king rod

Suspect and King Rod – Aquarius – 30th September 1972

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Tickets available from The Golden Egg!

Robert Searle… Played in both groups.

Peter Millington… I had just joined Suspect when we did this gig. My first bass note whilst tuning up shut down the power to the stage. Not loud but the early days of decibel control just didn’t work. Great venue at the time later converted to Saturdays Disco – progress?

Harry Randall… I remember it as Suspect 4? Named after the Watkins Suspect 4 guitar.

John Bridger… I was there. Roadie for KR.0

Tony Court-holmes… happy days i wish i had a pound for every beer i had in there

Olivier Chateau… Great nights

Robert Searle… Played with Suspect 70/71 for about three months,there was Dave Easton,Stuart Moir,Trevor Spears,and Graham Putland,later with Les Harding.
Also did one gig with King Rod when Rod couldn’t do it,at the Carioca? at Worthing.

Henry Hay – 58 Club/Pebbles Club, Winchelsea Beach around 1979/1980

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Henry Hay

supplied by Marianne Hay

Marianne Hay…photo of my late husband who used to be the DJ at the 58 Club when it changed to Pebbles and knew all of the local groups including King Rod well.  It would be interesting to hear if anybody remembers him.

Linda Day… I remember going to the 58 club.

Chris Baker… Played there a few times before DJs were invented.

Virginia Davis… I remember going to pebbles

Barry Newton… If its the Henry I remember he had a brother Stuart.

Mick O’Dowd… Yes I remember him. I DJ’d there after him but still remember him. Was his brother Stuart who ran the place for a time? Same gear and the sparkly stage ribbons as when I worked there.

Rob… 58 club, do you remember the bikers from Tenterden ? Always seemed to be fighting with the skinheads – tullett boys ? !!

Harry Randall… 58 club used to be run by our manager Bill Tribe I think his name was 1968 When “The Loyd Milligan Sound ” an 8 piece soul band I was in went pro to Germany!

Gerry Fortsch… What a great picture, I remember Henry very well, had some good times together in the day, always a gentleman. Peace & Love. At a later date than this there was a Scotsman named Colin working at the club, I think he went to Australia, does any one know what happened to him?

David Edwards… I remember doing some building work for the fella who owned it. He was a bailiff/ debt collector absolutely straight as a die and a good egg. Remember rebuilding the stage which was originally ply sheets on beer crates.

Peter Smith… I have just stumbled across this site as I was doing some googling on my Dads old club ‘Pebbles’. He is John Smith the debt collector David Edwards spoke about. What a lovely, accurate description of my Dad, thank you for the kind words, it has made his day!

David Edwards… Glad to make Peter’s dad’s day hope John is keeping well and best wishes to him

Steve Cooke… I knew the venue very well but not Henry. However, he does bear a striking resemblance to Stewart Hay who was the landlord of Pissaro’s in Hastings for years. He was a great supporter of live music and hosted the first ever Beatles Day.

Mick O’Dowd… Yes Steve he was Stuarts brother. Hi Peter was your Dad Peter & His Wife Rispa? If it was I worked for them as DJ and found them both to be extremely nice folks. I’ve still got the cocktail shaker (engraved) that they gave to all their staff when they left. I think he sold it to Henry’s brother Stuart Hay.

Alan Vale… FAL = Futuristic Aids Limited great name for amps and speakers lol

Tony Vourt-holmes… i remember walking back to hastings from there one night was in the summer

Alan Esdaile… Anyone remember Venus And Mars?

Mick O’Dowd… Rings a bell. I think I worked with them at Pebbles

Deb Hoad… Looks familiar

King Rod & The Alamo – Hastings Pier 22nd June 1973

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cutting supplied by Sarah Harvey.             photo supplied by Peter Gladwish

Peter Gladwish… Above is a piccy of me playing with King Rod on Hastings Pier around the time of this poster!

Andre Martin…..King Rod were a group that played many venues in and around Hastings during the 60s onwards. They were very much part of the Musical/group scene at the time.

Alan Esdaile…..Both King Rod & The Alamo were popular but not sure about sexy smith? Mind you the lead singer of Alamo was Bob Smith so that might have had something to do with him?

