factory

Factory & Effigy – Clive Vale Annexe. Fri 7th May 1971 & YMCA review 13th August 1971

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Supplied by Jon McCallion

Andy Qunta… Ah! Good times!

Phil Gill… I was there, probably with young Carey, Meachen and Shirley, as they labelled us at school. Sarah Harvey might have enjoyed the evening too.

Sarah Harvey…. I did indeed Phil and I had. completely forgotten about Effigy and to be honest cannot remember seeing them at all other than a vague memory that I didn’t think much of them. Factory as ever were THE band of Hastings at the time.

Chris Baker… Hah! Flight of the Rat was one of my “Flashy” solos! Those were the days! We only did a few gigs.

Phil Gill… As I recall Chris, you showed me how to play the pedal note riff from Flight of the Rat, one night at an Effigy rehearsal that Roger Carey and I attended. Was it School Road in Ore? Roger was buying Iain Cobby’s speaker cabinet and we came along to look at it.

Brigitte Lee… Where was Clive Vale Annex?

Chris Baker… Ha! Phil! My arthritic old fingers can’t play it so fast these days! Fun to so though. Still got that analog Park Fuzzbox too and the old Hofner!

Geoff Peckham… I remember we (Factory) were really impressed with Effigy. Didn’t they do a couple of other Deep Purple covers? Speed King, and Child in Time? According to Andy’s diary we played with them twice in 1971. May 7th at Priory Road School. Andy said that school gigs have been “…really great. This was no exception. Bit of trouble from old ladies and police about the noise but never mind. Effigy supported (or did we support them?) – not bad for their first gig.” The second was at the YMCA on August 13th. Andy mentions the awful acoustics and that “Effigy (with Tom) supported.” Could that have been the legendary Tom Jones? (The one from Stoke, not S. Wales!)

Phil Gill… And Steve’s drumming was *never* too loud. End of.

John Wilde…. Tom Jones, any info on his history or where he is now?

Geoff Peckham…. I got to know Tom in ’69 when his dad had an electrical shop in Western Rd, Bexhill. He told me stories about being in a pre-Black Sabbath band called Horny Moon (!) and other tales. He was a great character and raconteur. Like you, he had great stage presence – a great blues singer and harpist. He moved back to Stoke, and around 73-74 turned up at a Factory gig in NE Staffs University. I think he put us up for the night. Haven’t seen him since. Anyone else know anything? Be good to see you again sometime.

Alan Esdaile…yes it was School Road Ore where the rehearsals took place, in the old church hall which was full of antiques and clobber and the band squeezed somehow in the middle. I think their was a giant stuff bear but maybe wrong? Geoff Peckham date is correct as Friday 7th May 1971. Clive Vale Annex was part of Priory Road School and the gig took place at Clive Vale. Jon McCallion sung with Effigy at this gig and glad you remembered Tom Jones. I got a review somewhere which I will post on the YMCA gig shortly.

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Budgie & Factory – Aquarius 14th February 1973

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handbill supplied by Iain Cobby

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cuttings supplied by Sarah Harvey

Andy Qunta… Wow! What a gem! Thanks for finding, Iain, & thanks for posting, Alan! I  also like the ads for the Disc Jockey, Aquarius, and especially Ace Promotions! If my memory serves, that was Graham How’s company around the time he was designing the “Factory man” logo! Good times! I was wondering what I was doing that day! Budgie were always great, and lovely guys!

Graham How… And Ace Promotion’s philosophy and belief in Hastings peoples’ love of good live music came true. Big time! Was proud to be part of Ace Promotions and I still have my business cards!

Glenn Piper… Ace Promotions gave me my start as a Pier roadie – thanks Graham. I was there, I remember it well (which is surprising in itself 😀) After the gig had a good time with Budgie.

Tony Court-holmes… same as Glenn where did our youth go

Nigel Ford… I was there, (if this was the only time they were at the Aquarius, I believe ?) as I came back from Plumpton Ag College bringing Pete Kingshott with me in my first car, a red/white Herald 12/50 from our residence there. Then back there later that eve as on early morning duties the following day. It was definitely that winter as I was only there the one year.

Clive Richardson… After one of the Budgie gigs on the pier, they came back to my parents house and Burke Shelley washed his hair in the kitchen sink.

Factory & Daisy – Hastings Pier – 5th October 1973

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poster supplied by Mick Mepham and advert supplied by Nick Prince 

Phil Gill….Wasn’t Will T in Daisy?

Yvonne Cleland….Yep, he was, along with Mr. Terence Corder, Tony Barraclough, and young Kevin Hoad. I was Will’s gf and did the sound. Wes Magoogan had joined them, by this time, and Marion did the lights.

