Barclay James Harvest and Highway – Hastings Pier 1st October 1971

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Barclay James Harvey!!!

Mick O’Dowd… This band and the gig which I worked on for Andre Martin & co. became the turning point in my musical tastes. Up till then if it was not black or soul it wasn’t any good(tastefuklly done Mick) but I caught a bit of their set and thought wot an idiot, wot have I been missing. From then on I gave everything a listen before slagging it off. Thanx Barclay James Harvest.

Gavin Martin… Order of 1066 Ceremony. 1966 Oct 14. Vintage. LOL. AD

Robert Searle… Seen them twice at Hastings pier

Tony Court-holmes… was there

Iain Cobby… Saw them on their second visit to the Pier, fell in love with the Mk 2 Mellotron of “Woolly” Wolstenholme, RIP. After all these years I now have a Tron myself. There’s a double CD ” live at the BBC “, charting all BJH outings they did for the beeb, well worth checking out . an amazing band that were the poor man’s Moody Blues, and a great influence on my stuff.

Barclay James Harvest and Rare Bird. Hastings Pier 22nd June 1974

Nick Webb… I was there again lol

Andy Qunta… Pretty sure I was there for this. Both good bands!

Martyn Baker… you were mate. I remember seeing you in the bar at half-time!

Ian Watling… That was a great night

Peter McLoughlin… Saw Bjh at the pier a couple of years earlier with about 50 other people!!

Anne Murray… Yep, I was at BJH

Catherine Ireland… The guy at the back right of picture looks like Chris Cozens, but I don’t think Chris was born then

Chris Meachen… Bloody excellent night, two brilliant bands.. still have the autographed BJH album..

Roger Dando… Classic band I never managed to see live . .

Mick O’Dowd… When I worked with them on a Martin-Casson gig on the Pier, I did not like rock music much. I introduced the band and went off stage but was waylaid by someone and we talked for a while. When I emerged to cross the dance floor to escape, I was half-way across and they were playing “Mockingbird”. Woah! I liked the sound of this! Stayed and watched the rest of their set. Made me realise that I had a bad case of tunnel vision and from that day have taken all music and given everything at least one listen before rejecting them as c**p! Wise decision as i’ve discovered a lot of bands/artists that I once wouldn’t have given the time of day to. Thank BJH!

Pete Houghton… Hi Mick yes Mockingbird is still one of favourite songs

Andy Davies… I was there too. Can’t have heard anything of their’s since ‘76! Are they worth revisiting?

Alan Esdaile… Andy, Yes definitely.

Pete Houghton… I was there a what great night Both Band’s signed there Autographs for me

Deb Hoad.. Love their music

Carol Cooksey… Love the music of B J H saw them lots of times

Terry Pack… I was at this one. Walked home to Bexhill afterwards as usual. The last train was at 22.37 and I nearly always missed it. I think the last bus was probably at about 7.00pm!! Beer was so cheap in 1974 that I couldn’t spend the £1 I had in my pocket at the start of the evening!

Mike Curtis… I remember going to “Beat Raves” at DLWP in the late 60s. Beer was 2/6 a pint – I used to spend my £1 and have difficulty walking home.

Iain Cobby… Long Live the BJH mellotron, king of orchestral sounds!

 

Barclay James Harvest – Hastings Pier 24th Jan 1975

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supplied by Sarah Harvey

Sarah Harvey…..In those days I seem to remember that there was a sort of rivalry created by the fans of Barclay James Harvest and Moody Blues. They were classed as similar sounding bands and there were always arguments about who was the better. I always thought that their music was very different albeit both bands were of a similar mellow genre of rock music.

Alan Esdaile…..Great band but was a bit touch or go if they were going to appear, as they were not happy with the piano as it was not tuned to concert pitch. It was tuned first thing in the morning and then retuned again. They were still not happy but the show went on.

Terry Pack…..I was at that gig, and I loved them. A year later, I joined The Enid, whose leader, Robert John Godfrey, had written the arrangements for the music on their first album. Small world.

Chris Meachen…..Great gig, excellent band….

Mick O’Dowd……This was the gig and band that cured my tunnel vision that only good music was by soul artists. Since then I have given everything a listen and now have a diverse musical taste. Thanx to The Mockingbird!

Stuart Moir… Saw them

Martin Waghorne… I was there that night

Glenn Piper… Roadied for this one 

Robert Searle… See them on the pier twice,the first time I thought they were ok,the second time was no better,just had better gear.

Iain Cobby… I was there with my first wife, what a fantastic drummer , the late Mel Pritchard was and that Mellotron of Mr Wolstenholms. Just listen to Crazy City and Summer Soldier.Prog doesn’t get much better. They went big in Germany just as the Berlin wall came down and then fell out, splitting into two versions of the band. fond memory’s.

Tony Davis… Going back to Sarah’s comments about the rivalry between BJH and the Moodies I think that BJH actually recorded a track called Poor Mans Moody Blues.

Patrick Lewis… I was there that night with my future wife and friends. We had a few drinks in French’s before going on the pier. I always remember the opening song, Medicine Man, absolutely knock out. And yes they did record a song called Poor Man’s Moody Blues. The whole performance was truly amazing – Crazy City, Mockingbird and The Great 1974 Mining Disaster to name a few.

Eugene Hughes… I have never heard anything about Paul Casson on this page. I know he has long left us. Some people must have something nice to say about him, surely!

Chris Meachen… Absolutely excellent band, my favourite being ‘Galadriel’. Nice blokes too..

Patrick Lewis… I was there with my friends and future wife. It was a marvellous performance by the band. Probably the most underrated band of the 70’s.

Tony Court-holmes… I was there

Pete Dearling… I was their and fav songs are mocking bird, after the day , and child of the universe and got my album signed

Dave Nattress… The Bexhill prog fans always came to see BJH – great band. Think they played the pier more than once?