Peter Millington….Well here goes for all you “group watchers” – King (Kingsley Trowell – RIP) and Rod (Rodney Trowell) were brothers and went out as King Rod and Co. The Co were Paul Freeman on drums and Greg Pierce on Rhythm guitar. A really good harmony group. Rod joined JINKS in 1974 with Ian Williams, Vocals and Lead guitar, Terry Chedzoy, Vocals and Drums, Peter Millington, Vocals and Rhythm guitar. In 1976 Ian left and Trevor Spears joined. This partnership born out of The Confederates in the ’60s, lasted until January 2002, 26 years! when each took a break for 12 months. JINKS reformed in January 2003 (Ian Williams, Terry Chedzoy and Peter Millington) and continue to play. Trevor Spears and Rodney Trowell now play in LOOSE CHANGE with Stuart Moir on drums (formerly of Suspect and Centre Page and Clive Drew-Clifton on Bass and formerly of the ’60s group The Springbeats.
The ALAMO had quite a few personnel changes but at their height the membership included Bob Smith – Lead Vocals, Kirk Ronchetti Drums, Nigel Davies Lead Guitar, Dave Levett Bass Guitar. This version of the Alamo was converted into GRUNDY (Nigel, Dave and Kirk) with the addition of Nigel’s brother Clive Davies. GRUNDY continue to play although Nigel passed away in 2005. A very sad loss.

Mick O’Dowd….King Rod always seemed to be around somewhere right from the 60’s onwards. One of the most enduring bands maybe?

Maggie Shearin… I so need to put my glasses on…i thought that said kings road…then i thought well friday is not the 22nd lol

Paul Dengate… I was playing with the Alamo at the time of this gig. Don’t remember it, but it’s in the diary. Played a lot on the pier.

Mark Mackenzie… In the 1980s you could pick up these kits very cheaply as everyone was buying the new Jap kits, Pearl and so on. I bought two Ludwig kits one in black oyster and the other one was Galaxy finish both mid 60s. Wish i hadn’t sold them worth a lot of money these days.

Stuart Moir… Only to the right person Mark, I was lucky as the guy who bought mine wanted that particular kit for thier dated line up of Vox amps, they were a tribute band in the Czech Republic, he paid for the carriage as well .

Phil Little… I have a Ludwig Super Classic kit that I bought in 1975. You could have bought a terraced house up North for what I paid for the kit on Hire Purchase.

 

Eyes Of Blond plus King Rod – Battle Memorial Hall 8th Jan 1971

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photo source: http://www.eyesofblond.co.uk/index.html

Anyone remember or know anything about Eyes Of Blond?

Geoff Peckham… Yes, Eyes of Blond were an excellent band. I was at this gig with Laurie – I believe Tone and Andy too. They opened with the Byrds’ song, “Gunga Din”. I think we covered it for a while after that.

Nigel Ford… I was there too, not sure if this was their 1st appearance there or their second,the second time I was torn between giving a friend of a girl I fancied a lift back to Hollington, which I did (without reward,HUH!) only to return to find the band finishing up!! DOHHH!!! …and it was a cold, foggy night (on my GT200 Lambretta). I think it was the first time I’d seen a band with 2 base drums (well, when they first played there) when they first visited. Heavy Rock sound, from London I think. I was impressed , hence why I was annoyed at missing their second appearance!

Geoff Peckham… I saw them at the Cobweb around this time too. (Or was it a band called Blonde on Blonde?) Unfortunately their drummer collapsed mid-set and the gig was abandoned. They claimed it was because he was on strong antibiotics. Does anyone else remember this?

Alan Esdaile… Yes your right Geoff , they played Hastings, “Cobwebs”, St Leonards Monday, August 17, 1970, Hastings, Combe Haven Caravan Pk. Tuesday, August 18, 1970. I don’t know if Andre has any cuttings?

Phil Wade…  (guitarist and vocalist in photo above, right hand side) comments… The drummer with the two bass drums was Harry Rix (now deceased), but it was Paul (on the left in the photo) who played at The Cobweb in 1970. Neither drummer collapsed on stage Geoff  – perhaps it was Blonde on Blonde? I’ll dig out a photo of the group lineup that played at Battle.Incidentally, our lead guitarist Phil Dimitri now lives in Eastbourne.

