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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.

Gracious, Strife, Total, Factory all-nighter Hastings pier 25th June 1971 ticket

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Supplied by Keith Veness

Jaffa Peckham… I remember this night. I’m sure we (Factory) and the other bands were great, but Gracious were excellent. Hastings College favourites and I loved them every time I saw them. I got to hang out with one of their roadies, who was very erudite and un-roadie-like! Another memorable night on the pier. Thanks for posting.

Andy Qunta… Yes, Gracious were brilliant! Still listen to their albums.

Alan Esdaile… Gracious were amazing. Remember Martin Kitkat from the band. I think he went on and worked behind the scenes with Genesis later on??  Was this the night that The Equals were to appear?

Andy Qunta… I don’t think this was Equals night, but I could be wrong. I read somewhere that Martin Kitkat was very disappointed that Gracious weren’t more successful. I was too, actually!

 

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 ?

 

 

SMART SOUNDS by Colin Bell reviewing I’m A Freak Baby – A Journey Through The British Heavy Psych & Hard Rock Underground Scene 1968-1972 – Various Artists including Factory & The Kult and Concrete & Clay The Complete Recordings by Unit 4+2 cd’s.

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I’M A FREAK BABY – A JOURNEY THROUGH THE BRITISH HEAVY PSYCH & HARD ROCK UNDERGROUND SCENE 1968-1972 (3CD SET) …featuring FACTORY & THE KULT…!  Snappy title! the ‘featuring’ is my own addition, I think the main title is long enough! So, here we have a glorious trawl through 3 cds (48 tracks) of the some mainstream but mostly lost and obscure bands that flourished briefly but sometimes brilliantly in those heady four years. Most compilations of this period concentrate on the baroque twee ‘psyche’ vibe ‘Elephants in Bubble Gum Trees’ and suchlike whimsical lyrics. I’m A Freak does what it says on the tin and goes with the hard edged rock that was splitting away from ‘pop’. So lets deal with the elephant(s) in the room and two tracks of great interest to Smarties! Disc 1 track 9 sandwiched between The Pink Fairies and The Groundhogs (a good place to be!) is the first official cd debut for our very own Factory and ‘Time Machine’ and sounding fresh as a remastered daisy. Now you who didn’t get one of the 99 vinyl copies originally pressed can add it to your collection! If that wasn’t enough Disc 3 track 14 and hailing from about half a mile from where I’m writing this is Bexhills very own The Kult ‘Occult’ again first time on CD. Brilliant for all of us with long memories! Of the 46 other tracks as aforementioned there are some ‘names’ Deep Purple, Chicken Shack. The Move, Yardbirds, Uriah Heep to name but 5 (and not the usually compiled tracks) but its in the obscure that some real delights spring forth such as Cycle, Stonehouse, Barnabus, Sam Gopal, names that jog dim memories for this reviewer who was always into the more esoteric!
I must also mention two bands who I worked with the excellent, and at the time highly controversial, Third World War with ‘Ascension Day’ and The Gun with ‘Race With The Devil’ a record ahead of its time for 1968, The Gun were Adrian and Paul Gurvitz, two great guys who had relationships with Ruperts People. Like the famed and never bettered ‘Nuggets’ psychedelic 3CD compilation I’m A Freak has set the standard for mining the vaults and putting together an outstanding compilation of proto power trio’s, rock experimental pioneers, the avant garde, and the really out there! I take my hat off to the compiler David Wells, a first class job. The accompanying 36 page fully annotated booklet has good potted biogs and photos of the bands featured, (Tony & Jaffa love the hats!) I’m A Freak is released this Friday (29th July 2016).

CONCRETE & CLAY-THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS – Unit 4+2 (2CD) Also for the first time on CD this collection gathers together the entire recordings from 1964-1969 remastered with detailed sleeve notes. There has been mention recently of U4+2 on the Smart website so this is a timely release! Space negates a full history of the band members (the sleeve notes are admirable). I confess I didn’t know one member morphed into Whistling Jack Smith with the er..dreaded ‘I Was Kaiser’s Bill’s Batman’ anyway that aside..i did know that one of the ‘plus 2’ was Russ Ballard. I guess the band are synonomous with the million selling ‘Concrete & Clay’ and are no doubt remembered chiefly for that which hit the top spot in April 1965 (knocking off The Stones). Many TV appearances followed on the likes of ‘Ready Steady Go!’ and ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’. They were not just a one hit wonder though, the follow up ‘You’ve Never Been In Love Like This Before’ released a coupla months later made a respectable No. 14. Two minor hits followed You’ve Got To Be Cruel To Be Kind’ and ‘Baby Never Say Goodbye’., which was a re-tread musically of C & C. Chart wise that was it for the band. However they remained a very popular and busy live draw. This 2 CD set is  split between their time with firstly Decca and their subsequent 1967 move to Philips offshoot Fontana. Up to C & C and indeed after til their move to Fontana their material was lightweight pop/harmony, a mix of original material and as was the custom of the times ‘covers’ of songs like ‘La Bamba’ ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin Feelin’ ‘The Girl From New York City’ etc. Their original material fares better if a tad forgettable at times(apart from the aforementioned hits).
However the switch to Fontana and a desire to ‘update’ themselves produced some little gems as they stretched themselves and embraced ‘the summer of love’. ‘Butterfly’ is a good example (I remember Marmalade also recording this Brothers Gibb track). A foray into Dylan ‘You Aint Going Nowhere’ comes off well. Self penned numbers ‘I Was Only Playing Games’ and I’ve Seen The Light’ show a new confidence, even if the latter sounds like they nicked the opening chords from The Troggs’ Give It To Me’ (or maybe that’s just in my head!). The penultimate track ‘The World of Broken Hearts’ (a favourite track of mine in Amen Corner’s version) works well, albeit less gritty. So to sum up, if you favour pop/harmony and a dash of mild psyche you will find much to enjoy here.  Released this Friday (29th July 2016)

For more information, full tracklists etc go to http://www.cherryred.co.uk

See you soon with a new Tony Burrows comp and more….
Til then…. Colincolin-head-111x150-111x150

 

Andy Qunta… Thanks, Colin! I think I might get myself a copy of this! Lotsa good stuff! 😉

Robert Searle… I have a copy of ” I’m a freak baby”

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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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.