supplied by Barry French & Sarah Harvey
Kev Towner… “Bizarro’s”?
Terry Corder… What a waste of time that was and still waiting to get paid for it!
Harry Randall… Shame it’s gone though some great memories of bygone years!
hastings pier
The Talismen & Cliff Bennett – Big Beat Reunion 14th November 1987 video by Peter Millington
Peter Millington…..video features The Talismen, another group local to Hastings and who were very popular. They played a mixture of pop and rock in the 1960s and also reformed for his very special event.
Peter Millington…..The Big Beat Reunion party on Hastings Pier on 14th November 1987. features Cliff Bennett and Friends, Ray Fenwick, Pete Shaw, Pete Head and co-organiser of the event, Chris Sayer.
Alan Esdaile….WOW, we are spoilt today.
Stuart Moir….Ray Fenwick on Gibson Les paul lead guitar, and Pete Shaw on drums and of course Peter Head on bass. We were support band for Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers around that time playing at Chislehurst Caves.
Peter Millington….I think you’ll find that Ray was playing a Yamaha and not a Gibson Stu!
Pete Shaw…..I remember it well! We all met, on the pier late that afternoon and ran through some numbers that Cliff had outlined…a couple were really versions of Johnny Mars set pieces as Ray and I were still gigging with Johnny…Cliif B was great and after the gig he asked if we could work with him at other gigs he had…Ray and I did some more for him but Pete H and Chris S could not! Great fun and hey, that kit wasn’t even mine but even with only a couple of cymbals it sounded period authentic although some of my staggered breaks were a bit modern! Ray’s guitar was one of two Yamaha specials he had picked up from Yamaha themselves?? His accomplished and searing sound accompanied me and my kit for years!! I’m very thankful for his friendship at that time…Chris Sayer and Pete Head all time Hastings musical heroes! Thanks Pete for posting this…I’ve never seen it before!!
Caz Simpson…. I can’t believe I missed the Big Beat Reunion on Hastings Pier in 1987! Cliff Bennet played, where was I??
John Walker and The Technique – Hastings Pier 4th November 1967
Mick O’Dowd… Didn’t remember him playing here.
Acker Bilk autograph programme – Hastings Pier 26th May 1962
Supplied by Anthony ‘Nan’ Morland
Ray Nickson… I seem to recall that he also played at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill sometime in 1979
Colin Bell… I don’t think he’d want to be ‘ a stranger on the shore’ the last couple of days!
Lloyd Johnson… In 1962 Anthony ‘Nan’ Moreland and I went to see Acker Bilk on The Pier…Nan wanted his autograph but had to leave early so asked if I could get Acker Bilk’s autograph for him and gave me the Souvenir photo above.I waited by the dressing room door left of the stage and when he came out to leave I got the Autograph for Nan….Nan and I sat next to each other for most of our school days and remain friends to this day…
Baker Gurvitz Army & Tea – Hastings Pier Sat 1st Nov 1975
Flyer supplied by Mick Mepham , cuttings supplied by Sarah Harvey
Michael Mepham….One of the best Typos ever, Pea! They were actually a Swiss band called Tea and were excellent, great sense of timing. Got a feeling they may have supported Golden Earring but I can’t be sure of that. I have the album they had out at the time – really good.
Mick O’Dowd….Great band. I worked on the Pier with them. I stood sidestage about 6ft from Ginger. Wot a drummer! Made it look so easy. There were only three of them but the support band had to set up on The Ballroom floor half way up the side.
Glen Piper….Yeah, worked both gigs with these guys on the Pier
Tony Court-holmes….yes i was one of the in house roadies with glen piper
Sarah Harvey…..Baker Gurvitz Army. The article actually appeared in Stephen Turner’s Group Scene article on February 8th, 1975 just after the release of their first album, and they appeared on the pier some 9 months later
Gary Kinch…..Remember that one. Well, when I say “remember” 😉
Nick Webb….I was there again.
Henry Mann…..So was I
Peter Gladwish… Thanks for posting this Sarah Harvey. I went to this performance but whenever I mention the B.G.Army to anyone, I get a blank response. I’ve often wondered if I’d imagined the whole thing! (Maybe I did!!!)
Sarah Harvey… Well if you imagined it Peter Gladwish, then so did I 🙂
Peter Fairless… My ears still hurt just thinking about it
Jim Breeds… I’m more interested in the folk article alongside it. I’m sure I saw Hemlock at the Black Horse, I was there or at the Hayloft regularly at about this time. And the late great Peter Bellamy gets a mention too. 🙂
Eric Cawthraw… Yep, a great gig and only 40 years ago. I liked the Gun – who morphed into Three Man Army, who morphed into BGH. Tea were spot on too. Here’s a sobering thought – if I’d written this in 1975 about a band seen 40 years ago, it meant I was going back to 1935! ….I’m off to play my Al Bowley wax cylinders.
Die Laughing & Dawn Watcher Hastings Pier 31st October 1981
supplied by Mick Mepham
Tim Bruce… I went to this gig. Was a real good gig. 2 brilliant bands.
The Prodigy – Storm Allnighter – Hastings Pier 25th October 1991
supplied by Ian Mantel
Martin Richter… thanks – I knew i’d seen the Prodigy – couldn’t remember where ! RIP Keith
Alan Esdaile… One of the strangest pieces of official merchandise that Masons Music sold was Prodigy toilet seat covers. I see one was auctioned by Popsike a few years ago and sold for £125.00!
www.popsike.com
Man and Deke Leonards Iceberg Hastings Pier 24th October 1973
supplied by Mick Mepham
Sarah Harvey… I have a number of Man’s albums on vinyl although their album count goes into the 20s. I featured a Man track from ‘Back Into The future’ album the 2nd Pier show and Deke Leonard’s Iceberg will feature in the third Pier Show later this month. I really liked Man. Lots of good bands came out of Wales in the 70s.
Mick Mepham… Great stuff
Here’s a copy of the rare poster, handled out at the gig on Hastings Pier.
poster supplied by Chris Sambrook
Geoff Peckham….Is it just me but whenever we (Factory) played at a Miner’s Social or Rugby Club in South Wales – and we played a fair few – didn’t someone always come up and say “Have you heard of a group called Man?” You’d say yes and he’d tell you he used to roadie for them.
Pete Fisher….missed them at the Pier, but saw them at the Roundhouse in London in 75 – brilliant!
Geoff Peckham….Yep. I seem to remember after one long engrossing piece one of the band strolled to the mic and announced: “We may not be the best band in the world, but we sure smoke the most dope!”
Kevin Sherwood… A great night still a big fan.Deke Leonard is a surburb author, Maybe I should have stayedin bed? and Rhinos, whinos & lunatics are wonderful tales if life on the road in Man and Iceberg.
Phil Thornton… I was there !
Glenn Piper… I worked this gig
Jim Breeds… Damn, I wish I’d seen them!
Jan Warren… 2ozs of plastic with a hole in the middle!! – Brilliant album by Man!! 🙂
Phil Gill… I was there.
Mazda MX-5 advertisement Hastings Pier 1990
post from Hastings Pier Community Archive https://www.facebook.com/hastingspiercommunityarchive
HPCA… This Mazda MX-5 advertisement stages 1960s Mods on a dilapidated Pier in 1990.In the 1960s, Hastings Pier reinvented itself as an important music venue, attracting major bands like The Who and Jimi Hendrix. Like other seaside towns, Hastings became the destination of mods and rockers on Summer Bank Holidays. Even though these ‘mods’ are staged, the details of their style and clothing are well observed.
Ray Nickson… Didn’t Birchwood Ford put on a motor show on the pier back in about 1979 ?