Alan Esdaile… Geoff, definitely a band called Blonde On Blonde, I’m sure I have seen them on one of the cuttings but just found this on the web.. was a guitar-led psychedelic rock group from South Wales. The band was originally formed in Newport in 1967

Geoff Peckham… Sounds like them. I remember them being very loud and ‘dangerous’. Some time into the set I noticed the drummer shouting to the others and he was clearly in some discomfort. They didn’t notice until he keeled over backwards and it all came to a halt. Poor guy!

Phil Wade… We split up in March 1971, so you saw us close to the end. Have a look at the web site (www.eyesofblond.co.uk) to see where we came from and why we split. We’d heard of Blonde on Blonde of course (named after a Dylan album) – but our spelling is for males 🙂

Geoff Peckham… I checked it out when the website was posted earlier, Phil. Good stories. Yours is one of the few bands I remember well from that era. Very influential. Just loved “Gunga Din” and other stuff and the way you played them. My band at that time, Factory, probably learned a lot from you guys. We too have met up again recently and we were only talking about you the other day! Never thought I’d be talking to a member in the band shortly after!

 

 

Remembering King (Kingsley Trowell) by Peter Gladwish

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supplied by Peter Gladwish

Peter Gladwish… Remembering King. 8 years since his passing. Still missing a good mate.

Alan Esdaile… This brings back some great memories of seeing King Rod.

Jon McCallion… Good memories of King Rod and Co at the 58 club then getting a lift back home in the blue bus that they had. Happy days.

Mick O’Dowd… King Rod & Co always seemed to be the band that were always there lurking in the background but never forgotten once seen.

Carol Arnold… yes great nights at 58 club with pie and lift back in bus!

Marianne Hay… My late husband used to be the DJ at the 58club when it changed to Pebbles and knew all of the local groups including King Rod well as he played when the groups went for their break his name was Henry Hay I am sure that there are a lot of people out there who remember him.

Graham Nunn… I knew him well. Lovely guy.

Robert Searle… Good ol King RIP

Stuart Moir… Brilliant profile, with that hair he always looked the part RIP my friend your sadly missed by all in the music business .

Margaret Trowell… Couldn’t agree more Stu xx A much loved brother, still sadly missed

Barry Newton… Great memories , great times and fun especially at 58 club and the trips home in the bus, happy days

Dukes Bar London Road Bexhill – 1974

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Pete Millington… Remember it well! Always packed out! SPYKE at the time was Ian Williams, Ginger Millington and Terry Chedzoy.

Dave Nattress… The York, London Road, Bexhill just round the corner from the now long gone Queens Head where local bands played. The York has been putting on bands on and off for a very long time. A band I saw once there was called “Esgaroth” – the name I’ve since learned s the name of a community referred to in The Hobbit – good on you Google for telling me this. Anyway, they were apparently from Tunbridge Wells and what little else I remember – easy to get wrecked in The York back then, was that the singer resembled Jim Morrison, and delivered a bit like him. They were quite heavy, sinister, dark sort of sound really, did their own stuff I recall tight and great overall. The singer really stood out – very different. Never heard of or saw them after that. Would have been about 1978/1979. Anyone else heard of them?

Robert Searle… Played there when it was The York with Haze,Easy Street,and Centre Page, really enjoyed playing there

Penny Black & King Rod 1973

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supplied by Sarah Harvey

Sarah Harvey… Pop Scene from December 8th, 1973. Two more bands I am not sure have been mentioned yet…. Penny Black playing at The Yorkshire Grey and ‘King Rod’ playing at The Regent Hotel (Remember seeing a few bands play live there.

Dave Nattress… The Prisoners – Andy Leaney, (RIP), Robin Heggie, (RIP), Mick Bridgeland and myself had our first gig at the Yorkshire Grey, God knows when – about 1979 and the abiding memory is of Robin’s disgust when looking around the stage pre-gig/soundcheck to plug in some amps to find the landlord’s dog had left a really big curly-whirly cumberland sausgage there.  I can see Robin’s face now!!  Real rock n roll moment that one. Funny the things you remember!!

Dave Weeks… The first gig I attended at the pier I think.

Andy Qunta… Both great bands! Saw them many times, & I’m pretty sure Factory was on the same bill with them more than once!

Tony Court-holmes… forgot about king rod