barry french

Hat Trick – Ore Centre Sept 1978

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Photo supplied by Roger Carey. Write up supplied by Sarah Harvey

Barry French, Dennis Wootton & Roger Carey . (and David Cash not in photo)

Andy Qunta….Saw them several times! Great stuff!

Sarah Harvey…..There is one member missing from this picture…I think it was Dave Cash and this is probably a picture of their last gig with this line-up (See article dated Sept 9th, 1978 attached)…..they did continue however although I have no idea who joined them! 😉

David Cash…. Hello David Cash here, 1978 member of Hat Trick till I moved to London to go to College. I’m a keyboard player and Music teacher now at Northbrook College (Worthing) and ICMP (London). Still bump into Roger Carey from time to time at Liane Carroll gigs.

Barry French… Very fond memories of my time with Hat Trick.
Den & I are are currently playing with SLAM, & we bump into Roger from time to time & reminisce about the old days. So pleased to hear that Dave Cash has done so well for himself (Great musician but he’s the only guy I know could get drunk on half a shandy) Perhaps sometime we will all get together & play a few tunes (Stranger things have happened).

Sarah Harvey… How lovely to hear from Barry again……I was gutted when he left Hat Trick. A wonderful person and always remember him playing in a band with Den’s brother Del. Can’t remember for the life of me what they were called. Help me someone! Remember them playing at St.Helens Youth Club on the Ridge and at The Regent.

Barry French… Hi Sarah good to hear from you too. The band that Denis & I were in was 1st Emotion. Together with Den’s Brother Clifford, we had a resident spot at the Regent Hotel (About 1972 ) Later my Sister Jenny joined the band & we played the Caravan site & club circuit for about 2 years. Den & Cliff left to form a rock band called Butch (Which I believe played the Pier & The Aquarius) while Jenny & I formed Amethyst with Paul Hugget & Will Powell ,we played the club circuit until the break up of the band in 1977.

Lucy Pappas… Den and Del! I was in a band with them! Lived on Chown’s Hill? We rehearsed in their garage, I think!

Sarah Harvey… I remember all of those band names and I always remember you playing Yellow River….just can’t remember which band that was, but its funny the things that stick in your mind. I think I always came to see you with Roger Carey or Kevin Potter. I have to say that Roger is coming on really well as a bass player 🙂 and haven’t seen Kevin Potter in over a decade.

Lucy Pappas… Sarah, we used to sing ‘Yellow River’ at St Helens Youth Club. Some T Rex, too, not sure what else. I loved being part of the band but did we even have a name?

Redstar Richter… who scored the goals?

Barry French… Hi Lucy I also remember those day’s rehearsing at Chowns Hill. We originally were going to call the band Typhoid but good taste prevailed & the name was changed to “Iron -Stone”.The line up was your good self, Diana Smith, Den, Cliff & Me. I think we did a couple of gigs at St Helen’s Youth Club, & yes I too remember Yellow River. (Magical times!!!) Really amazing to hear from you.

Lucy Pappas… Aw, Barry, I wish I could recall those days more clearly! We were called ‘Iron Stone’? Who knew? Where is everyone these days? Maybe we need a reunion gig? xx. I don’t think I have any pics of the band. Roger Carey gave me some of us with Phil Gill a while ago but I don’t think I have any of youth club days 🙁

Dum Dum Boys – Oasis Club Rye early 80’s

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photos supplied by Barry French

Barry French, Judith Clarke, Neil Cartwright, Den Wootton and Andy.

Anyone remember the surname of the keyboard player?

Judi Clark… Found this site by accident as thought I saw Martin Stringer walking past the hairdressers in Silchester Rd yesterday, so Googled him and found that sadly he’s no longer with us. Nor Robin Heggie – another talent lost – and Steve Demetri. I believe that’s Andy Ellis on keys. We remained friends for many years but, sadly, he’s gone, too, 20 or so years ago. He suffered a brain injury from a motorcycle crash (pillion) which eventually took him some years later. Anyway, I was up to 3am absorbed by the family trees of the bands I was connected to. There was a shout out from Andy Knight on one of the posts. Don’t know how to get in touch, but maybe site admin can pass on email? I’ve been off the scene 30 years or more but it did prompt some fond memories. I’m alive and well in Bexhill. Big love to you all.

Nastassja Kashevsky… yes, it is Andy Ellis. He played keys in the Decorators with us!

Barry French… Great to hear from Judi! She did a brilliant job fronting us Dum Boys & composed some fine songs. My favourites were “The wind is crying” (Hope Ive got the title right) & a horror parody of “And then he kissed me” called “And then he bit me” So sad about Andy, he should have had long life of fun & gigging in front of him.

 

Footloose and Hat Trick – Hastings Pier 15th April 1978.

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april 78?? from barry french

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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.

Silverhill Tavern – St Leonards-on-Sea 1970’s

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business card supplied by Barry French

Who used to go to the Silverhill Tavern?