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supplied by Yvonne Cleland

Yvonne Cleland….Here’s one of me and Will when he was in Daisy

Andy Qunta…Daisy were a great band, & we had some great gigs together! Daisy were really good!

Terry Pack….One of the first gigs I went to featured these two bands, at the youth club in Bexhill, pre Wesley.

Phil Thornton….I remember that one ! I was there ! 2 great local bands !!

Paul Dove….Great band Factory played with them on a few dates with, ( muller & 3 on ice,) great days.

Geoff Peckham….Great days indeed, didn’t you keep a diary, Andy? If you did I’d love to see it – I’m sure I’ve forgotten half of what I got up to!

Nick Prince… Electric Ray when he was the last landlord of the New Clive Vale. hahaha, I still laugh at his antics more than a quarter of a century on

Yvonne Cleland… RIP Electric Ray x

John Wilde… Let us raise our glasses to Electric Ray (Wickham). A beautiful Soul.

Phil Thornton… funnily enough I bumped in to Tony Barraclough today !!

Lyn Humphrey… Yvonne Cleland–I worked with thee, in ’73! (Ashdown House, Works Bills).

Half Human Band, Factory, Stackridge – Hastings Pier 20th & 27th July 1974

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supplied by Mick Mepham, HHB promo photo unknown venue, Stackridge photos from the gig by Chris Meachen

poster supplied by Peter Houghton

Andy Qunta….Funnily enough I don’t remember the Half Human Band, although I don’t know how I could forget a name like that! I remember Stackridge though! They were great! Factory supported them at least once! Thanks to Mick Mepham for finding this, btw!

Geoff Peckham…..I remember the name Half Human Band, but no matter how much I scrunch up my face, I can’t summon up a memory of them. Now Mutter Slater and Stackridge playing Purple Space Ships Over Yatton present no such problem!

Martin Waghorne…..I can remember watching Stackridge @the De LA Warr Pavilion, one track I remember is ‘Mr Mick’.

Tony Qunta…..I never realised we were a half human band!

Andy Qunta…..Which half was human, & what was the other half?

Sarah Harvey…..Super human?

Phil Thornton.….Stackridge were great !

John Storer…My abiding memory of the Stackridge gig, which was great fun. is of seeing half the band smashing dustbin lids together during one track

Chris Baker…..Saw Stackridge twice I believe. They were a great band!

Mick O’Dowd…..Saw them at Wembley Stadium with Elton John , The Beach Boys & The Eagles + others.

Terry Pack…..I  was at that Wembley gig, too, Mick. And the Pier gig above. The Wembley gig was incredible: Stackridge, Rufus, Joe Walsh, Eagles, Elton John, Beach Boys!

Phil Thornton……yes Stackridge – great band ! I was at this gig and when they played at the De La Warr Pavilion – I think Stallion supported them at one point ! btw – they are still going, I have a recent album – excellent stuff !

Martin Isaacs….Sorry you can’t remember Half Human Band. My only memory of the gig was the van (we called it The Pig) going through one of the planks on the pier, and we feared we’d not goet it out – but we did … Check out the HHB page on Facebook!

Mick O’Dowd….Yeah Terry it was a great day at Wembley including the weather. Did we actually SEE these bands as there were no large screens in them days and I was on the half-way point on the pitch? Stackridge were a highly underated band who deserved more recognition.

Dave Nattress… Stackridge – seems like they gigged everywhere constantly in the 70’s and I saw them a few times but in the hazy past I can’t recall where or when although one I’m sure was at a festival and once at the pier. Don’t remember the DLW – slapped wrist to have missed that on the home turf. Didn’t have any of the albums as vinyls but delighted to have mopped up 6 albums on CD over they years including “Radio 1 In Concert “and “The Radio One Sessions” . I used to get to London a lot – working – and Stackridge was on the list of stuff I always had with me that I wanted to get hold of, so back in the day before the WWW, Amazon and others and a lot of mail-order shops, Tower Records, HMV, Virgin all clustered in and around Oxford Street/Piccadilly – Tower I think was Piccadilly and also in Kingston-upon-Thames, used to occasionally have one or more in stock

Mick Mepham… Let There Be Lids – Dustbin Ones!

Pete Houghton… I saw both stackridge and curley on the pier and both band’s signed a poster of the gig and when I saw Half Human Band they signed a photo of themselves

Tony Court-holmes… I was there i think

Michael Stone… As a young boy I saw the Half Human Band live on the back of a trailer at a primary school in Vauxhall Street, London in the 70’s and they left an indelible impression on me. I desperately wanted to be a drummer, so I asked Martin Griffin if I could play his drums after the gig and to my great surprise he said “yes” ! Unfortunately, I had to go home before the end of the show and missed my chance. However, Martin did not forget me and asked my friends “Where is your mate ? He can play my drums now” ! I would have dearly loved to have met him again and thanked him for the memory he left me with. Do you know if the Band made any recordings and if they are available ?

