footloose – SMART

Footloose on stage and The Carlisle repair.

April 5, 2023 by Alan Esdaile

all photos © Willie Wicking

Willie Wicking… Think it may have been local band Footloose. Photo of The Carlisle after Mods had put all the windows in on bank holiday.

Iain Cobby… Definitely Footloose with a young but bearded Harry Randall. In front of a packed upstairs at the Carlisle is Brian Setchfield singing his heart out, Harry and me, with my long departed Ric 4001, behind the captain!

Mike Waghorne… And Brian now has silver hair or he did the last time I saw him

Harry Randall… not sure but that might be the back of Tony Bridger on the left? Same shirt? Sound check!

Footloose at The Carlisle 1970’s

November 7, 2022November 7, 2022 by Alan Esdaile

supplied by Harry Randall

Harry Randall… Once upon a time a long long long long time ago when I had Hair a Les Paul Custom and a Marshall! Those were the days! Not allowed anymore how times have changed! The Carlisle about 1979 from left to right Tony Bridger (Guitar) Will Powell (Drums) Brian Setchfield (vocals) Iain Cobby (Bass) and myself HARRY Randall (guitar) would love to see any other photos kicking around!

Phil Gill… nice pic, thanks for sharing. I always loved Tony’s playing when I was in Stallion, he had great tone, was always concise and consistent and played with intent. The two of you together must have been a joy. Remember my first Stallion studio outing aged 19 with Phil Cordell as producer and Tony on guitar. He was right on the money.

Harry Randall… yes one of the greats, I think I played about eight years in all I remember phoning the Star at Normans bay for a gig and they said never had bands before eventually we were picking the bar out 5 deep so asked for an increase for our meagre gig money only to be told there’s the door! Typical.

Tim Moose Bruce… Loved the set list you guys did. Foreigner, Boston, Styx Quo, Lizzy and loads more.

Harry Randall… Yeah a lot of people knocked us for doing covers but in those days they were pretty obscure bands in UK bigger in Belgium things like Cold as ice and Hot blooded! Played that LP to death!

Iain Cobby… What is that on my head? Playing my old Ric 4001 . Harry and I recently worked on Brian’s Video for ” Freedom Ride” . Missing Tony and have many such memories of him then and pre Stallion, many of which would be unprintable. Do remember carting gear up those stairs! good times.

Tim Moose Bruce… 1st time I saw you in this band(1978 at the Wheatsheaf), you had a doubleneck guitar.

Harry Randall… Tim, that was my Ibanez be worth a lot of money now same as my JTM 45 Marshall everything was hand written on it it was that old

Tim Moose Bruce… Saw a pair of Ibanez doubleneck guitars in the 80s in Cass Music in Eastbourne. About the same time I bought my Shergold doubleneck from Birds Music.

Wee Jock… Love the photo, stacks, wem columns, concert toms

Tim Moose Bruce… Wee, And Brian’s vocals going through a Copycat. Sounded great.

Harry Randall… Wee, used to pack out the Star at Normans Bay, landlord said the tiles were coming off the roof LOL! I remember phoning them and arranging the gig at a low fee as they never had bands after several months and the bar getting 5 deep to get served asked for a raise as we had by then established it well and truly only to be told “No”! So pulled out!

Mike Waghorne… Never missed any of your gigs at the Star even the Runt & Tun at Heathfield was a good gig

Harry Randall… Miss this double neck ! If anyone has any photos of those days please post them or pm me we only have about 5 and I know a few were taken at gigs!

Harry Randall… Tim, finally got a photo of it! Broke a string so had to change it during break

Footloose & Die Laughing – Heavy Metal Holiday June and Brian Setchfield Aug 1979

June 5, 2022June 5, 2022 by Alan Esdaile

flyer supplied by Mick Mepham and cutting supplied by Iain Cobby

Mick O’Dowd…..Thanx Mick I hadn’t got a copy of this. Footloose were quite a good localband but don’t hear much about them now.

Chris Pook…..Really liked Footloose.

Mick O’Dowd….Yeah Chris. Remember the drummer played for Beez Neez when Mark was indisposed at The Carlisle.

