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.
supplied by Roger Carey
Will Thomson, Roger Carey, Wesley Magoogan, Mike Tanner and Den Wootton.
Iain Cobby… Who’s Roger Cavey?
Wesley Magoogan… That is bloody amazing, cheers Roger !
Tony Qunta… Great band!
Mark Gilham… Roger and Wesley still look the same
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.
supplied by Cliff Wootton
Featuring Dave Garland, Den Wootton and Cliff Wootton.
Andy Qunta… I remember Butch! Great band! Lovely fellas!
Geoff Peckham… Me too! I don’t recall seeing them, but Dave Garland became a dedicated Factory roadie. (One or two stories there, Andy!?)
Andy Qunta… yes indeed, Dave was Factory’s roadie for quite a while! What a character he was too!
Cliff Wootton… Happy days
Lucy Pappas… That’s the Den and Cliff I remember! Rehearsing in your garage, playing at youth club. Maybe a couple of years before this pic. The beginning of my illustrious career! xx
Dave Nattress… One or two stories Geoff – tell us more. Nothing along the lines of the lurid Led zeppelin Mud-shark story I trust!!!
Geoff Peckham… The once I’m thinking of aren’t for these pages, Dave, believe me!
Alan Esdaile… Probably better to discuss at a SMART coffee meet, Geoff.
Judie Struys… Just tell my brother that I was not the only person in the world who called Motown “Tamla”. It was common pratice in Hastings in the 1970s. He always laughs at me when I say it. So there, David Cash
Glenn Piper… Anyone know where Dave Garland is now?
Andy Qunta… I believe Tony Qunta was in touch with him a couple of years ago. Maybe he knows?
Lucy Pappas… You’re right, Julie, it was always Tamla!
Glenn Piper… Anyone know where Dave Garland is now?
Tony Qunta… Hi Glenn, unfortunately haven’t seen Dave for a few years now. I think the last time I saw him was at Will Thompson’s party. I was in touch with him around the time Factory was about to do the gig at The Carlisle. He was going to be the sound engineer on the gig but it never happened in the end.
photo supplied by Cliff Wootton.
Sid Akem piano, Adrian Underhill guitar, Den Wootton drums, Roger Carey bass guitar.
Roger Carey…. We did a Thursday night residency from late 1977 which I think finished at the end of 78. Whereupon Adrian set us up at The Kings Head Old Town in 1979 with a year long Tuesday gig with many guests. This proved a great success and often packed out.
Alan Esdaile… Anyone else remember playing in the Eddy Ferret Hot Jazz?
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
supplied by Roger Carey
Felix press cutting … Wesley Magoogan, Roger Carey, Den Wootton, Will Thomson and Mike Tanner.
Wesley Magoogan… Amazing looking at the past ! Hard to believe this was 40 years ago, seems like yesterday !
Martin Curcher… Is that Mike Tanner on the right?
Liane Carroll… Fab picture. My hubby looks sooooo cute!!!
Yvonne Cleland… Remember this night well! xxx
Conan Howard… Samisen knocked it out of the ball park that night
Sarah Harvey… Yes we did
Bernard Goffredo… as always. It was fun in those days
Roger Carey… Lenny and Ralph!
Roger Carey…That gig went particularly well, the review was written by Stephen Turner who was in year above me at school and became a Hastings Observer journalist of renown- it was good to have someone who had interest and enthusiasm for the Hastings music scene! Thanks for putting this up Alan! Look forward to when we can all meet up at a “Smart” gathering again….The band Felix had been formed in late 1974 I think , Den Wootton’s brother Cliff was originally on bass but suggested I should take his place so I joined in 1975.. We carried on into 76 with a lot of writing, recording, rehearsals and selected gigs but when Wesley Magoogan decided to leave to concentrate on session work the band was reshaped by Mike Tanner and Will Thomson into “Aircraft”. Den and I moved to our pop/rock band “HatTrick”.. Fun and games man!.. One of my film quotes in that essay about Felix… In “JFK” Joe Pesci plays a very jumpy character who , while being interviewed by Kevin Costner, talks about “everybody was flipping sides- fun and games , man…!” It came to me whilst thinking of us all joining or checking out each other’s bands!
Barry French… Happy memories of two great local bands
Terry Pack… I heard Felix a couple of times. Roger’s playing scared the living daylights out of me.
photos: © Dave Trodd
Barry French, Dave Shirley (hidden), Den Wootton and Roger Carey.
Lucy Pappas… Aw, look at you all! I haven’t seen Den in maybe 50 years! x
supplied by Barry French
Barry French… The name on the Bass drum is Emotion. (1st Emotion was added later when my Sister Jenny joined the band). Barry French on Guitar, Den Wootton on Drums and Clifford Wootton on Bass. At that time my Dad was the maintenance manager of the Regent Hotel & he pulled many strings to get us regular gigs there.
Mum & Dad would be on the door taking the admission, while we played a set of pop songs of the day to a mixture of foreign students & bikers. Looking at that picture makes me wonder where the years have gone, Cliff & I would have been 17 while Den was 15. (Makes you feel old!!!)
Yvonne Cleland… Wow! This takes me right back to the Lido days. We used to go to the Regent every single weekend in those days, and do biker dances to Emotion! I remember Barry’s mum was in charge. She was a friendly and kind lady. It was a great place to go to, Emotion would play all of our requests, and we loved it.
Cliff Wootton… Yeah this would have been a very early incarnation not long after we started and probably before Pete Cunningham from Mullet Smith Music offered to be our ‘Manager’. I think that’s a Jennings transistor amp behind me and maybe a Rosetti bass. We are probably singing Yellow River. A song that is indelibly etched on my mind. We were impressed with Baz because he had just bought all this new gear.
Lucy Pappas… That’s how I remember you Cliff and Den x
Cliff Wootton… I do look a bit different now. Something like a cross between James Robertson Justice, Long John Silver and one of the hairy bikers. 😉
Barry French… Thanks Yvonne for your kind words. Initially the owner of the Regent gave us a months trial. The first couple of weeks the place was pretty much empty and if you guys hadn’t turned up we would have lost the gig for sure. I remember lines of people doing the biker dances (A kind of forerunner to line dancing!!) Fun times.
Yvonne Cleland… Barry it was so nice to read that we meant as much to the band as they did to us! That we’re still talking about it all these years later says it all! xxxx
Cliff Wootton… Awesome! Very chuffed to find that people remember us from back then.
Yvonne Cleland… Lots of us weren’t old enough to legally drink hahahahaha
Faye Wright, Roger Carey, Phil Thornton and Den Wootton
supplied by Roger Carey
Band formed in 1983 and finished early 1985
Conan Howard… wow ,Roger Carey , I cant believe how long you have been going at it , you must be amazing now, Len from Samisen 1970s