mick Knights….If I’m not mistaken Jon Hiesman introduced himself as Ginger Baker!
Glenn Piper… I remember this one 🙂
Chris Meachen…. Brilliant gig;- I remember Hiseman juggling during his solo, sticks spinning in the air above his head while others bounced off drums.. Ollie Halsall also impressed by switching from left-handed guitar to right-handed bass for one number….
Pete Fisher… Remember having the album for sure…I have a list of concerts I remember going to, but don’t have the ticket, and this isn’t on it…but I must have been there…hazy days….
David Miller… Great to see the splendid Ollie Halsall in those pics on keys and especially guitar.
Pete Fisher… shared this to the Ollie Halsall and Patto Fan group Facebook page, and what a small world it is Roger Carey and Iain Cobby, as Tobias Van De Peer asked if the Roger I mentioned was you, and said he’s in Iain’s band!
Martyn Baker… I definitely went to this one. Cannot remember much about it though.
poster supplied by Mick Mepham and advert supplied by Nick Prince
Phil Gill….Wasn’t Will T in Daisy?
Yvonne Cleland….Yep, he was, along with Mr. Terence Corder, Tony Barraclough, and young Kevin Hoad. I was Will’s gf and did the sound. Wes Magoogan had joined them, by this time, and Marion did the lights.
supplied by Yvonne Cleland
Yvonne Cleland….Here’s one of me and Will when he was in Daisy
Andy Qunta…Daisy were a great band, & we had some great gigs together! Daisy were really good!
Terry Pack….One of the first gigs I went to featured these two bands, at the youth club in Bexhill, pre Wesley.
Phil Thornton….I remember that one ! I was there ! 2 great local bands !!
Paul Dove….Great band Factory played with them on a few dates with, ( muller & 3 on ice,) great days.
Geoff Peckham….Great days indeed, didn’t you keep a diary, Andy? If you did I’d love to see it – I’m sure I’ve forgotten half of what I got up to!
Nick Prince… Electric Ray when he was the last landlord of the New Clive Vale. hahaha, I still laugh at his antics more than a quarter of a century on
Yvonne Cleland… RIP Electric Ray x
John Wilde… Let us raise our glasses to Electric Ray (Wickham). A beautiful Soul.
Phil Thornton… funnily enough I bumped in to Tony Barraclough today !!
Lyn Humphrey… Yvonne Cleland–I worked with thee, in ’73! (Ashdown House, Works Bills).
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.
