battle memorial hall

Battle Dance Club – Epiton Entertainments – Battle Memorial Hall 1971

jan 1971 - battle april 1971 - battle may 1971 - battle

june 1971 - battle sept 71 - battle nov:dec 71 - battle

supplied by Nigel Ford

Phil Gill… See, that’s 30p and 40p admission and I notice there’s no banjos. Just sayin’…..

Jan Warren… This has “stirred” some things in my very blurred memory banks??!! ……. and whether its relevant or not, I remember going to gigs somewhere in a village hall near or around Battle, also I recall a band called “Blue Condition” with Dave Gurr and a girl singer, I think they did a version of “Venus” by “Shocking Blue”?! – anyone else?? – yes, of course I remember “Suspect” and Rock Machine …….. well, I still have this album, I know it has nothing to do with the band advertised but its another old classic compilation album of the time.

Lance Collins… Symphonic Crab brings back memories Gerry Fortsch.

Colin Fox… As I recall, O’Hara’s Playboys were a great band, I saw them at the Sundowners Club in Eastbourne.

Andy Qunta… Great to have reminders of some of those names I had forgotten & others I remember really well!

Phil Wade Eyes Of Blond… The January date fills in a blank in our scrapbook – thanks! The April date was shortly after we broke up (March 24th) so we must have had to cancel it  🙁 Great to have this stuff after all this time – thanks again.

Geoff Peckham… I definitely saw your band there, Phil. It was the January date and it was pretty impressive!

Robert Searle… Some really good groups there

Mick O’Dowd… Didn’t The Bedrocks have a cover version of Ob-la-di at the same time as The Marmalade? O’Haras Playboys were also a good little band.

Alan Esdaile… Yes, well remembered Mick.

Eyes Of Blond plus King Rod – Battle Memorial Hall 8th Jan 1971

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photo source: http://www.eyesofblond.co.uk/index.html

Anyone remember or know anything about Eyes Of Blond?

Geoff Peckham… Yes, Eyes of Blond were an excellent band. I was at this gig with Laurie – I believe Tone and Andy too. They opened with the Byrds’ song, “Gunga Din”. I think we covered it for a while after that.

Nigel Ford… I was there too, not sure if this was their 1st appearance there or their second,the second time I was torn between giving a friend of a girl I fancied a lift back to Hollington, which I did (without reward,HUH!) only to return to find the band finishing up!! DOHHH!!! …and it was a cold, foggy night (on my GT200 Lambretta). I think it was the first time I’d seen a band with 2 base drums (well, when they first played there) when they first visited. Heavy Rock sound, from London I think. I was impressed , hence why I was annoyed at missing their second appearance!

Geoff Peckham… I saw them at the Cobweb around this time too. (Or was it a band called Blonde on Blonde?) Unfortunately their drummer collapsed mid-set and the gig was abandoned. They claimed it was because he was on strong antibiotics. Does anyone else remember this?

Alan Esdaile… Yes your right Geoff , they played Hastings, “Cobwebs”, St Leonards Monday, August 17, 1970, Hastings, Combe Haven Caravan Pk. Tuesday, August 18, 1970. I don’t know if Andre has any cuttings?

Phil Wade…  (guitarist and vocalist in photo above, right hand side) comments… The drummer with the two bass drums was Harry Rix (now deceased), but it was Paul (on the left in the photo) who played at The Cobweb in 1970. Neither drummer collapsed on stage Geoff  – perhaps it was Blonde on Blonde? I’ll dig out a photo of the group lineup that played at Battle.Incidentally, our lead guitarist Phil Dimitri now lives in Eastbourne.

Alan Esdaile… Geoff, definitely a band called Blonde On Blonde, I’m sure I have seen them on one of the cuttings but just found this on the web.. was a guitar-led psychedelic rock group from South Wales. The band was originally formed in Newport in 1967

Geoff Peckham… Sounds like them. I remember them being very loud and ‘dangerous’. Some time into the set I noticed the drummer shouting to the others and he was clearly in some discomfort. They didn’t notice until he keeled over backwards and it all came to a halt. Poor guy!

Phil Wade… We split up in March 1971, so you saw us close to the end. Have a look at the web site (www.eyesofblond.co.uk) to see where we came from and why we split. We’d heard of Blonde on Blonde of course (named after a Dylan album) – but our spelling is for males 🙂

Geoff Peckham… I checked it out when the website was posted earlier, Phil. Good stories. Yours is one of the few bands I remember well from that era. Very influential. Just loved “Gunga Din” and other stuff and the way you played them. My band at that time, Factory, probably learned a lot from you guys. We too have met up again recently and we were only talking about you the other day! Never thought I’d be talking to a member in the band shortly after!