gong

Gong – Hastings Pier 9th May 1974

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gong-plate

ad supplied by Sarah Harvey, paper plate frisbee supplied by Mick Mepham

autograph poster from the gig supplied by Peter Houghton

photos supplied by Clive Richardson

Gary Kinch….Wet Cheese Delirium

Clive Richardson...I remember Daevid Allen had a fishing rod and cast something into the audience.

Mick Mepham.…It was Daevid Allen with the rod and it was a little rubber fish on the end of the line. He cast it out, reeled it in and said “hmmm not biting today”. It utterly freaked loads of people out hahaha. Great gig.

Phil Thornton…..the UV flying UFO’s over the audience was the most memorable moment for me, along with the splendid ‘gliss’ guitar orchestra bliss out soundtrack ! I also loved steve hillage’s home made leslie cab device made from an old record deck and a big wedge of expanded polystyrene

Mick Mepham…..I’ve still got one of the paper plates that they frisbeed out into the audience …. see above

Perri Ann Haste…..Steve Hillage! – I still have one of his Vinyl albums in the loft somewhere… Think one of the tracks is called ‘ All too much ‘

James Turner…I was just sorting out my old albums,I got this on the pier in the 70’s

gong

Mick Mepham… I do that one at Beatles Day Perri Ann Haste. Good innit?

Tony Court-holmes… I i am now going to trawl through my mind for another odd band that played there.

Tony Ham… I’ve got the Flying Teapot album.

Pete Fisher… Saw Steve Hillage in 1976…

Jeremy Harrison… Anyone else buy Camembert Electrique for 99p? Worth a few Bob these days in good condition……

Mike Curtis… my copy has Gong on one side and Side 1 of Tubular Bells on the other

John Mcewen… 79p for mine, I think I got it in Woolworths.

Ben Taylor… No way, did they have Allan Holdsworth at that point?

Jeffrey Beadle… I think it’s Steve Hilage?

John Coleman… I Was there!

Stuart Moir… Look at those trousers, his mum probably ran them up on her singer sewing machine

Dave Nattress… Didn’t see Gong – I have got “L” by Steve Hillage in vinyl – must play it later, must be years since I did, but Tony Court-Holmes commented about trawling his mind for another odd band. I reckon the oddest band I saw at the pier was Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come – I just have an image of them now, seemed like weird stuff both the music and it was somewhat theatrical.

James Turner… I got the album somewhere.

Pete Houghton… I remember those days. Still got mine

Pippa Barber… Wow ! Great pics

Alan Esdaile… Do you remember buying this album for 59p in 1974?

Mike Curtis… I do. And my copy has Side 1 of Tubular Bells as its Side 2!

Alan Esdaile… Mike, collectors item?

Mike Curtis… Yes. There were quite a few of these mis-pressings apparently. I have been offered considerably more for it than it cost me new!

Ronald Collins… I have about 40 of the above mentioned frisbee/paper plates Want to make me an offer ? [Probably got the ticket around somewhere,too.] For Birmingham Town Hall,whenever it was.

any interest I will pass on to you Ronald.

 

 

Bands We’ve Seen On Hastings Pier – Tony May

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hastings pier

Tony May talking about  Bands On Hastings Pier

Hastings Pier may just be a derelict and rusting shell at the moment but its great to know that ‘the old girl’ is far from forgotten in the minds of many in the town and a number of nostalgic groups have popped up since the fire on social media websites like Facebook.

One such group –‘ Bands We’ve Seen On Hastings Pier’ http://www.facebook.com/groups/196962362327/ has proved particularly popular and has become THE place to visit on the Internet for those who desire to wax lyrical about anything to do with the Pier’s illustrious musical past.

Reading through the many posts makes you realise just how special a place Hastings Pier was in its heyday and its amazing to see just how many popular performers have contributed memories and/or photos to the group pages. In fact, almost anyone who has ever meant anything to the musical side of Hastings seems to have joined the conversation at some point and told a story or shared a memory or photograph.

Interestingly, those who had a close association with the Pier in the 1970’s seem to be the most vociferous members and there are numerous posts from Hastings favourites like Phil Thornton, Mick Mepham, Pete Fairless, Johnny Mason (Alan Esdaile), Terry Huggins, Ken Dengate, Robert Wren and a host of others.Don’t for a second though think that the party is an all male affair. Oh No! Plenty of ladies including Pam Shallcross, Yvonne Cleland and Margaret Haywood are regular posters and are just as passionate and chatty regarding their own personal memories.

It never ceases to make me smile when I think of the ‘eclectic’ selection of acts to have appeared on the Pier over the years…One of the weirdest groups of all perhaps was ‘Gong’. A ‘space rock, psychedelic, progressive rock band’, the group was never one to do things by half and Phil Thornton remembers that “UV lights, gliss guitar and paper plates” were all ingredients of the bands stage show.

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