hastings pier

supplied by Sarah Harvey

John Wilde….Went to Osibisa and Hot Chocolate. Both excellent though Osibisa take the prize for crowd enthusiasm.

Sarah Harvey….Didn’t they march on and off the stage chanting OS-I-BI-SA OS-I-BI-SA OS-I-BI-SA etc. ?

Phil Gill….And I was part of that enthusiastic Osibisa crowd. One of my favourite ever gigs. They grooved a trench from here to France and made everyone dance and have fun. Even I was dancing – probably haven’t since, so no mean feat, Osibisa.

John Wilde….Yes they were complete with their chant and with the great percussion, voices and instrumentation kept us moving and wanting more.

John Storer…..I just love the last line of that ad …. “Forthcoming attraction …. Marc Bolan & T.Rex … Tickets £1.25 in advance”. Remember getting tickets to see Japan at Brighton Dome in early 1982 and stating “I will never again pay £6 to go see a band”. Ahem!

John Wilde….July 25th 1975. T Rex supported by Stallion. Anyone have a poster?

Mick O’Dowd….I agree with you Phil. One of the best live bands going. Unfortunately they didn’t always transfer that excitement to vinyl. I always said that i’d defy anybody(even if they didn’t like the music) to not, at least, tap their foot!

Eric Cawthraw ….Here’s a story with a different take – no, not about a band, but rather a bizarre incident in the crowd. Before I expand on this – I bumped in to Mick Watson and related the details to him – just to confirm this is as I remember it, as he was also at the same gig – and yes, he remembers it just as I do!
I’m taking you back to the summer of 75 and the good old Pier Ballroom again. The main band that our crew had gone to see was Osibisa – aah, all those naughty pulsating rhythms I here you thinking!
It was back in the days when the ballroom was just one big open space and often there would be seats stacked up at the sides so that anyone could take one and plonk their butt on it at the location of their choice.
To set the scene further, once Osibisa came on, most of us migrated to the front of the stage, so every one was squeezed in at the front and the back half of the auditorium was virtually empty – this was often the format for the audience. I’m sure people could get pregnant in the thrusting throng – and some of them women!
It must have been a cool or wet evening as I do remember everyone had coats – and it’s the coats that feature in this story. Just as Osibisa came on, our mate Malcolm Hutchison said he was going to sit towards the back as he felt pretty knackered, so he got himself a chair and down he sat – OK, we said, you might as well keep an eye on our coats. So we dumped them around him and joined in the melee towards the stage. Once the gig ended [and a great evening it was too], we returned to our coats – and the vision that presented itself still cracks me up when I think about it.
There in front of out eyes, where Malcolm should have been, was just a pile of coats – a small volcano/mountain of coats! It seems that everyone else must have thought – ‘good idea’ – we have a cloak-room attendant! Bit by bit, as people left, they peeled their coats from the pile and slowly the form of Malcolm re-appeared – he was fast asleep! What a vision! How he slept through the gig or didn’t asphyxiate, I have no idea! I’ve never seen the like before – or since. It could only have happened in the Pier Ballroom! So we woke him up and off we went.
As far as I can remember no one went home without a coat – but I still wonder if everyone went home with the coat they arrived in!

Julie Morris… Trying to find if Osibisa are still playing – website doesn’t seem to have anything since about 2015

Alan Esdaile… Had a good search Julie and all I could find was a gig they did on the 7th July 2017 in Sekondi-Takoradi but couldn’t find any further gigs listed.

Mike O’Dowd… Two great band with Osibisa winning by a head!