1974 – SMART

The Kinks – Hastings Pier 23rd March 1974

March 23, 2020March 23, 2020 by Alan Esdaile

(1) supplied by Mick Mepham, (2) & (3) supplied by Roger Carey

Yvonne Cleland….Great gig, and with the legendary beer can on head routine………

Chris Meachen….Remember this one particularly fondly;- After the gig, I asked Ray Davies about harmonica playing; He made me a present of two blues harps,( which I still have) then sat down & gave me a half-hour lesson in blues harmonica.. Thoroughly nice bloke!

Martyn Baker….Victoria! Victoria!! (I think they opened with that). Knocked me out too.

Graham How….I had the honour of introducing them on stage. They were a very friendly band and the roadies were great too! Fabulous night. They came down to Hastings on a chartered National Express coach. Hastings was the only gig they had done for ages and not part of a tour. Ray said they did it because they fancied playing on a pier!

Gary Kinch….Remember it well……First wage packet I bought 2 singles, Ape Man being one of them. I seem to remember Ray throwing beer into the audience.

Andre Palfrey-martin….Kinks first played Hasting Pier in July 1964- HCFE Summer Dance.

The Kinks – The Midnight Special

John Alexander Wilde….Wonderful!

Peter Fairless… …and, yes, the pier gig will have been the one where Ray Davies helped Jo Brand get her No.6 out of the machine!

Robert Searle… March Hare, Peter Skellern on lead vocals.

Jim Breeds… Ah yes! I was there, but I don’t remember the support band – not that I remember the support bands from many of the gigs. I think we always stayed in the pubs until just before the main act.

Yvonne Cleland… Huh! That was for posh people. The rest of us stayed in the pier bar!

Sally Blackman… This was the very first gig i went to.

Phil Thornton… another great gig ! – the audience was at least 1.5K over capacity !! (I guess Health and Safety must have been somewhere else !)

Jane Hartley… I was there

Terry Haddon… And so was i.

Magma, Esperanto with Keith Christmas – Hastings Pier 8th March 1974

February 19, 2020February 19, 2020 by Alan Esdaile

poster supplied by Mick Mepham. photo source http://magmamusic.org

Signed poster supplied by Peter Houghton

Geoff Peckham….I was there that night. I was knocked out by Magma. They’d thrown away the rule book. The singer (Christian Vander?) even sang in his own made-up language. The perfect antidote to Eurotrash!

Terry Pack….I was at that one, too. Magma were amazing. I got to meet Keith Christmas during the 1980s. He lived in Kingston near Nick Magnus, with whom I used to write songs around that time.

John Wilde…. I was there also, Greatly impressed by Magma and the singing in tongues.

Mick Mepham….. They’re my favouritest band in the whole world! Saw them in ’73 supporting someone I can’t remember, then this one and loads subsequently. They’re still going and are utterly awesome (I don’t use that word lightly). The language Vander wrote is called Kobaiian and it suits the music well. The best drummer I’ve ever seen (apologies to all others) and some of the most intriguing music ever. They wipe me out whenever I see them, though I don’t think they play here anymore so I haven’t witnessed a gig for several years now. Have a look at their show at the Trianon in Paris on their 30th anniversary. Excellent! etc etc sorry …..babbling now. Esperanto were also a really good band and Keith Christmas too. Ahhhhh those were the days hahahahahahahha …..

John Wilde… Excellent gig. Wish I had this poster Mick.

Terry Huggins… Magma are still around aren’t they? Their last album, Félicité Thösz, was only released a couple of years ago.

Peter Fairless… Still putting out CDs, Terry

Mick Mepham… Magma were and still are my favourite band. Awe-inspiring live and good recorded. They’re still pretty big in Europe. Too “out-there” to be commercial but a great band. Hurrah!!John, I’ll send you a copy…..

Phil Thornton… another gig I was at ! – both bands were great !! – not that I understood it all, but I still knew it was great !

Tony Court-holmes… that is a very worrying photo.

Peter Houghton… That was a great night both bands played great set’s and I was introduced to the amazing Keith Christmas and i went out and brought his Brighter Day Album

Alan Esdaile… I remember seeing him live and the track Robin Head.

David Alan Roberts… Sadly, I declined to go to a Magma gig when at university: financial constraints forced me into selecting the gigs I could attend! Of course, friends of mine who attended the gig wouldn’t shut up about how good, goofy and original they were…to my chagrin. Circa 1974, this was. However, a few years earlier, I remember being totally spellbound by Keith Christmas’ acoustic guitar technique at the (fairly) well-known Les Cousins club in Soho. He was a solo performer at that time.

Pueblo – cutting January1974 & Pier ticket with Stallion 8th Feb 1974

February 8, 2020February 8, 2020 by Alan Esdaile

cuttings supplied by Pete Fisher & Roger Carey and ticket supplied by Pete Fisher

Pueblo featuring Bernard Jeffery, Pete Fisher & Roger Carey.

Zzebra & Highway – Hastings Pier 29th June 1974

January 28, 2020January 20, 2020 by Alan Esdaile

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

Autographed poster supplied by Peter Houghton

Gary Kinch…..Saw them at Reading in 75 and probably saw them on the pier but like so many of those gigs, I really don’t remember.

Yvonne Cleland….I think I went to see these at the Marquee.

Sarah Harvey… June 29th, 1974. Zzebra with Highway supporting. Following on from my previous Auf Wiedersehen themed post….on July 8th (my birthday 🙂 )the same year, Gary Holton with The Heavy Metal Kids.

