carlisle

Headlights, Be Bop Bella, Die Laughing, Sunstroke – Carlisle – 558 Entertainments – 12th Jan to 20th Jan 1979

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supplied by Mick Mepham

Mick O’Dowd… This was my first promotion at The Carlisle. I had previously promoted Headlights at The Caves and was very impressed with them. They came from London but that’s all I can remember about them. Can anybody else help out? As you can probably make out Be Bop Bella & Sunstroke were rock’n’roll acts and then there’s that other band that no one on this page has probably ever heard of. Die Laughing. Hi Mick, Lol & Tel!

Alan Esdaile…  Remember Sunstroke very well. Used to be managed by Cy Whitfield in Hastings. Very surprised we have not found any photos of the band so far. This is all I got.

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Mick O’Dowd… I now realise I promoted Headlights 3 times. They must have been good!

Jim Breeds… Was the audience mainly made up of transfixed rabbits? 😀

Sarah Baggaley… Hi, my dad played bass in a band called Sunstroke in the 70s. I have a pic of the band with a Hastings phone number on it so I guess it’s the same one?! Trying to find out a bit more about it as he died in 1997.

Alan Esdaile… Is Mick O’Dowd mad?

Tim Moose Bruce…  I remember Before The Storm, they were very young and new to the scene but every time I saw them ( Supporting bands like Die Laughing) they improved with leaps and bounds. I recall they changed their name to Billy Whiz later on.

National Hero, Minotaur – 6th and 7th April 1979 The Carlisle

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photo from Jenny Hervey-Moon via Terry Pack – National Hero Paul Kendrick & Terry Pack

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supplied by Mick O’Dowd

Terry Pack…  Paul Kendrick & Terry Pack. It was a pop harmony band: a guitar, bass, keys and drums quartet with three voices, doing 50s, 60s and 70s material. I enjoyed it. The drummer you can just make out was Paul ‘Bunny’ Freeman.  Out of shot is Tony Bird.

Mick O’Dowd… Am thinking maybe National Hero or Easy Street?

Terry Pack… That’s right. National Hero. We played night clubs, holiday camps, British Legions and Working Men’s’ Clubs, in the days when there were lots of those gigs, and well paid.

Mick O’Dowd… Thought it might be them as I promoted them at The Carlisle around this time Terry.

Phil Thornton… I have no memory of playing at the Carlisle with Minotaur !!! – did this happen ? was anybody there ?

Mick O’Dowd… Yes it did happen as I put it on. Not full but I made a modest profit on the night Phil.

David Miller… I was there, your Mum and Kaye were there, John Wilde even showed up…. David McKnight, Marc Reynolds and Glen too. Upstairs, wunnit…! I remember that night (April 7th) as a member of Minotaur, I lost my voice but met John Wilde for the first time. One scene was coming to an end and a new one was bubbling up and getting ready to manifest.

Tim Moose Bruce… I remember seeing Loggerhead upstairs at the Carlisle. Prog stuff if I recall. Labrath Roadshow. Great rock music disco

Mick O’Dowd… Any idea where Steve & His Brother are now Tim?

Tim Moose Bruce… I never knew them . I just saw the band that night upstairs in the carlisle. Think the main band that night was Footlose or Slack Alice as they were latterly known when they changed the band name. Harry Randall may remember that night.

Mick O’Dowd… I used Labrath regularly as Steve was very reliable. I would love to know what became of him.

Steve Fox… I’ve just found out what happens when you google your history! Great days, good memories of running the Labrath disco, van loads of gear and tons of records, I’m still in the business repairing and servicing sound gear.

Aircraft – Carlisle Ocean Bar Hastings 1977

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 supplied by Roger Carey

featuring Will Thomson & Mick Tanner.

Tim Bruce….The Dave Henry Roadshow. They were one of the major local mobile discos back then.

Phil Thornton… I was at this gig – most excellent !

Ernest Ballard… I joined the band round about that time but don’t remember playing the Carlisle. I played the gigs in London. The one next to Putney bridge was good and had my first McDonald’s burger lol in Lewisham I think. We had a girl keyboard player called Lynn and a violin player her boyfriend I think called Drew .Will Thompson had a friend called Fred he was a magician. Ask him how he was and you got a 30 minute answer ha ha. Motorfly wAs one track I remember as being excellent. Will Thomson was a master on his les Paul and I got to get to grips with his superb song writing. Many a coffee was drank at his home and great conversation. lynn played a Fender Rhodes. Love that sound still which added to the band . Can’t remember the bass player but he played solid and melodic lines. Great band to cut my teeth into jazz rock. Mick Tanner loved France and had a Renault Van to put his congas in. I think he lives in France now.

Martin Richter… Dave Henry Roadshow – happy days

 

Expandis – Rise Of Psychomouse

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31st March – The Carlisle Hastings

To celebrate the launch of their new e.p. ‘Rise’ Expandis are back after a 30 year break.

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Now a two piece, the amazing ‘John Wilde’ aka ‘Psychomouse’ on vocals and multi talented ‘Phil Thornton’ on guitar, keyboards and any number of taped oddities. They take their influences from ‘Talking Heads’, ‘Kraftwerk’, ‘D.A.F.’ and ‘Yellow Magic Orchestra’. With a high energy mystic trippy throbbing sound that works its way into your brain and won’t go away, moving  you like nothing else. All eyes were transfixed on John, who was in full make up and Disney ears. Dancing around like a man possessed, with a nightmarish evil menacing grin and managing to contort his body in all manner of positions.  The stand out track for me is the more mellow ‘Prayer Mat’ from the new cd with John’s vocals at their very best. They also treated us to some covers ‘Prince’ ‘sign o the times’ , Pink Floyd’s ‘set the controls for the heart of the sun’ and Hawkwinds ‘master of the universe’.  Some old classics were played including the disturbing ‘everything stops for baby’  and ‘I don’t mind the noise’ which is always loved by the crowd. Expandis are back and stronger than ever. Don’t forget they will be playing  ‘The Big Green Cardigan Festival’ later in the year.

 Johnny Mason                                                                                     

Featured in Hastings Observer  19th April 2013