Mark Chapman… We met Brian for the first time today at the west end of Bexhill on the beech front. What a polite, interesting and informative chat. Just checked out the discography and history of rock bands. Great stuff and still very fit and kicking. We look forwards to meeting up again in the near future and probably by pure chance again. All the best Rock’n’ Roll. Mark and Julie

Harry Randall… That very gig “Sound Check” would love to see any photo’s of us! Check out “Freedom Ride” by Brian on You Tube it’s all that’s left of “Footloose”!

Tim Moose Bruce… Before the Storm. Bunch of young lads who started out a bit off key but improved by leaps and bounds every time they gigged. Changed their name to Billy Wizz later on.

Footloose 2022

March 26, 2022March 26, 2022 by Alan Esdaile

Harry Randall… Amazing how things change? Maybe destiny? The remainder of Footloose” Harry , Brian and Iain, getting it on! Check out Freedom Ride by Brian on You Tube! More also coming ! We are working on it! Who’d have thought back in the 70’s we’d end up like this? Missing our forebearers Tony, Will and Chris RIP!

Tim Moose Bruce… Remembering you guys at the Wheatsheaf back in 78. Rocked the place.

Barry French… So pleased to see members of Footloose reunited performing such a stunning track.
Still a great band fronted by one of the towns finest frontmen in Brian Setchfield.

Harry Randall…. thanks Barry! The next ones even better

February Frolics – 558 Entertainments – Footloose, Loggerhead, Beez Neez, Priway Music Road Show, The Piranhas, The Teenbeats, Centre Page. The Carlisle 1979

October 10, 2020October 10, 2020 by Alan Esdaile

supplied by Mick Mepham cutting supplied by Mick O’Dowd

Tim Bruce….I went to the Footloose gig. Loggerhead if I recall were a prog type band playing their own material.

Mick O’Dowd… Here’s on of my gigs from 1979. Footloose were a very good band in the Thin Lizzy mould if I remember rightly. I know the drummer was called Will but I don’t remember any other names. Can anybody help with names/pics? The following night Will actually played drums for Beez Neez because Mark Harris (now a Likely Lad)( He was then as well!) got held up and couldn’t get to the gig. Will did an excellent job. What can you say about the Piranhas/Teenbeats gig. Then there was those stalwarts of the local music scene Centre Page whose line-up over the years reads like a whos-who of local talent!

Peter Millington… There’s a job for you Mick – create a family tree of who’s played in Suspect/Centre Page over the 50+ years they’ve been entertaining the locals and the not so locals. Group family trees are a complicated business – I’ve just finished one for myself which goes from the CONFEDERATES – SPYKE i – SUSPECT – SPYKE II – JINKS I – EVOLUTION – JINKS II with all the members comings and goings. Not very adventurous with names were we? 53 years non-stop so no complaints!

Iain Cobby… Yes, I was the bassist in Footloose. Will on Drums (cant remember his surname) Brian Setchfield on vox, Guitars were Tony (Vic) Bridger RIP and Harry Randall. Good times were had with a mixture of covers and our own stuff. We did record one with two Saxon covers. I think we went on stage to Widors toccata in F. Such pomp!

Dave Nattress… I still see Brian Setchfield quite often along Cooden Sea-front. He walking his dog, me walking mine, and we often walk along chatting about all those old times, bands and characters. Brian was in Boulder a parallel universe to Damaris and they morphed into Footloose. Mick Kemp and Tony Barraclough played in both bands. Boulder actually earned money doing weekend gigs. Really glad you’ve “signed up” Iain – catch you soon. Loggerhead’s bassist was Steve Watson who later joined up with Mick Bridgeland, Andy Leaney, (RIP), and me in The Charts. Mick, Andy and I had been in The Prisoners for a year or two with Robin Heggie. Robin joined the Hollywood Killers and I think it was then actually Steve Watson joined us.

Mike Mitchell… I remember that gig: The Piranhas and The Teenbeats…a great night. And I found a silver Parker biro on the benches too.

Colin Fox… I like THE GENTLEMEN OF POP under Centre Page.

Mick O’Dowd… Will from Footloose took over the drumkit from Mark at this one. It’s ok Mark Harris, he was still sitting at the back!

Mark Harris… I think you might be right Mick about Will deputising.

Chris Pook… Think that was the only gig you missed Mark. Agree Mick, Footloose were a great band – Dave Neal included!!

Ernest Ballard… Piranhas Great Band