Alan Esdaile… Not sure about CD and hope someone answers but found this on the internet, which might be of interest, as features some of the members… http://www.brainiac5.co.uk/home.html

 

Stray and Factory and Tony Kane Disco – Hastings Pier 25th March 1972

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poster supplied by Mick Mepham, ad supplied by Sarah Harvey

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source: http://www.stray-the-band.co.uk

Andy Qunta….Stray were great! Bought their 1st 2 albums! Fave songs – All In Your Mind & Jericho.

Leigh Wieland-Boys….The gig was a bit expensive though, wasn’t it Andy?! And I bet the albums set you back about £1.25 each….those were the days of affordable music – live & on vinyl – aTime Machine for Christmas please

Andy Qunta….Yes, outrageous prices back then, Leigh! LOL! Love your Time Machine comment too – that would be nice!

David Miller…  still have that 1st album and the tinnitus I got from sitting too near the exploding dustbin when it went off….and the great loud music too. Now it is all in my mind for the duration…..

Chris Meachen… Excellent band, Stray.. Still have my copy of ‘Saturday morning pictures’…

Andy Qunta… Thanks again to Mick Mepham for posting the poster! I don’t have any of those things from that time, so it’s nice to see them!

Gill Harrod… Stray! I remember they were really good!

Dave Nattress… Stray…seriously good. Saturday Morning Pictures – got it on vinyl. “After the Rain” – pure Stray at their best. Lost the other vinyls but have a couple of 2 CD compilations – been looking out for the original vinyls in second hand record shops or CD versions. Saw them at the pier at least twice, seems like more – I think they played a few times more than just twice, and their shows featured strobe lighting which really added to the performance. Oh, yeah, and great memories dragged up of all those old bands whose gigs featured on the posters on the Time Machine clip.

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Candy Choir, Factory & Old Silver – Hastings Pier 20th March 1971

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Paul Dove… Remember this, well done for finding it.

Chris Baker… Wow! Look at those young hipsters grooving away!

Robert Searle… Nice to see Candy Choir gets some mention especially as they played a lot in the Hastings St Leonard’s and Eastbourne areas in the 60s 70s. Candy Choir great vocals

Mick O’Dowd… Candy Choir were an excellent band. Saw them many times at Cobweb. Strange line-up.  I liked Candy Choir but they were a world away from Factory.

Geoff Peckham… I don’t suppose Andy will mind my quoting from his Factory gig diary: “March 20th at Hastings Pier for £15. Rubbish really. By the time the power points were sorted out it was difficult to get the atmosphere going. Not bad performance, audience danced politely, but in 45 minutes we could hardly whip up a frenzy. Candy Choir and Old Silver also on the bill.” Can’t say as I remember it; this is probably why!

Alan Esdaile… I’m sure you would have played ‘Substitute’ and ‘Born To Be Wild’ at this gig Geoff.

Geoff Peckham… Indeed, Alan, but I can’t imagine what the polite dancers would have made of ‘Time Machine’.

Andy Qunta… This was a lot of fun, but I don’t remember it in detail.

 

Medicine Head and Factory – Hastings Pier 12th March 1976

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ticket supplied by Mick Mepham,          review supplied by Sarah Harvey.

Tony May… A personal appeal here for some help from you all. I am looking for pictures of the band Medicine Head which appeared in the local newspapers from their Hastings pier gigs during the 1970’s. One particular picture is said to include my friend, Simon Griffiths (otherwise known to a lot of you as Karl) who was a bouncer on the pier for a short time in the background. I do not have many pictures of Simon (only those from the Bexhill Observer of 1977) so would really appreciate any of him from any time period. If anyone here can help I would be very grateful.

Andy Qunta… Wow! 40 years to the day! I don’t really remember this gig, but I’m sure I wasn’t thinking that 40 years from now, Factory will be about to release their first album!

Steve Kinch… I don’t recall ever playing with Medicine Head… then again, I don’t remember what I had for breakfast.

Peter Fairless…. As well as the 12th March 1977 they played in September ’74, too. What a great band!

Jim Munday… Yes, but not very good at sums… 

Chris Meachen… Nice blokes, one of the very few acts that bought us a drink for dragging their gear on…

Gerry  Fortsch… That was a bloody long haul to get your gear on the pier, I remember it well.

Chris Giles… Medicine Head great group …enjoyed watching them and their music brilliant …had forgotten I’d gone and seen them