Paul Owen… The Heavy Metal Kids were amazing, poor poor Gary Holton, I loved his voice, even as Wayne in Auf Wiedersehen Pet

Martin Casson Agency – Hastings Pier Gigs Nov/Dec 1974

November 26, 2019November 26, 2019 by Alan Esdaile

leaflet supplied by Michael Mepham

Kevin Sherwood… Went to all of them.

Phil Meston… Went to the first three!

Yvonne Cleland… Went to all but Leo Sayer.

Tony Court-holmes… only Curved Air for me

Bob Lloyd… Interestingly Steve Maxted ran a Wednesday night disco at Woodville Halls in Gravesend in the early 1970s

Dave Weeks… I think I went to all of them apart from Leo sayer. Happy days.

Julie Morris… I saw Leo Sayer and Sparks – and always there for Steve Maxted!Happy days indeed Dave!

Roy Winchester…I saw Leo Sayer what a voice if i remember it right he was dressed as a clown.

Stallion – introducing the band 1974 & Stallion poster 6th November 1973.

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 by Alan Esdaile

supplied by Mick Mepham

supplied by Phil Thornton

Alan Esdaile… Great find Phil. Stringer Jones, was a duo with Martin Stringer and Malcolm Jones.

Martyn Baker… Malcolm Jones was the other half of Stringer-Jones with Martin Stringer in Hastings (1975-6). I kind of re-met Malcolm again when we both worked for Capital Radio in the 80’s. Martin now lives in the west of Ireland. Both top geezers.

Harry Randall… RIP Vic/Tony and Steve gone to young! Sadly missed I’m sure by all who new them!

Leigh Wieland-Boys… My that takes me back. Fond memories of Steve D, rest in peace dear friend.

Martin Stringer… Crikey.

Gypsy & Dragonmilk – Hastings Pier 11th October 1974

October 13, 2019October 13, 2019 by Alan Esdaile

Clive Richardson… Gypsy were excellent. Really good sound. They had no roadies, no manager at the time and did the sound themselves. Paul Casson was very impressed and was interested in managing them.

Peter Thomson… Sure I was at that one but don’t remember the support act, unfortunately.

String Driven Thing and Stallion – Hastings Pier 7th September 1974

September 7, 2019September 7, 2019 by Alan Esdaile

poster supplied by Mick Mepham. pier photos Chris Meachen.

Tich from Stallion at the pier gig supplied by Roger Carey

Here’s a great recording of ‘Circus’ venue unknown.

Wesley Magoogan…. Those Observer adverts were the center of some of our lives then.Whomever was on the advert for the pier were that week’s big deal !

Phil Gill… I was there, it was a brilliant gig.

Leo Sayer and support Ice Cream – Hastings Pier 13th July 1974

May 22, 2019May 22, 2019 by Alan Esdaile

poster supplied by Mick Mepham.

photo AVRO’s TopPop (Dutch television show) in 1974. http://www.beeldengeluidwiki.nl/index.php/Gallery:_Toppop_%281974%29

Alan Esdaile… I worked with Leo Sayer and he was really polite and a genuine nice guy. I sure Chris Meachen will agree .

Chris Meachen… Yep, thoroughly nice guy;- one of the few that insisted on buying the helpers a drink…

Jim Hobbs… Leo Sayer Live – one of the best gigs seen on Hastings Pier

Glenn Piper… I worked on this gig. Leo himself was a really nice guy

Matt Thomas… I’m reading Tom Watkins Autobiography at the moment and he mentions the band he was managing in the 70’s Ice Cream and that they supported Leo Sayer on Hastings Pier. Anyone remember these?

Alan Esdaile… I think they melted away Matt.

Matt Thomas… According to the book they turned into Giggle

Alan Esdaile… They sound like a joke to me.

Carl Ridley… I don’t know if you know but Tom Watkins owns the ship pub in Winchelsea beach just up the road from his house.

Matt Thomas… part owns.

Jenny Tyler… I was there too. X

Keith Veness… I was there too

Blackmore Merv… me too

Fusion Orchestra – Hastings Pier 7th December 1974

December 8, 2018December 8, 2018 by Alan Esdaile

supplied by Mick Mepham

photos taken at the gig by Chris Meachen

Dave Nattress… I didn’t know Be Bop Deluxe did the pier. Anyone know what year. I have virtually all their stuff on vinyl and CD and saw them at Eastbourne Congress in 1976/1977 and I’ve said before in these pages, they were seriously loud at Eastbourne. They definitely had Sunburst Finish out at Eastbourne which was released in 1976 I think and maybe Modern Music – 1977. Guess the pier gig would be a year or more earlier?

Tony May… What a provocatively sexy pic this is! I bet Jill was an amazing front woman to watch live!

Mick Knights… That would be ‘the’ microphone stand then!

John Wilde… Be Bop Deluxe! Excellent Gig.

Steve Rolls… I was in Hong Kong for this gig but saw them at least 2 other times on the pier and also a couple of times in the junior rates mess HMS Mercury (now closed but was right up in the south downs between Clanfield and East Meon in Hampshire).

Jan Warren… Oh Alan, this is great!! – pics of the lovely Jill Saward, the amazing lead singer of Fusion Orchestra – I loved this band, went to loads of their gigs!! – Thanks for posting these pics!:) xx

Alan Esdaile… Yes great photos Jan and takes you right back, again thanks go to Chris Meachen for the photos.

Mark Sims… My old band Clemen Pull supporting Be Bob Deluxe