Martin Richter… my dad used to sing and play the trumpet there – my sister and I would be baby-sat in a back room

Leigh Wieland-Boys… Went there a lot in the 70s

Nick Webb… yes ! many a Saturday afternoon after work and the Xmas factories break up

Roy Penfold… An old friend lived next door, so it would have been rude not to!

Judy Atkinson… The light never worked in the ladies and most of the locks were broken on the cubicles

Wendy Weaver… Played pool on there a few times.

Sue James… Used to go there when I was 16

Barry Upton… Loved it

Peter Bridger… Mid 70’s onwards, on the way back from St Matthews youth club, so age 16ish. Still think of certain songs of that era as “Tavern Songs” whenever I hear them!

Samuel Freeman… Went in there mid 70s it was my local only lived across the road

Roger Simmonds… I used to drink in there sometimes, happy days!

Barry French… In the early 1970’s my first band (1st Emotion) played our first pub gigs at the Silverhill Tavern. In order to get the gig we had to take all our gear to the Tavern & do a Saturday morning audition. Well we passed the audition & for a while we played their most weekends. Due to a big rivalry between the Yorkshire Grey Pub (which was in London Road) & the Tavern, part of the deal in securing the gigs was not to play at the Grey while we were gigging at the Tavern. What I remember most was the Tavern was nearly always packed with people. ( Happy Days)

Dave Nattress… We used to go over from Bexhill on Friday and Saturday nights early for “talent-spotting” and then try and meet up with the talent later in one of the clubs!

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Time Out – Kings Head Battle 1987

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supplied by Paul Huggett

Barry French, Andy Sproxton, Paul Huggett

Alan Wood… Cor, look at that poser in my old pub

Rick Baldwin… Mean and moody!!

Chris Jolly… And that’s just Paul! “Those were the days my friend”…

Dave Weeks… And a tape recorder

Graham Matthews… PKH looking a little Macho!

 

First Emotion (or sometimes billed as 1st Emotion) – Aquarius 1972

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 supplied by Barry French

Barry French, Den Wootton and Cliff Wootton – supporting ‘Total’

Cliff Wootton… Great pic. I still have the Hayman 4040 bass although I restrung it as BEAD instead of EADG and reversed the polarity of one of the pickups. This made it sound like a Rickenbacker which annoyed a genuine Rickenbacker bassist who heard it and claimed it sounded more authentic than his bass did. Sometimes you can’t help upsetting folks without even trying. For the geeks, Baz is playing an Antoria Les Paul copy and Den is playing Hayman drums. The Antoria guitars were pretty good and in some cases better than the originals.

Sarah Harvey… his bring back so many memories. St.Helens Youth Fellowship, The Regent Hotel etc…. What a wonderful picture.

Alan Esdaile… Crushed velvet trousers? I used to wear a Red pair.

Dave Nattress… Sarah, did you not have an Antoria Les Paul? Crushed velvet – between me and my mates in Bexhill we had the Dulux colour chart in hideous crushed velvet flares.

Cliff Wootton… Nah – not crushed velvet. These were medium grey brushed cotton/denim/corduroy (not sure which). They replaced the faux velvet Dralon suits we bought from the Undergound Boutique. We had matching maroon velvet blazers to go with these trousers. Looked quite posh. The Dralon suits weren’t robust enough for gigging. We bought them for a season opener at Frenchmans Beach in Rye. I tore the arse out of mine, den split the back of his jacket while drumming and Baz was strumming so furiously that the sleeve came off his jacket. Shaw Taylor who was MC for the night thought it was funny. I stood with my back to the amp for the second half of the gig to hide my embarrassment. Later I also had black crushed velvet flares when I was doing some DJ gigs. They didn’t seem to last very long either and split when I leapt up onto the stage (there’s a common theme starting here). Maybe some other contributors can tell us some funny stories about mishaps at their gigs.

Barry French… Your right the Antoria was a great guitar, not as heavy as a Gibson & had a bolt on neck like a fender (I wish I still had it). Regarding the Frenchman’s Beach Gig, I got the impression that Shaw Taylor thought that the wardrobe malfunctions were all part of the act.

Alan Esdaile… I hope Shaw Taylor didn’t advise you to ‘keep em peeled’.

Sarah Harvey… I had a white Antoria Les Paul. A lovely guitar. Bought new from a shop in Bromley for £150. I sold it because I needed the cash in the early 80s. Regretted it ever since 🙁

Cliff Wootton… I  was chatting to Baz yesterday at the Beatles Day and recalling this photo I didn’t realise how much of a fashion trend setting chap I was back then. This was 1972. It took until 1977 for George Lucas to copy my hair style as a model for Princess Leia in Star Wars.

and at The Lintonian Club Winchelsea…

Lucy Pappas… All great guys! I guess this was after I left the band. We were all about St Helens Youth Club at that time! x

First Emotion – The United Church presents 6th November 1993

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Supplied by Cliff Wootton – Featuring Barry French, Cliff Wootton, Den Wootton.

Cliff Wootton… just found this poster for a reunion gig that Baz, Den & I played on November 6th 1993. We needed a band for a fund raiser so I called the boys and we got back together for one night only.